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76 Initiatives for improving access to financial products for disadvantaged groups of the population It is important for social equilibrium in society that all groups of the population are given equal opportunity to access financial services. Disadvantaged groups include people with disabilities as well as people who have, for example, linguistic, cultural or age-related barriers to overcome. In all of our markets, we are endeavoring as far as possible to ensure that people with disabilities will be able to enjoy barrier-free access to all facilities in the medium term. Austria Visually impaired users in Austria have the opportunity to switch the websites of the Raiffeisen Banking Group and the ELBA internet to high-contrast colors. This makes the pages much easier to read for these users. The web pages meet all standards for screen readers to read. For people who have difficulty using the website because of limited hand mobility, there are now larger buttons and images. A further significant improvement was achieved through “Responsive Design”. This means that the website is automatically modified to suit the end device. Eastern Europe (EE) In Poland, there is a provision by the Polish Bank Association (ZBP) regarding how to deal with disadvantaged customers in the branches. This was communicated to all branches by Raiffeisen Polbank. These guidelines should help relationship managers provide a service that is more considerate of disabled persons. In addition, the websites were inspected with regard to accessibility for the visually impaired and people with limited abilities to operate a mouse or keyboard. Tatra banka, a.s. in Slovakia has already equipped all ATMs with independent and barrier-free access. Except for those branch offices in the historic city center, all existing and newly opened branches are now similarly accessible barrier-free. Furthermore, voice navigation for visually impaired persons is a standard feature of every ATM. The internet banking system is adapted to the visually impaired. The website and mobile applications have also been outfitted with voice navigation for these customers. Raiffeisen Bank Zrt. in Hungary implemented a responsive website in 2016 with integrated barrier-free functions for disadvantaged persons to ensure the best possible equal opportunity. The Hungarian National Bank also provides official information on the use of financial services for disadvantaged persons, which can also be found on the website of the bank. Southeastern Europe (SEE) In Albania, the ATMs of Raiffeisenbank Sh.A. offer the visually impaired Braille keyboards. Raiffeisen BANK dd Bosna i Hercegovina has established specific rules for dealing with people with disabilities. The head office and many branches are barrier-free accessible. Most ATMs are also directly accessible by wheelchair, providing there are no building obstacles, and feature multilingual operation in English and German in addition to Bosnian. The ATM keyboards additionally feature embossed numbers and a headphone jack for easier use by the visually and hearing impaired. Product and service information will also be available in Braille in the future for people with visual impairment. An associated project is currently in progress. For the hearing impaired, an initiative is currently in preparation which will enable web calls with sign language translators to be made so that these people have the possibility to have all of their questions regarding their banking activities explained to them directly. Raiffeisenbank (Bulgaria) EAD began installing hydraulic ramps for wheelchairs and strollers in their offices in 2015. In 2016, 30 new platforms were purchased. The website and the bank’s blog had already been


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