- Distinctive notches on the Touch Card allow blind and partially sighted 
people to easily distinguish card

Mastercard and Ajman Bank have strengthened their commitment to inclusion 
through a new initiative designed to expand access to the digital economy. The 
world-first Touch Card [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqloeDvSSgg] is an 
accessible payment card that will allow blind and partially sighted people to 
easily facilitate payments and distinguish between their cards. 

There are few effective ways for those who are blind or who have reduced vision 
to quickly determine whether they're holding a credit, debit, or prepaid card, 
particularly as more cards move to flat designs without embossed names and 
numbers. Mastercard is addressing this challenge with a simple innovation and 
has introduced a system of notches on the side of the card to help consumers 
use the right card, the right way.

"At Ajman Bank inclusion is an integral aspect of our corporate culture and 
social responsibility. Innovation has the power to change the world for the 
better. We are delighted to partner with Mastercard to be the first movers to 
help drive this innovative solution that will help us to respond to everyone's 
needs. For visually impaired customers, selecting the right card can very often 
be a challenging experience. Touch Card allows consumers to quickly distinguish 
which card they are using through the three distinct notches. We've always 
appreciated Mastercard's vision for thinking of new ways to innovate and do 
things differently to serve more people," said Mohamed Amiri, Chief Executive 
Officer, Ajman Bank.

Moza Al Akraf Al Suwaidi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Community 
Development said: "Accessibility is a human right and this latest initiative by 
Mastercard will open new possibilities for the inclusion of individuals with 
visual impairment into the digital economy. Ajman Bank's collaboration with 
Mastercard will make daily life easier for a lot of people. It aligns with 
UAE's social and community goals to promote an inclusive environment for 
everyone by tapping into the infinite power and potential of technology to 
enrich people's wellbeing regardless of their capabilities."

"This initiative is taking inclusion to the next level as we look to promote 
accessibility in new and meaningful ways. This world-first collaboration with 
Ajman Bank to introduce the Mastercard Touch Card will offer a greater level of 
independence and security to blind and partially sighted individuals across the 
UAE," shared Raja Rajamannar, Chief Marketing & Communications Officer and 
President of Healthcare, Mastercard.

The Touch Card has been designed to work with point-of-sale terminals and ATMs, 
ensuring they can be deployed at scale - the credit cards have a squarish 
notch; debit cards have a rounded notch; and prepaid cards have a triangular 
notch. As well as blind and partially sighted consumers, anyone in a low-light 
environment or reaching into a wallet or purse one-handed can benefit from the 
Touch Card design.

The Ajman Bank Touch Card further offers benefits to suit each cardholder's 
unique needs, including cash back benefits of up to 10 per cent that can be 
selected from across four categories: fuel, online spend, groceries and school 
fees.

According to the latest available data, 15% of the global population experience 
some form of disability, constituting the largest minority group in the world. 
The World Health Organization 
[https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/blindness-and-visual-impairmen
t#:~:text=Globally%2C%20at%20least%202.2%20billion%20people%20have%20a,and%20bli
ndness%20are%20uncorrected%20refractive%20errors%20and%20cataracts.] estimates 
that, globally, at least 2.2 billion people have sight problems. A recent 
Mastercard study, Bridging the Disability Gap: An Opportunity to Make a 
Positive Impact 
[https://newsroom.mastercard.com/mea/files/2022/05/%E2%80%98Bridging-the-Disabil
ity-Gap-An-Opportunity-to-Make-a-Positive-Impact%E2%80%99.pdf], revealed that 
digital inclusion is the pathway to financial inclusion for persons with 
disabilities. It highlights that there is a clear opportunity for the industry 
to work collaboratively to make a positive impact on the lives of millions of 
people around the world.

Mastercard's concept has been vetted and endorsed by The Royal National 
Institute of Blind People (RNIB) [https://www.rnib.org.uk/] in the UK and 
VISIONS/Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired [https://visionsvcb.org/] 
in the US. The card was co-designed by IDEMIA [https://www.idemia.com/], the 
global leader in Augmented Identity, providing trusted solutions in the 
physical as well as digital space.

Notes to the editor:
The Touch Card has received several recognitions for its innovative concept and 
design, namely:

• Touch Card was named a finalist in Fast Company's prestigious World Changing 
Ideas Awards in the "General Excellence" category 
• The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) honored Touch Card as a 
finalist in the "Design for Everyone" category in their annual awards program
• Disability:IN awarded the 2022 Marketplace Innovator of the Year Award to 
Mastercard for Touch Card
• Touch Card won two Silver and 1 Bronze at the Cannes Lions Awards
• Earlier this year, the card design itself was named a finalist at the 
International Card Manufacturers Association (ICMA) Elan Awards

About Mastercard
Mastercard [https://www.mastercard.co.uk/en-gb.html]  (NYSE: MA), 
www.mastercard.com, Mastercard is a global technology company in the payments 
industry. Our mission is to connect and power an inclusive, digital economy 
that benefits everyone, everywhere by making transactions safe, simple, smart, 
and accessible. Using secure data and networks, partnerships and passion, our 
innovations and solutions help individuals, financial institutions, 
governments, and businesses realize their greatest potential. Our decency 
quotient, or DQ, drives our culture and everything we do inside and outside of 
our company. With connections across more than 210 countries and territories, 
we are building a sustainable world that unlocks priceless possibilities for 
all.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1889896/ULTRACASH_FCARD.jpg
Logo -  https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1889894/Ajman_Bank_Logo.jpg
Logo -  https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1889895/Mastercard_Logo.jpg
 
Source: Ajman Bank & Mastercard