12 Aug 2026

Nationwide leads industry-wide effort to improve accessibility for people with communication difficulties

  • Free accessibility tool - Speak Easy communication cards now available to all financial services providers on the high street
  • One in five people in the UK will experience communication difficulties at some point in their lives1
  • Brands already onboard include Virgin Money, NatWest, Santander, AIB Group (UK) p.l.c., Bank of Ireland and Skipton Building Society
  • Cards and participating organisations can be found at Signing Banks’ Speak Easy website, with plans to update as new brands join
  • Nationwide is developing guidance to help organisations beyond banking implement the free Speak Easy cards, with the aim of creating a recognised and consistent accessibility tool for customer-facing sectors

In an industry-leading move to drive financial inclusion, Nationwide is making its Speak Easy communication cards freely available to all financial services providers across the UK, helping create a more consistent and accessible experience for customers who may have communication difficulties.

Launched in 2024 as an industry first, Speak Easy cards were developed by Nationwide colleagues and people with lived experience of communication difficulties - to enable customers to communicate their needs in branch quickly and discreetly during face-to-face interactions, supporting greater independence and accessibility.  The cards were subsequently adopted by Virgin Money in 2025.

It forms part of Nationwide’s commitment to fairer banking, ensuring customers can access services in the way that works best for them.

The simple set of cards, allow customers to point to information, pictures, questions or requests when speaking may be difficult, helping them get the support they need when accessing essential services such as savings, payments, reporting a lost or stolen card, or raising concerns about a suspected fraud or scam.

To improve accessibility across the sector and provide greater consistency for customers, Nationwide and Visa have made Speak Easy available as a free, open resource for the wider financial services industry. Major financial services brands already signed up include Virgin Money, NatWest, Santander, AIB Group (UK) p.l.c., Bank of Ireland and Skipton Building Society.

Access to the free Speak Easy cards is available via the Signing Banks Speak Easy website, where users can also find information on the banks, building societies and other brands that have adopted the tool2.

Looking ahead, the UK’s largest building society is developing guidance to help organisations beyond banking implement the free Speak Easy cards, with the aim of creating a recognised and consistent accessibility tool for all customer-facing sectors to use.

The Rt Hon Lucy Rigby KC MP, Economic Secretary to the Treasury, said: “Not having adequate access to essential banking services can be debilitating and place people into vulnerable situations.

“It has been extremely positive to see industry get behind our Financial Inclusion Strategy, which is helping more people access the products, services, and support they need every day. I would like to thank Nationwide for leading this initiative which embodies the ambitions of our Strategy by encouraging the sector to help people access essential services with greater independence and confidence.”

 Kathryn Townsend, Head of Customer Accessibility at Nationwide, said: ‘Everyone deserves to be able to communicate confidently when they access essential services. By making Speak Easy a shared industry resource, we're helping more organisations provide accessible support and creating a more consistent and inclusive experience for everyone.’

Agata Laight, Head of Social Impact & Sustainability, Europe, Visa, said: "Access to financial services is fundamental to financial wellbeing and economic inclusion. Speak Easy is a practical tool that can make a meaningful difference for people with communication difficulties, helping them access support more easily, independently, and with confidence.

"Through the Towns Partnership, we're proud to work with Nationwide to make Speak Easy available more widely and support a more inclusive approach across the financial services sector in the UK."

Notes to editors

Quotes

 

Rebecca Brindley, Government Disability and Access Ambassador for the Banking Sector, said: "Accessibility is not a challenge for one organisation to solve alone. Real progress happens when disabled people, industry partners and financial services providers work together to address shared barriers. Speak Easy demonstrates the power of collaboration, showing how practical solutions can be shared and scaled across the sector to improve outcomes for customers." 

Polly Tolley, Head of Customer Vulnerability at NatWest, said: "This is a great example of the industry working together to deliver a simple but innovative solution that improves accessibility for customers. By adopting a consistent approach across financial services, we're making it easier for people with communication difficulties to access the support they need. We've already seen the positive difference Speak Easy cards can make in our branches, helping customers communicate more easily and enabling better conversations with our colleagues."

Sara Fawcett, Senior Customer Outcomes Manager for Skipton Building Society, said: “We are proud to be an early adopter of the Speak Easy cards across our Skipton Building Society branch network. They have made it easier for customers to communicate their needs and for our colleagues to provide the right support, helping to create a more inclusive and accessible experience for everyone. The feedback we've received from both customers and colleagues has been extremely positive, and we're delighted to see the cards being made available more widely.”

Graeme Cumming, Head of Vulnerable Customer Strategy at Santander UK, said: "For the millions of people across the UK that are living with communication difficulties, we know that everyday conversations can be challenging. Speak Easy cards are a great way to improve accessibility, increase independence and empower more customers when they visit our branches.”

Lorraine Whitsitt, UK Vulnerability Specialist, AIB Group (UK) p.l.c., said: “We are proud to support Speak Easy, making banking more accessible for our customers. These simple but effective communication cards help customers who may find it difficult to express themselves feel more confident, understood and supported, ensuring they can access our services in a way that works for them. It’s a great initiative, and it’s wonderful to see this rolled out across the industry, ensuring a consistent approach.”

 

George Higginson, Managing Director, Everyday Banking, Bank of Ireland UK, said: “For many people, asking to check a balance, replace a card or request support is straightforward, however for some customers, communicating those needs can be difficult and at times, overwhelming. Speak Easy Cards provide a simple but effective way for customers to tell us what they need, helping remove barriers and enabling more confident and independent banking. The introduction of Speak Easy Cards is another step in our wider commitment to accessibility and financial inclusion, ensuring every customer feels understood, supported and able to access the services they need.”

 

 

Speak Easy Cards

Nationwide’s Speak Easy cards are a simple, card-based communication tool designed to help people who may find face-to-face conversations difficult. Developed by Nationwide colleagues alongside people with lived experience of communication difficulties, the cards allow customers to point to information, questions, pictures or support needs when speaking may be difficult or stressful. They can be used by people with a wide range of communication needs, including those recovering from a stroke, living with a disability, experiencing speech or language difficulties, or for whom English is not their first language.

 

1 - Statistic via the Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists: Communication access UK | RCSLT

2 - Participating organisations can be found at the Signing Banks Speak Easy website, with plans for the site to be updated as new brands adopt the tool