Portugal-based payments company SIBS has launched a card certified by ACAPO, to increase financial inclusion for the visually impaired. This solution includes bank and non-bank cards with Braille identification and characters and will allow blind and disabled users with low vision to distinguish the various types of card by type of use.

It is a proprietary technology and solution developed by SIBS, which will be available to all its customers and partners in Portugal and abroad. Equipping disabled people with the right financial tools The project to develop inclusive cards for people with visual impairments responds to a challenge already identified by ACAPO, but for which it did not yet exist an effective response. This challenge was assumed by SIBS, within the scope of the ‘Green-Code-Green’ sustainability, and in line with its purpose of developing solutions with an impact on everyday life and create value for the communities where it is present, promoting a more just and equitable society.

With this solution, anyone will be able to identify both the type of card - bank, loyalty, access or other; debit, credit, prepaid, among others in the case of bank cards - as the issuing entity, with full autonomy, privacy, and safety. The inclusion of Braille on the cards thus complements the cutting edge launched in 2018, a cut made on the card in a half-moon shape that allows people to blind or with low vision to identify the correct side to use it. Currently, in Portugal, 23,396 people cannot see and 3.

7% struggle to perform this task. Other developments from SIBS With nearly 20 years of experience, SIBS Cartão's mission is to create value for its stakeholders with the development of solutions for secure cards and innovations that promote a positive impact on the environment and society. Following this commitment, in addition to launching the cutter in 2018, SIBS Cards initiated the launch of PVC Eco cards, making this instrument more sustainable, and more recently, in 2021, a card made up of 100% Recycled PVC, allowing to significantly reduce the impact on the environment.

This new project comes in partnership with ACAPO, a Private Institution of Social Solidarity founded on 20 October 1989 whose mission is the representation of visually impaired citizens, providing them with services suited to their needs and making society aware of their inclusion. .