Every Customer Counts was developed to encourage businesses to focus on how they can improve or adjust the service they offer to make it more accessible to their customers who have a disability.

Danske Bank is the first bank to sign up to the initiative and joins other organisations such as Titanic Belfast, The Mac, Libraries NI, the Consumer Council and others.

Stephen Matchett, Deputy CEO and the senior management sponsor of Enable, Danske’s disability network, said: “Making banking accessible and providing the same excellent customer service to all of our customers is at the very heart of our business. We do this in many different ways, for example, all of our cash machines are ‘talking’ cash machines which means they have been adapted for visually impaired customers.

“We also work in partnership with other organisations to improve the service we provide. Last year we worked with the NOW Group to become a JAM Card friendly organisation and we have worked with the Alzheimer’s Society to become dementia-friendly. Today we have 170 trained Dementia Friends across our branches, contact centre and support teams.

“Of course, there is always more we can do to improve, which is why we have made this commitment to keep focusing on accessibility. It was an easy decision to sign up to the Every Customer Counts initiative and we would encourage other businesses to do the same. By working together we can help create a more inclusive society for everyone.”

Dr Evelyn Collins CBE, Chief Executive, Equality Commission for Northern Ireland said: “It is encouraging that one of Northern Ireland’s largest retail banks has chosen to make this public commitment to consider the needs of its clients and customers who have a disability by signing up to the Every Customer Counts initiative.

“Statistics show that 21% of the adult population in Northern Ireland have a disability. Each of those people require access to banking services, from opening a bank account to more complex financial transactions. We look forward to working with Danske Bank on delivering on the commitments it has made to ensure Every Customer Counts”, concluded Dr Collins.

Further information on the Every Customer Counts initiative is available from the Equality Commission’s website.