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Mrs E Trellis
Lytleton House
22 Stryd y Dwysoges
North Wales

Mr A Mainwaring
Branch Manager
Midas Bank plc
Duny-on-the-Wold
Dorset

1 November, 2004

Dear Mr Mainwaring,

I am writing to bring to your attention my visit to your branch on 29 October 2004. I have recently transferred my account to your branch, as I moved to Duny-on-the-Wold from my previous address in Felpersham.

I am hard of hearing, and use two hearing aids to enable me to hear and understand what people are saying. I also rely on lipreading to help me follow what people are saying. 

When dealing with cashiers at a bank, I must rely on my hearing aids, as the glass security screens prevent me from lipreading clearly. The screens also muffle what the cashier is saying. Consequently, I need to use an induction loop to assist me to hear.

On 29 October 2004, I visited your branch to pay in a number of cheques, and also to pay my credit card bill. As this was the first time I had visited your branch, I asked one of the personal bankers if an induction loop was fitted at the cashier windows. He told me that there only one of the five windows was fitted with a loop. I was surprised at this, but queued up until it was my turn to be seen. I then discovered that the cashier window I needed – the only one with a loop – was closed. I had to go to a cashier window where there was no loop. I could not hear what the cashier was saying, and he became very abrupt with me. 

I went and spoke again to the personal banker, who I now know is called Karl. He went behind the counter and investigated. When he came back, Karl told me that the loop system was not switched on, and that staff did not know how to operate the loop or indeed if it was working at all. 

I was very upset and angry by these events, particularly the way in which the cashier treated me. If a bank fits an induction loop, you need to make sure that it is turned on when the bank is open, and that staff are trained in how to operate it. Ensuring that staff have received disability awareness training is also essential.  

As you may be aware, Part III of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA) states that it is unlawful for service providers to discriminate against disabled people by providing them with a lower standard of service, or service on worse terms for reasons relating to their disability. Also, since 1 October 1999, you have been required to make ‘reasonable adjustments’ to enable disabled customers to access your services. This includes altering practices, policies and procedures that make it impossible or unreasonably difficult for disabled people to make use of your service. It also includes providing auxiliary aids and services. Auxiliary aids include induction loops and infrared systems. 

Under the DDA, it is your responsibility to ensure that any ‘auxiliary aids’ you provide are carefully chosen and properly maintained. Induction loop systems must be installed in accordance with British Standard 7594. Neck loop receivers, as worn by hearing aid wearers using these systems, should conform to British Standard 6083, part IV. You should have signs clearly on display to indicate the presence of such equipment and staff should be aware of how auxiliary aids such as induction loops or infrared systems work and how to use them.

I enclose copies of the following factsheets produced by RNID, which provide more information about your legal duties and working with induction loops and infrared systems:

Please consider the serious issues that my experience has raised. I look forward to receiving your written response within 21 days.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Yours sincerely,

Mrs E Trellis