I consider myself to be quite an independent person, and I find it hard to ask for help in cases where I might be able to do something myself. This usually makes things much harder for me and ends up causing more problems than it solves. Anyway, it was only about a month ago that I decided to see if I could have my bank and credit card PINs sent in Braille, as I can't read the plastic tabs they're usually sent on, and as my statements are already produced in an alternative format this only made sense to me. I thought this might be useful for others in my position, so below are my findings on the different banks approaches to doing this for customers.

MBNA: MBNA and others affiliated with them (such as Virgin and Alliance & Leicester) are the easiest to handle in this regard. Your PIN is viewable online via online banking. Registration takes just a few minutes and you are able to log in immediately without waiting for additional security confirmations.

RBS/Natwest: Both banks use the same systems as they are affiliated with one another. PINs are sent out on standard computer printer paper (the old receipt-style paper) and are relatively easy to read. They also OCR well as long as you have a good scanner and OCR program.

Barclays: They will send PINs in Braille. The waiting time is approximately two weeks. Contact their customer services on 01604 234234.

Halifax/Bank of Scotland: They do not send PINs in Braille, but will issue a signature card on request to get around this problem. I don't use self-service machines or kiosks, so this isn't a big deal for me, but might be for some people. Contact their customer service team on 01422 380880, or the very friendly and efficient high level complaints team on 01383 743354.

Nationwide: Surprisingly for all their talk about customer accessibility and useability, Nationwide are the worst offenders when it comes to PINs. They don't send PINs in Braille and won't issue signature cards. All they could recommend to me was to request the standard PIN be sent out, and that I take it to my branch, let them read it, show me how to change my PIN via a cash machine and then let me do it there without them seeing the new number. This is a little impractical, as my local branch doesn't have a cash machine in it, and one needs to go out onto the street to use it. I'm not sure I would feel comfortable doing this. The issue is further complicated by the fact that Nationwide, like some other banks, have now introduced card readers for online banking verification, so your PIN is needed to make any external payments via online banking, even if you don't use it with your card for over-the-counter transactions. Anyway, Nationwide customer services can be contacted on 01793 456789, or alternatively their disability advisor, Sally Isom, on 01793 817400.

I hope this is useful to people, and feel free to link to this entry if you feel others may benefit. Remember, you as the customer have a right to a useable level of service regardless of disability. Further, remember that sometimes the easiest solutions are the least obvious. Don't hesitate to tell your bank, or anyone for that matter, what you feel may suit you best. They may not have thought of it, and it may just fit the bill for you.

This will be my last entry for a little while, with graduation coming up two weeks today and the need for me to get other business in order. Feel free to leave any comments here or for other entries, and I'll get to you as soon as I can. Cheers, take care, love you all and all the best.