Caisses Desjardins du Québec and Caisses populaires de l'Ontario [Change site]
Access to our services
Accessibility is Desjardins' raison d'être
Desjardins caisses exist first and foremost to ensure everyone in the community can obtain the financial services they need. Accessibility has not only defined the Group's development throughout the years, but also influenced its priorities.
A democratic organization responsive to its members' needs, Desjardins' focus has always been to make its facilities accessible. Several initiatives have been taken to reduce the obstacles that might prevent members with disabilities from being able to benefit from its services.
Here are a few elements that illustrate Desjardins' on-going commitment to accessibility.
- Access to buildings
- Access to ATMs
- Access made possible by other payment methods
- Access to the Desjardins website
Access to buildings
Every new Desjardins point of service construction and every large point of service renovation project automatically includes features to provide access to people with mobility impairments according to established standards, including parking spaces.
Access to ATMs
The Desjardins network's 2,825 ATMs (2,600 of them in Quebec) are accessible to people with impaired mobility or vision.
Accessible ATMs can be identified by their lower components (keyboard, screen, buttons), a grab bar and shelves that are practical for people with reduced mobility or people of smaller stature, thus enabling them to safely make transactions.
All Desjardins ATMs now offer voice-guided systems to help the visually impaired, the functionally illiterate and elderly people take full advantage of ATMs. By inserting earphones into a jack on the ATM, these members can obtain private voice instructions explaining how to use the ATM and guiding them every step of the way through their transactions. This application was developed in collaboration with associations for persons with disabilities.
Access made possible by other payment methods
A number of Desjardins services and online solutions can be helpful to persons who don't often leave home. Bills can be paid online or by telephone and received via epost, for example, purchases can be made from home with a credit card, not to mention direct payment, direct withdrawal and point of sale terminals, etc. These virtual access methods favour members with reduced mobility, helping them gain autonomy without sacrificing security.
Access to the Desjardins website
In 2003, Desjardins began making its website easier to use by persons with various forms of disabilities. As a result, several Priority 1 and 2 guidelines established by the Web Accessibility Initiative were implemented, ensuring, for example, that navigation and presentation are consistent throughout the site. Desjardins plans to continue gradually improving the accessibility of its website.
