Helping everyday
conversations with
Speak Easy cards
.

Developed by Nationwide and Visa for the benefit of everyone, Speak Easy communication cards make

face-to-face banking more accessible for people with communication difficulties.

Speak Easy is free to use for all financial service providers.
What is Speak Easy?

Speak Easy is a physical set of cards which can be used by branch colleagues and customers to communicate instead of speaking.
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They are designed to support customers who have difficulty speaking when carrying out face-to-face banking in a branch.
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Each card has a commonly used banking phrase or request and a picture to show whatthe card means.
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Customers can find the card they want and showit to a branch colleague to start a conversation.
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The cards have been designed and developedtogether with people with lived experience of communication difficulties.
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There are also Speak Easy Reception Area cards – these are cards with phrases and images to help colleagues and visitors in head offices.

Why are they needed?
people in the UK will experience communication difficulty at some point in their lives

It is essential that we support people who
face these difficulties by enabling them to communicate in a way that works for them.

Speak Easy cards have been designed with input from people who have lived experience of communication difficulties, including deaf individuals, people with learning disabilities, neurodivergent communities and stroke survivors. They have been tested and refined since 2024 to ensure they are practical, effective and easy to use.
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Who is behind this initiative?‍

  • The Speak Easy cards were initially developed by a team of Nationwide colleagues, many of whom have lived experience of communication difficulties.
  • Following a successful pilot, Nationwide partnered with two expert panels from the Stroke Association and the British Institute of Learning Disabilities (BILD). Their insight helped further refine the cards, ensuring they meet the real needs of customers.
  • VISA is now supporting Nationwide to offer the
    Speak Easy cards to all financial service providers across the UK, helping to make communication more accessible for customers

Become a partner: three simple
steps to get started with Speak Easy.

Explore Resources

Read the disclaimer and guidance pack for rolling out the Speak Easy cards.

Download & Print

Download the Speak Easy cards for free and follow the instructions. Send an email to
Aimee.Mason@Nationwide.co.uk
to let us know you are participating.

Use with Confidence

Rollout the training and guidance to frontline colleagues to help them support customers using the cards.

Get started today as a Speak Easy partner and see the range of cards here
Get Started today as a Speak Easy partner and see the range of cards here