Accessibility Services

Our goal is to offer all of our clients and visitors excellent customer service and provide them with access to the products, services and tools to meet their banking needs. We strive to create an environment in our branches, call centers and through online banking that is fully accessible and barrier-free to all those who are visually and hearing impaired.

Automated Telephone System

Our clients may access account information through the Automated Telephone System, Voice Response Unit (VRU). The VRU is an "automated banker" which allows all of our customers to access their account information using their touchtone keypad and following the audio prompts. For details or to access your account, please call us at (866) 285-1856.

Telecommunications Relay Services

Customers may utilize the "711"Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) to communicate with a banker at our Customer Contact Center and obtain account information or perform account maintenance. TRS permits persons with a hearing or speech disability to use the telephone system via a text telephone (TTY) or other device.

ATM Services

Our ATMs are equipped with services for customers who are visually and hearing impaired:

All ATMs have an audio jack, also identified with Braille lettering, to activate the speech transactions.
Customers may plug in a headset into the audio jack provided on the ATM. All of our Branches have a set of headphones for customers to use with our ATMs. They are available to anyone who may need them.
Our ATMs will provide audio instructions in English (and Spanish where available) to walk a customer through how to make a deposit, withdrawal, or transfer of funds. A tutorial is provided for customers using the service for the first time or as a refresher.
ATMs allow customers to process their transaction utilizing solely the keypad. The customer will not need to utilize the touch screen. The ATMs will also allow the customer to utilize the privacy screen option. This option will block visual access to information displayed on the screen.
The ATMs give the customer the ability to adjust the volume up or down as needed by pressing the minus key on the keypad (left facing arrow). The initial presses will increase the volume. Once maximum volume is reached, additional presses will decrease volume.

Raised-Line Large Print Checks

The Bank, with our check partner Harland Clarke, offers Sight Checks® for our visually impaired customers. All lines on the check are raised above the surface of the paper, and all printing is larger than a normal check. The actual Sight Checks® have raised lines on them, to make it easier for the visually impaired to locate the correct place to write. Customers can order these checks through a branch or visit the Special Products section in Harland Clarke's online catalog.

Enlarged Print Statements and Notifications

Important bank documents including Bank Statements and certain notices can be available in large print fonts upon request.

Magnifiers

Magnifiers are available at our branches for customers to conduct bank transactions, or for them to read and/or complete bank documents, disclosures and more. In addition, as described below, the font size to view our Website can be increased.

Reader Services

We are here to provide you with the best banking experience. If needed, you can have important bank documents read to you. Contact us or visit your local branch. Furthermore, any of our call center bankers would be happy to read information from our website to a customer who requests this type of service. In addition, as described below, our Website is compatible with computer text readers.

Web Services

We utilized best practices and incorporated generally accepted standards in the design and implementation of its retail banking websites. This enables our visually impaired customers to access the information presented in our online channels and to effectively use their personal assistive technology such as text readers. Here is a brief summary of some features that NYCB has implemented for the visually impaired in our online banking services:

The Website is optimized to work with screen reader software such as JAWS.
A text equivalent for every non-text element is provided. These elements are accessible either by enabling browser capabilities or through readers such as JAWS or browser "add-ons."
Web pages are designed so that all information conveyed with color is also available without color. Color is not used as the only method of highlighting important information: placement, sizing and screen position are also used.
Documents are organized so they are readable without requiring an associated style sheet.
Page content and related text is set up to be readable and understandable with or without the utilization of cascading style sheets.
Public image maps are provided instead of server-side image maps except where the regions cannot be defined with an available geometric shape. This allows users to orient themselves and navigate effectively.
Pages are designed to avoid causing the screen to flicker, assisting in preventing photo sensitive reactions, including seizures.
A text-only page, with equivalent information or functionality, is provided when such functionality cannot be accomplished in any other way.
When pages use scripting languages to display content, the information provided by the script is also identified with functional text that can be read with assistive technology.
When electronic forms are designed to be completed online, the form allows the customer to use assistive technology to access the information, field elements and functionality required for completion and submission of the form.
The keyboard may be used to handle functions commonly accessed by the use of a mouse.
The user may increase/decrease font size of the presented text through the use of browser capabilities.
Contact information, such as phone numbers and email addresses, are provided on our Website to assist customers needing additional assistance.

Contact Us

If you believe that you require additional reasonable accommodations as the result of a physical impairment, please contact us. If you have any suggestions that may help us to improve branch, telephone or online accessibility for our customers, please contact us. We strive to provide all of our customers with the tools and resources to meet their banking needs.