MONETA Money Bank : Uses the Swiss Invention for Age Simulation to Break Down Barriers at Its Branches

MONETA Uses the Swiss Invention for Age Simulation to Break Down Barriers at Its Branches

Praha, 1 October 2021

Stiff joints, shortness of breath, trembling hands or poor vision and hearing. These are just some of the manifestations of advanced age and its associated diseases. MONETA is now starting to use a unique tool from Switzerland to plan the modernization of its branch network.

The so-called geriatric suit consists of a set of weights, joint fixings, glasses, headphones and gloves. There are only a few of them in the Czech Republic, one of which the bank financed this spring for the Adra non-profit organisation as part of its grant program. The fifteen-kilogram vest, special headphones, glasses and gloves simulating joint stiffness, whistling in the ears, cataracts and trembling in the hands are now being used by Moneta's employees in planning the reconstruction and modernization of the bank's branches: the newly renovated locations will thus be more friendly not only to the elderly but to all other clients suffering from these health problems.

"I have seen first-hand how difficult even basic tasks at a branch can be if you have a mobility limitation. I started to notice barriers where I hadn't noticed them before. It is a unique experience that allows you to look at the world from a completely different perspective," describes her own experience with the geriatric suit Jana Loubrová from the Shared Services Department of the MONETA Group, which is directly involved in planning the interiors of branches. Ilona Bémová, Customer Satisfaction Manager at MONETA Group, also has experience with the geriatric suit. "The feedback from clients gives us an overview of our services as such and the overall impression of the visit to the branch. We want them to feel as comfortable as possible with us, which can be clearly helped by easy orientation in the space and, last but not least, the human factor," says Ilona Bémová.

This year alone, MONETA has modernized a total of 11 branches in various parts of the country, spending CZK 60 million on their reconstruction. In the coming years, MONETA plans to modernize 19 branches, for which it intends to spend around CZK 100 million. The ADRA organisation, with which MONETA is cooperating on branch testing, received funds for the purchase of the geriatric suit through support from this year's Bank Grant Program. The geriatric suit will be used mainly for training volunteers with whom ADRA works closely.

"The volunteers strive to support, comfort and motivate the seniors for the days ahead. The geriatric suit in particular is a great tool to help volunteers experience old age 'first-hand' and through this they can

For more information, please contact:

Zuzana Filipová, mob.: [phone], [e-mail]

Beaufort PR

Jan Cihlář, [phone], [e-mail] or Media Service [e-mail] and www.moneta.cz

MONETA Money Bank, a.s., which is the controlling person of MONETA holding, is a leading independent Czech bank, servicing clients through its nationwide branch network. The bank has been traded on the Prime Market of Prague Stock Exchange since 2016. The bank has focused on retail and SME oriented business model with a strong position in the consumer and agriculture segments. In addition, the bank provides customers with insurance products and investment funds. MONETA serves more than 13% of the Czech population via an omni-channel distribution strategy which includes 154 branches and 555 ATMs, a market-leading digital banking platform, a call centre, auto dealers, building society and mortgage bank, brokers and leasing partners.

better understand and empathize with the difficulties experienced by the senior and be an empathetic support for them. I believe that this personal experience can also help Moneta to discover potential barriers at the branches" adds Barbora Bezděkovská, Head of the ADRA Prague Volunteer Centre.

MONETA Group's mobile banking app, Smart Banka, also has users with disabilities in mind. It is compatible with the Android Accessibility Suite and VoiceOver applications, which convert text into audio and act as readers for people with visual impairments or limited mobility. "We designed the Smart Bank environment so that a person navigating the app with a reader can easily navigate and interact with it. Our collaboration with a blind tester helps us with this. In short, we wanted everyone to be able to enjoy convenient financial management," says Jakub Komenda, Head of Digital Channels at MONETA Group.

For more information, please contact:

Zuzana Filipová, mob.: [phone], [e-mail]

Beaufort PR

Jan Cihlář, [phone], [e-mail] or Media Service [e-mail] and www.moneta.cz

MONETA Money Bank, a.s., which is the controlling person of MONETA holding, is a leading independent Czech bank, servicing clients through its nationwide branch network. The bank has been traded on the Prime Market of Prague Stock Exchange since 2016. The bank has focused on retail and SME oriented business model with a strong position in the consumer and agriculture segments. In addition, the bank provides customers with insurance products and investment funds. MONETA serves more than 13% of the Czech population via an omni-channel distribution strategy which includes 154 branches and 555 ATMs, a market-leading digital banking platform, a call centre, auto dealers, building society and mortgage bank, brokers and leasing partners.