SuperNova Access Suite Case Study: Lloyds TSB bank on SuperNova to be DDA compliant - Part 1

With Dolphin SuperNova, Feisel has easy-to-use screen magnification for his job in a London bank – and employers Lloyds TSB are able to view themselves as DDA compliant

Feisel Haidri says that Dolphin SuperNova is a “godsend” that helps him get on with his work at a bank just as well as anybody else.

Without this versatile screen magnifier, the partially sighted enquiries clerk says he would have to sit about 8 inches from the screen to read, leading to eyestrain and headaches.

But with the magnification that it provides at his Lloyds TSB branch workplace in London, Feisel can sit around 18 inches from the screen and still read well.

He says: “Using Dolphin SuperNova is a real godsend that helps me see to get on with the job just like anyone else.”

The latest Dolphin SuperNova has brought significant new advantages to users and employers – not least being that it now runs only when the primary user signs in.

This makes it workable to install it on a range of PCs used for hot desking – as other employees can sign in on them and work as usual without it appearing.

Feisel, 34, has SuperNova on three workstations in the banking hall, so that he can handle customer enquiries at whichever is free. It is also installed on an intranet and a counter PC to give him more even more flexibility.

He says: “The new version is fast, stable, very clear and easy to use, with some useful new functions. It’s making all the difference to my work.”

One particularly useful new feature is the ability to magnify even the sign-in page using a hotkey on the keyboard. As Lloyds TSB requires staff to change their password regularly, this helps to maintain security, as it means Feisel can log in and make the change without having to ask a colleague to assist him.

Feisel can also make use of the new ‘fractional magnification’ feature.

He says: “This allows me to increase magnification by small amounts at a time, instead of having to make a big jump up in size of text. I usually have type magnified at 1.8x and as the day goes on can enlarge it as needed simply by using a shortcut on the keyboard.

‘It’s subtler, customers don’t notice anything unusual and in a second I can switch back to a normal screen if I want to.”

For additional magnification, Feisel could also use other new features such as ‘auto lens’ and ‘focus highlighting’ for clearer identification of the cursor and enlargement of the area where he is working within a small panel.

Dolphin SuperNova includes a wide spectrum of features, from Braille support to a screen reader that can be used in combination with magnification, so it is suitable for staff with a wide range of sight impairments.

For example, the colour changer is one often-used feature – allowing users to set background and foreground colours that are easier on the eyes and reduce glare. Each user simply works with the settings and features that suit their sight impairment best.

Access to Work helped Lloyds TSB to choose the best access technology to assist Feisel in his job during a recent infrastructure refresh to eliminate outdated Windows NT4 systems from the bank’s computers.

Feisel adds: “Having the chance to use SuperNova is a real life-saver for me - helping me to work more effectively and in a more varied way in a job I love.”

Choosing Dolphin SuperNova has an important added benefit too. It means that Lloyds TSB can view itself as compliant with the Disability Discrimination Act when it comes to providing solutions for partially sighted employees.

Lloyds TSB worked closely with Dolphin and its technical support team. The bank’s Senior Manager, IT Accessibility, Graeme Whippy says:

"We believe that every member of staff has the right to make a valid contribution to our business and to have a rewarding and fulfilling career. People with visual impairments should be able to concentrate on doing their work rather than struggling to use their computer. We have found Supernova to be a feature rich tool that can be configured by an individual to meet their own specific needs and hence work more effectively on their PC. Furthermore, the broad range of Dolphin products and innovations like the Dolphin Pen make it easier for us to implement adjustments for members of staff and help ensure that impairments are not a barrier to a great career at Lloyds TSB."

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