Financial Tracking Software for the Blind and Visual Impaired 

by Grant Hewson
General Manager, Accomplish
30 March 2009

Accomplish Ltd recently announced its CashManager 2009 software that has levels for both home and business.  This is believed to be the first accounting software company in the world to be working with blind and visually impaired organisations to make the product more accessible. A blind entrepreneur from Dunedin, Terry Bartlett, managing director of Corner Enterprises, called us to say he had tried all sorts of accounting packages, but only CashManager would work effectively with his screen reading software. Since then our product has been audited by the RNZFB confirming the software's accessibility for the blind and visually impaired.

In fact, it was more than a year ago when Terry first called us to say that our product worked well for him. We knew our software was extremely user friendly as it had been designed for small to medium business owners who might not have accounting or IT expertise. But we had no idea it could be used by the blind or visually impaired, and we did not even know how they were able to use computers!  So we invited Terry to Auckland, to show us how he was using our system. He was able to offer a lot of suggestions on how we could make different parts of our software even more accessible and, as we are here to serve our customers with any improvements that will better serve their needs, our development team enjoyed taking up the challenge of implementing those changes, working alongside Terry throughout this process.  

At the time we saw this as just part of our normal customer service, and we did not envisage any additional commercial benefit arising from it.  That only came later after discussions with the RNZFB as well as with other blind user groups.  Since announcing the release of CashManager 2009, with its extra accessibility features, we have had enquiries from blind groups and blind users in many countries throughout the world.

Plus, by making these changes - it makes the software easier for all our customers to use. As so many accounting packages are horrendously complex and just too difficult and time-consuming for most people to use, even after long hours in training. 

We have all been impressed by the ingenuity, expertise, dedication, energy and productivity of the many blind and sight impaired people we have met, as well as their commitment to serving their community and improving the quality of life for their peers internationally.

Based on our experience, I would urge manufacturers and developers of all sorts of products and services to take into account the needs of the disabled in designing and refining their products. Chances are you will find all sorts of unexpected dividends from making that little extra effort.