Banca Transilvania has begun implementing Step-Hear, an international assistive navigation solution that provides audio guidance to the visually impaired, helping to improve accessibility in customer-facing areas. The technology was developed by the company of the same name and is used in several countries to facilitate independent navigation in public and private locations.

The first BT branch equipped with Step-Hear:

The Cluj branch (27–29 Calea Dorobanților, Cluj-Napoca) is the first BT location to implement this technology. The choice of location is particularly significant due to its proximity to the Special High School for the Visually Impaired, which means an immediate impact on the local community. BT will gradually expand the implementation of this technology to other locations, in order to make them as inclusive as possible.
 

How Step-Hear works:

• The app is available for free on the App Store and Google Play. Once installed, your smartphone becomes a self-guided navigation tool, providing access to private and public services.
  
  
• The system relies on Bluetooth communication between the phone and Step-Hear devices installed in various locations, such as the BT Cluj Branch.
  
  
• At the BT Cluj branch, technology enables visually impaired people to locate key areas, such as the entrance, teller windows, and ATMs.
  
  

Recent ESG initiatives launched or supported by BT:   

• BT 2025 Sustainability Report;
  
  
• D&I Living Library, an event hosted by Banca Transilvania (Stup) and organized by the Diversity Charter in Romania, in Bucharest;
  
  
• Accessibility Beyond Limits, an event hosted in Cluj-Napoca by BT and organized by the DEI Cluj Talk Series;
  
  
• Expansion of PEDITEL for the diaspora (initially in the United Kingdom) – a free pediatric telemedicine service.
  
  
• The continuation, this year as well, of the “What’s Next” project, designed for students, parents, teachers, and school counselors, to provide career counseling and guidance for children and young people.
  
  

BT accessibility solutions for people with special needs

In September 2025, BT announced new accessibility solutions for people with special needs—including mobility, hearing, and vision impairments—byoptimizing the BT Pay website and app.

Banca Transilvania is a member of the Romanian Chamber of Commerce for Diversity and a signatory to the Diversity Charter. The BT Group’s commitment to accessibility involves adapting its services, products, and facilities, as well as supporting social initiatives that promote inclusion and equal opportunity.