Albert makes me anxious: Why touchscreen eftpos can be a ‘nightmare’

The evening began so well, with dinner at a local Indian restaurant for his daughter’s birthday.

But when it came time to pay, Martin Stewart got a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach.

Mr Stewart – who describes himself as “totally blind” – realised the only way he could settle the bill was using an “Albert” eftpos machine – the Commonwealth Bank’s tablet-style units that are increasingly widespread, with more than 88,000 across Australia.

People who are blind or vision-impaired say these units are not accessible because the smooth glass screen doesn’t have a keypad.