NAB's Werribee Community Hub provides in-person support for customers experiencing complex or vulnerable circumstances.
How a Geelong woman changed banking for Deaf Australians - NAB
20 July 2026
Retail Branches Voices from NAB
Key points
NAB will roll out on-demand Auslan interpreting to all branches from late July
Customers can scan a QR code in branch to instantly connect with a live Auslan interpreter
NAB is the first bank in Australia to offer this capability nationally for everyday banking needs
For years, NAB banker Emma Smith was helping Deaf customers from right across Australia.
Not because they banked at her branch in Geelong. Because bankers around the country knew she could communicate in Auslan.
As the daughter of Deaf parents, Emma knew how important it is to feel understood. While managing the branch, she became a go-to resource for colleagues across the country needing support to communicate with Deaf customers in Auslan.
NAB Banker Emma Smith (right) and her mother Susan Booth
The referrals kept coming. And with every conversation, Emma saw the same thing: a gap that shouldn't have existed.
So she decided to do something about it.
Emma emailed NAB Group Executive for Personal Banking Ana Marinkovic directly, outlining a simple but important challenge: how could NAB make banking more accessible for Deaf customers, no matter which branch they walked into?
That email sparked years of work throughout the bank. Today, that work becomes reality.
Through a new partnership with Convo Australia, customers will be able to walk into any NAB branch, scan a QR code and instantly connect with a live Auslan interpreter, enabling real-time, two-way conversations with NAB bankers for everyday banking needs and fraud conversations.
The rollout makes NAB the first bank in Australia to offer in-branch Auslan interpreting nationally, helping remove communication barriers and making face-to-face banking more accessible for Deaf Australians.
For Emma, the initiative is deeply personal.
“I grew up translating for my parents, so I've seen the impact that having access to Auslan can have on someone's confidence and independence,” Ms Smith said.
“Too often, Deaf Australians have to rely on a friend, family member or interpreter to help navigate important conversations.
"I'd regularly get referrals from branches around the country and jump on Zoom with customers I'd never met before because colleagues knew I could communicate in Auslan.
“The moment the call started, you could see the difference. Their whole face would light up.
"There was relief and comfort of being able to communicate directly and have those conversations for themselves.
“It made me realise that experience shouldn't depend on finding the right banker. Every Deaf customer should be able to walk into a branch and have that same independence.
Susan Booth connecting with a Convo Auslan interpreter in a NAB Branch
"That's what started this journey."
For Emma’s mum, Susan Booth, the change means greater independence and the ability to bank privately without relying on family to interpret.
“Sometimes I’d find it difficult to communicate when I needed banking support,” Ms Booth said.
“There are often barriers, and every now and then I’d think, ‘Don’t worry, I’ll come back to the branch another day.’
“With access to Convo, I can connect with an interpreter straight away. It gives me the confidence to speak directly with my banker and have those conversations privately. It feels really good.”
The Auslan interpreting service will be available in branch for everyday banking conversations. NAB will continue to learn from customers and colleagues as the service is rolled out and embedded across the network.
The initiative forms part of NAB's broader commitment to accessibility and inclusion, helping make banking work better for all Australians.
Related Articles
Contact us
Media Enquiries
For all media enquiries, please contact the NAB Media Line on +61 3 7035 5015