Is Banking Truly for Everyone?
Is Banking Truly for Everyone? Banking today is called “digital,” “smart,” and “user-friendly.” But here’s a question we don’t ask often: User-friendly for whom? Because for many persons with disabilities, even basic banking tasks are still inaccessible. I would like to highlight some challenges and their possible solutions, one by one. Starting with a simple bank visit Once, I visited a bank branch to get my new passbook. There were no guiding tactile paths, so I had to take help from an auto-rickshaw driver. The staff were not always sensitized. At one point, I replied to a question, thinking it was for me—but it was not. Someone mocked me for that. It was a bit humiliating, but I moved on, as such experiences have unfortunately become a part of life. On another day, I visited a different bank branch to withdraw some cash. The manager told me, “You cannot sign because you are visually impaired.” I said, “I always sign.” He said he needed to get confirmation fi...