The Ministry of Finance (Department of Financial Services) has notified the “Accessibility Standards and Guidelines for infrastructure and services in Financial Institutions”, with an intent to address accessibility needs of persons with disabilities in respect of the facilities and services pertaining to Financial Institutions. These guidelines aim to make the premises of Financial Institutions accessible to the persons with physical disabilities in compliance with the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016.
Key Highlights:
- Infrastructure Accessibility:
- Ensure accessible entryways with ramps and non-slip surfaces, signage, and handrails.
- Make special modifications to stairways, lifts, reception areas, and toilets, with features like tactile paths, Braille signage, auditory aids, and wheelchair accessibility.
- Ensure that parking areas have designated spaces for persons with disabilities, ensuring proximity to entrances.
- Provide special facilities such as accessible counters, toilets, and drinking water provision at different heights for wheelchair users and others with physical challenges.
- Training and Awareness: Provide training to employees to assist customers with disabilities, offering services like filling forms or reading documents, and prioritizing complaints from disabled customers.
- Special Services:
- Make provision for home delivery of financial services for disabled individuals.
- Take regular feedback from visually impaired users for continual improvements.
- Provide all practical assistance to the visually challenged and other Persons with Disabilities, for availing Financial Services.
- Accept communications made at any operational office of the organization chosen by the person with disability as nearest approach centre.
- Provide additional facilities like reading and filling up of proposal forms, claim forms, discharge voucher etc. to visually impaired customers.
- Provide magnifying glasses provided in all offices for the use of persons with low vision.
- Information and Communication Technology (ICT):
- Ensure that your websites is designed to follow accessibility standards like WCAG, with features such as keyboard navigation, adjustable text size, colour contrast options, and text alternatives for multimedia content.
- Implement Accessible Rich Internet Applications (ARIA) attributes to enhance the accessibility of dynamic and interactive elements.
- Use the universal design principles and guidelines for Indian Government Website (GIGW) to make use of assistive technology products for visually impaired persons.
- Ensure accessibility for visually impaired users through tools like screen readers and accessible CAPTCHAs.
A copy of the Notification is attached herewith for ease of reference.
Source: Ministry of Finance
