My friend Vijay's mother just got admitted to the hospital. Her health condition is bad, and she needs quick treatment. Vijay rushed to the ATM to withdraw money for her medication.  He frantically searched his wallet for his ATM card, getting flustered among all the other cards.

He was running late, and there wasn't a single person around to help him. This situation highlighted his lack of independence. Braille-labelled ATM cards would have been a huge help, not just for Vijay, but for the entire visually impaired community.

According to 2011 census of India, there are around five million blind people in India 

 

As we know, every bank provides debit/credit card to their customers, but it is not accessible to visually impaired customers. If the card is braille-labelled, then it will be accessible for the visually impaired. Till now, only Union Bank of India has taken the initiative to provide braille-labelled debit card named as “Union Sparsh Braille Debit Card.”

 

We are raising a petition for providing braille-labelled debit/credit card, specially by State Bank of India (SBI). As we know, they have branches all over India and they have also introduced talking ATMs. We want them to introduce braille-labelled debit/credit too, just like Union Bank of India. Due to their mass reach, it will really bring changes in the life of visually impaired community.

 

After conducting the survey with the community of visually impaired people, it has been noted, they are also facing lot of challenges likes such as in absence of sighted-assistance, we are not able to make out the card details. We are also concerned about our privacy. 90% of the people out of our survey, favoured for the cause.

 

Following are the benefits of having braille-labelled debit/credit card:

• No more reliance on sighted or non-disabled people.

• Increased independency and dignity among visually impaired people.

• Equal access to financial services.

• It will spread awareness among mainstream people.

So, let’s embrace this opportunity to make a lasting impact in the life of visually impaired people. Let’s educate, advocate and inspire change. It will only be possible when we join hands together by signing this petition.