The Reserve Bank of India has ordered all commercial banks in the country to facilitate easy access to their branches and ATMs for disabled people.

Banks must now take necessary steps to "provide ramps in all existing and future ATMs and make all new ones – installed from 1 July 2014 – talking machines with Braille keypads".

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The central bank stated: "We have been receiving several suggestions from members of public through Government of India and otherwise, on facilitating easy access to bank branches and ATMs by persons with disabilities for undertaking day-to-day banking transactions."

Existing ATMs must be placed at appropriate height so that wheelchair users can access them easily, and ramps should be available at branches entrance.

In addition, bank branches should now provide magnifying glasses for persons with poor vision.

This order was released in reference to a circular published by the Reserve Bank of India in April 2009, where institutions had already been asked to take steps toward a standardisation for the benefit of disabled people.

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While publishing the new order, the central bank stated: "It has come to our notice that some of the banks still have not made at least one third of the new ATMs installed as talking ATMs with Braille keypads as advised."

According to Handicap International, "the World Bank estimates that India has between 40m to 80m people (on a population of 1.21bn) with a disability, which often means for them poverty and social exclusion".

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