For a visually impaired, the ability to touch and feel is extremely
important. Hence, the new Indian currency notes that have been circulating
now have become a nightmare for people who are visually impaired. Identifying
notes by the feel of touch is a skill that requires a lot of
practice. Now visually impaired people find it a tedious task to figure out
notes. For example, the new Rs 10 and Rs 50 notes are the same due to which
visually impaired people are unable to make a cash transaction. Clearly, this
insensitivity of the government to make these notes more accessible for
visually impaired is creating problems.
The device Note X has helped visually impaired people to
identify notes. Not anymore because with the introduction of new notes this
device has lost its importance. Many of them have even pointed out how they
have lost a lot of money due to the inaccessibility of currency notes.
Recently, Reserve Bank of India came out with a notification according to
which it will create a mobile app that can recognise currency. Accessibility
according to the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 doesn’t just
mean creating a mobile application. It is not an effective solution because
majority of blind population does not even possess a smart phone. This
application is not effective in day to day use of currency.
It is important to note that after coming to power, in his maiden budget
speech, the finance minister had said that the government will work to make
currency notes accessible for the blind. Soon after which the Reserve Bank
of India (RBI) came out with a notification saying that it will print old
500 and 1000 notes in accessible formats. These notes had varying sizes and
raised identification symbols. But this was in 2015. After demonetization,
new notes in circulation do not have any such features. The length of notes
is important because identification marks can always fade away. Universal
design is mandatory under the RPWD act 2016 which the RBI fails to
recognise-Maitreya Shah, Blind law student and disability rights
activist
Most of the times, visually impaired people depend on devices like
Non-Visual Desktop Access (NVDA), Voice Over in iPhones and Talk Back
in Android phones to do cash transactions. There has been a rising
demand for the introduction of Braille on currency notes. But the government
has not implemented any of it yet only to make things worse for visually
impaired people.
“The government must be more sensitive towards needs of visually impaired
people because right now it is extremely difficult to identify notes. It
takes a lot of our time as well. In the new notes, there are no marks by
which we can identify the note. I request government officials to at least
concentrate on all these aspects while printing upcoming notes to make them
accessible for visually impaired people”, says Shekhar Naik, former
blind cricket captain of India.
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Source: https://newzhook.com/story/20908
