Correction in my earlier email. I meant SBI may be interpreting Accessibility and Inclusion in a wrong way.
Also, I wonder, if they have ever included people with disabilities while making decisions on services for people with disabilities. Regards, Srinivasu Chakravarthula -----Original Message----- From: Srinivasu Chakravarthula [mailto:sriniv...@srinivasu.org] Sent: Thursday, July 29, 2010 8:24 PM To: accessindia@accessindia.org.in Subject: Re: [AI] SBI launches special service for visually handicapped While I may appreciate the effort, I think, SBI may be interprating the term accessibility and inclusion. I am not sure how SSBC would customers who are persons with disabilities. I am sure and it's not feasable for SBI to establish such centres in more than one area in a city. Considering that, why would some one go all the way to SSBC to use ATM. I think, they need to invest and put in efforts to make their main stream services accessible to all. On 7/29/10, Surajsingh Jogi <soorajsing...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > From E-Group, Banking-News > > > > > > SBI launches special service for visually handicapped > > > > The United News of India > > Published on July 19, 2010 > > > > > > Mumbai, July 19: (UNI) As part of responsibility to better service > society, State Bank of India (SBI) will soon start a new service for the > visually handicapped persons. It has been given the name Self Service > Banking Centre (SSBC), and is to be operationalised shortly. To begin with > the Centre has been set up at the Delhi Head office of SBI at Parliament > Street. The Centre is handicapped friendly with a ramp for wheelchairs. > > > > Facilities for Visually handicapped include the provision of a > dedicated Braille keypad ATM. SSBC is a staff less technology based banking > outfit providing multiple banking facilities, namely ATMs, Internet banking > and mobile banking. 'Roll out of the SSBCs is aimed at increasing customer > convenience and improving access to financial services,' Senior Bank > officials said. > > > > The Centre was inaugurated recently by SBI Chairman O P Bhatt and will > become functional soon. India is perhaps unique in having an extensive and > elaborate programme of financial inclusion. It is incumbent upon state-run > Banks to provide 40 per cent of their lending to customers from the priority > sector, which includes agriculture, artisans, small and medium enterprises > and scheduled castes and tribes. Most government-owned banks also give loans > to students for pursuing studies, whose dimension is growing rapidly. > > > > Another major effort of the Public Sector Banks is to now cover the > unbanked sectors of the economy, which means areas where banking has not > reached the populace in urban and rural areas. A large segment of society > remains under the clutches of money lenders, who charge exorbitant rates of > interest. > > > > State-owned banks are now taking new initiatives to reach out to the > less privileged groups and those having problems by virtue of a chance of > birth or that developed later on in life. They need compassion and help. It > is a well known fact that private sector banks being driven by sheer profit > motive are reluctant to start such services, even though Banks like the HSBC > have embarked upon the exercise of financial inclusion. > > > > Banking services even in a country like South Africa are highly > expensive for the common customer. For instance, keeping money below a > certain level is chargeable, and so is a bank account statement. This is > true despite a nationwide programme of Black empowerment. All said and done, > the black population of South Africa remains poor and finds it difficult to > take advantage of financial services, including banking and insurance. > > > > Experts say many countries regard India as a role model for other > developing countries to emulate with regard to provision of financial > services--it virtually escaped the global meltdown while the banking sector > in the West was in the throes of a financial crisis, its elaborate programme > of financial inclusion and now special facilities for certain sections like > women and small enterprises. The latest in this league are special services > for visually handicapped persons by the biggest bank of the country. > > > > > > > SBI launches special service for visually handicapped > > > > The United News of India > > Published on July 19, 2010 > > > > > > Mumbai, July 19: (UNI) As part of responsibility to better service > society, State Bank of India (SBI) will soon start a new service for the > visually handicapped persons. It has been given the name Self Service > Banking Centre (SSBC), and is to be operationalised shortly. To begin with > the Centre has been set up at the Delhi Head office of SBI at Parliament > Street. The Centre is handicapped friendly with a ramp for wheelchairs. > > > > Facilities for Visually handicapped include the provision of a > dedicated Braille keypad ATM. SSBC is a staff less technology based banking > outfit providing multiple banking facilities, namely ATMs, Internet banking > and mobile banking. 'Roll out of the SSBCs is aimed at increasing customer > convenience and improving access to financial services,' Senior Bank > officials said. > > > > The Centre was inaugurated recently by SBI Chairman O P Bhatt and will > become functional soon. India is perhaps unique in having an extensive and > elaborate programme of financial inclusion. It is incumbent upon state-run > Banks to provide 40 per cent of their lending to customers from the priority > sector, which includes agriculture, artisans, small and medium enterprises > and scheduled castes and tribes. Most government-owned banks also give loans > to students for pursuing studies, whose dimension is growing rapidly. > > > > Another major effort of the Public Sector Banks is to now cover the > unbanked sectors of the economy, which means areas where banking has not > reached the populace in urban and rural areas. A large segment of society > remains under the clutches of money lenders, who charge exorbitant rates of > interest. > > > > State-owned banks are now taking new initiatives to reach out to the > less privileged groups and those having problems by virtue of a chance of > birth or that developed later on in life. They need compassion and help. It > is a well known fact that private sector banks being driven by sheer profit > motive are reluctant to start such services, even though Banks like the HSBC > have embarked upon the exercise of financial inclusion. > > > > Banking services even in a country like South Africa are highly > expensive for the common customer. For instance, keeping money below a > certain level is chargeable, and so is a bank account statement. This is > true despite a nationwide programme of Black empowerment. All said and done, > the black population of South Africa remains poor and finds it difficult to > take advantage of financial services, including banking and insurance. > > > > Experts say many countries regard India as a role model for other > developing countries to emulate with regard to provision of financial > services--it virtually escaped the global meltdown while the banking sector > in the West was in the throes of a financial crisis, its elaborate programme > of financial inclusion and now special facilities for certain sections like > women and small enterprises. The latest in this league are special services > for visually handicapped persons by the biggest bank of the country. > > > > > > > S.S.Jogi > Voice your thoughts in the blog to discuss the Rights of persons with > disability bill at: > http://www.accessindia.org.in/harish/blog.htm > > To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in with > the subject unsubscribe. > > To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please > visit the list home page at > http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in > -- Sent from my mobile device Best regards, Srinivasu Chakravarthula Mobile: +91 990 081 0881 Website: http://www.srinivasu.org Follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/sriniworld/ Voice your thoughts in the blog to discuss the Rights of persons with disability bill at: http://www.accessindia.org.in/harish/blog.htm To unsubscribe send a message to accessindia-requ...@accessindia.org.in with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
