Sir: Please find I am pasting below a letter witch was sent to RBI by AICB
in this regard. In this connection I request Hon. Coordinator: Sr. Adv.
Shri. S. K. Rungta All India Disability Alliance to put this point in the
proposed draft on RPD bill.
To
Shri. B.P. Vijayendra,
Chief General Manager,
Department of Currency Management,
Reserve Bank of India,
4th floor, Amar Building,
Sir P.M. Road, fort,
Mumbai - 400 001.
Sub: Hardships Faced By Visually Impaired And Certain Other
Categories In Accessing Coins-Remedial
Action Solicited.
Sir,
We write to invite your kind attention to the confusion, uncertainty and the
resultant limitations in full participation in community life for the
visually impaired and various other disability categories, because of
complete lack of uniformity in the issuance of currency coins.
2. The dilemma we face is that user-requirements regarding uniformity of
shape/size/ weight, which are so crucial to us for independent access and
use of these coins, are totally and repeatedly overlooked by the concerned
authorities. As a consequence, new coins of the same or different
denominations keep appearing which are quite similar to each other and,
hence, difficult to recognize tactually or even with restricted vision.
3. We give below a few illustrations of how confusing the situation tends
to become in differentiating one coin from the other for us :
3.1. There are two or three coins of the same denomination with differing
shapes; e.g. one, two, five Rupee coins. By the time persons with visual
impairment and also others get used to recognizing one type of coin, another
coin of the same denomination is brought out in different size.
3.2. Similarly, certain coins of different denominations are quite similar
in shape/size, making it extremely difficult to tell with reasonable speed
and certainty its actual denomination. Coins of ten-Rupee and One-Rupee are
cases in point.
3.3. This lack of uniformity and a clear-cut policy gives rise to avoidable
dependence inhibiting equality of opportunities and full participation for
the disabled-the very hallmarks of the PWD Act.
4. May we further submit that these accessibility problems regarding coins
are not confined to just the visually impaired? These adversely impact
independent functioning of a large segment of our population - the print
disabled, senior citizens etc.
5. As you would appreciate, this haphazard issuance of coins leading to
hardships for the disabled population is a gross violation of their human
rights in terms of Article 9 1 of the UNCRPD which calls upon States Parties
to take appropriate measures to ensure persons with disabilities access,
inter-alia, to "other facilities and services open or provided to the
public..". It also violates Article 19 (c) of the Convention which requires
undertaking of measures to ensure that : "community services and facilities
for the general population are available on an equal basis to persons with
disabilities and are responsive to their needs".
Availability of easily accessible coins is an important part of "public
services and facilities" referred to in the aforesaid Articles and, hence,
there is an urgent need for appropriate intervention.
In view of the foregoing submissions we approach you with the request to
kindly take up this accessibility issue with the concerned authorities.
What we need, in our opinion, is a clear recognition by the concerned
authorities of the requirements of the disabled population with regard to
easy recognition of coins by laying down a clear policy or set of
principles. This may consist of observing the well-recognized best
practices of "The same shape for the same-denomination coins", "Avoiding
similar shapes for different denomination coins", "Ease of tactual
perception" , "Proper colour contrast" etc.
As submitted earlier, the suggested access practices would have far-reaching
benefits for other categories of disabilities and the general population as
well.
A copy of the World Blind Union External Resource Paper on Accessible Notes
and Coins is enclosed for ready reference.
Thanking you,
Yours truly,
----- Original Message -----
From: "amritpal singh" <amritpa...@gmail.com>
To: "AccessIndia: a list for discussing accessibility and issuesconcerning
thedisabled." <accessindia@accessindia.org.in>
Sent: Sunday, March 23, 2014 10:24 AM
Subject: Re: [AI] RBI and currency notes accessibility
Our problem is not paper currency. Our problem is coins. Sorry to say but
no organization is doing anything in this regards.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Kotian, H P" <hpkot...@rbi.org.in>
To: "AccessIndia: a list for discussing accessibility and issues
concerningthe disabled." <accessindia@accessindia.org.in>
Sent: Wednesday, March 05, 2014 12:21 PM
Subject: Re: [AI] RBI and currency notes accessibility
Hi
RBI had assured, they would address our concerns whenever they would be
making changes in the design of the currency notes. It is quite an
elaborate process. Soon, they plan to introduce plastic notes on a trial
basis. I enquired about our concerns, to which they replied, there is no
change in the design of the notes as of now. It is only a change of
material, hence, we will have to wait.
Harish.
-----Original Message-----
From: AccessIndia [mailto:accessindia-boun...@accessindia.org.in] On
Behalf Of Ekinath Khedekar
Sent: 05 March 2014 11:30
To: accessindia
Subject: [AI] RBI and currency notes accessibility
Hi,
Looks like a well-meant effort by RBI, but futile as i can't even feel
much on fresh Karare notes. They can instead make shapes at different
positions or some other ideas from us.
http://www.rbi.org.in/currency/security%20features.html
http://www.rbi.org.in/currency/security%20features.html#Identification
Regs
--
--- --- ---
"The waves breaking on the surface draw all the attention,
But it is the current beneath the water that determines your
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