what about accessibility features on currencies
Euro - EUR
United Kingdom Pounds - GBP
United States Dollars - USD
if they are inaccessible, how do a completely blind person identify them?
is their any mechanicle, electronic or digital device?
-----Original Message-----
From: Kotian, H P
Sent: Thursday, August 16, 2018 10:45 AM
To: AccessIndia: a list for discussing accessibility and issues concerning
the disabled.
Subject: Re: [AI] Report on Accessible currency notes
All
I am afraid there are 3 blaring shortcommings in the recommendation:
1 The shape of symbols should not have been there at all in the
recommendation. This is essentially where RBI has been misguided and they
take it is a final act of making the currency accessible. I am extremely
disappointed in reading this.
2 It should have been clearly articulated that the size differentiation
should be of minimum 10 mm to its nearest demonomination. This too was not
there.
3 Finally there should have been a recommendation to withdraw all the
inaccessible notes to be phased out in a phased manner expeditiously.
We have clearly lost the battle.
If it all there is something there in the recommendation it is only for the
partially sighted with reference of color differentiation. Totally blind
persons have been miserably sidelined.
From BGFI we had shared all the good practices and practical recommendation
after making thorough research on the issue on the list. If only it was
looked into.
Very, very disappointed.
Harish.
-----Original Message-----
From: AccessIndia [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf
Of George Abraham
Sent: Tuesday, August 14, 2018 3:48 PM
To: AccessIndia: a list for discussing accessibility and issues concerning
the disabled. <[email protected]>
Subject: [AI] Report on Accessible currency notes
Hi!
Sharing below the report submitted to the Delhi HC by the Amicus Curie
regarding accessible currency. This report was submitted in the first week
of April 2018. Subsequently, officials of the RBI have been travelling
across the country meeting up with different stakeholder groups and taking
suggestions. If you have any ideas that you might like to share, please feel
free to write to me. Happy to share good and practical ideas with the court
as well as RBI.
IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI
WRIT PETITION(C ) NO.10727 OF 2017
IN THE MATTER OF :
All India Confederation of the Blind VS. RBI & Anr.
REPORT OF THE AMICI CURIE ON THE ISSUE OF ACCESSIBILITY OF VISUALLY IMPAIRED
PERSONS TO THE INDIAN CURRENCY
INTRODUCTION:
That Writ petition C No.10727/2017 titled as All India Confederation of the
Blind Vs. Reserve Bank of India & anr. was filed making the following
prayers:
A) issue a writ/ direction/ order in the nature of mandamus and/ or
certiorari directing, commanding and requiring the Respondent no.'s 1 and 2
for ensuring/ changing/ modifying all new legal tender bank notes and coins
currently in circulation to make them easily identifiable and differentiable
for all visually impaired, i.e. blind and those with low vision.; and/ or
B) issue a writ/ direction/ order in the nature of mandamus and/ or
certiorari directing, commanding and requiring the Respondent no.'s 1 and 2
for withdrawing/ replacing all new legal tender bank notes and coins
currently in circulation in a phase-wise, reasonable and time-bound manner
by issuing fresh/ new legal tender bank notes and coins easily identifiable
and differentiable for all visually impaired, i.e. blinds and those with low
vision.
Further, Writ Petition ( C) no.9728/2017 titled as Rohit Dandriyal & Ors.
Vs. Reserve Bank of India & Anr. was filed making the following prayers:
a) Direct the respondent No.1 for issue the new Rupee 50/- with
identification mark for visually impaired persons;
b) Direct the respondent No.2 for approve the new Rupees 50 which bearing
the identification mark for visually impaired persons.
c) Direct respondents to withdraw new 50/- rupee note currency without
identification mark for visually impaired persons & also stop the printing
of such currency bank note which is without identification mark for visually
impaired persons.
Thus, while the writ petition C no.10727/2017 covered the broader issue of
the inclusion of features in bank notes and coins which enable the visually
impaired person to identify currency of different denominations, writ
petition (C) No.9728/2017 is restricted to the issue of identification of
only 50 rupee bank note.
Vide order dt.16.2.2018 the undersigned were appointed as amici curie to
assist the court in both the petitions.
Before making recommendations, it is appropriate to give a brief background
of the genesis of the issue involved. Before demonetization, both bank
notes and coins had features such as major difference in size with regard to
bank notes of different denominations and difference in shapes and sizes
with regard to coins of different denominations which enable visually
impaired person to identify currencies of different denominations easily.
However during the process of demonetization and thereater, RBI has issued
new bank notes of Rs.10, 50, 200, 500 & 2000 which is in circulation in the
economy of the country at present. These bank notes do not have features
which could enable visually impaired persons to differentiate between the
bank notes of different denominations. No doubt, there is a very little and
insignificant difference in the size of each denomination of bank notes but
i.e. so negligible that it is difficult to identify bank notes of different
denominations by a visually impaired person. It is claimed that since Rs.50
note is having some embossed markings in the form of straight lines, the
same meets the accessibility requirement of visually impaired person.
However, it is not so. In the first place, the lines / markings cannot
sustain for long and secondly, these markings have no relationship with the
denomination of Rs.50 to enable visually impaired person to understand what
it stands for. Further, for low vision persons, there is no change of
colours in bank notes of different denominations which is essential for them
to identify different denominations bank notes. A perusal of the affidavit
filed by RBI reveals that RBI had consulted National Association for the
Blind. However, there were various suggestions given by National
Association for the Blind which were not taken into account by RBI while
issuing bank notes.
LEGAL POSITION
That Section 12 (4)(a) of Rights of Persons With Disabilities Act 2016 which
came into force w.e.f. April 2017, mandates the appropriate Govt. which
include Central Govt. also to take steps to ensure that all their public
documents are in accessible formats. Thus, accessibility to public
documents besides other infrastructure and services for persons with
disabilities including visually impaired persons is a right recognized by
Rights of Persons With Disabilities Act 2016. Further, section 13 of RPD
Act 2016 recognizes the rights of persons with disabilities including
visually impaired persons to own or inherit property, movable or immovable,
control their financial affairs and have access to bank loans, mortgages and
other forms of financial
credit. Thus, ability to identify bank notes of different denominations and
coins of different denominations independently is a right vested in visually
impaired person under the Act. Reserve Bank of India is empowered to issue
bank notes of different denominations on the recommendation of Central Board
U/S 25 of Reserve Bank of India Act 1934. Thus, the bank notes issued by
RBI during and after the demonetization do not meet the accessibility
requirements of persons with visual impairment though the said Right of
Accessibility to bank notes is a right recognized by RBI Act.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
We have examined the pleadings in both the petitions. Before making the
recommendations, we would like to submit that while finalizing the
recommendations, we have tried to balance larger national economic interest
and rights of persons with visual impairment. Further, the recommendations,
if implemented, will also be useful and beneficial for other segments also
such as illiterate particularly urban and rural poor as the issue of
identification of bank notes and currency is also an issue for them. Based
on these considerations, we make the following recommendations:-
1. Central Govt. and Central Board should be directed to provide
distinguishing features in any bank note or coin of different denomination
to be issued hereafter which are identifiable and recognizable easily by
visually impaired persons and also those who cannot read the denominations
printed on the bank notes or engraved on the coins at the time of deciding
on the design, material and form of the bank notes U/s 25 of RBI Act.
2. Whenever existing bank notes and coins are withdrawn from circulation,
they should be substituted by the bank notes or coins having such
distinguishing features as recommended in this report.
3. The distinguishing features on the bank notes of different
denominations may largely be different shapes in the corner of bank notes
coupled with different sizes of bank notes for different denominations.
Further, the colour of bank notes of different denominations should also be
different. In so far as the coins are concerned, the shape of each of
different denomination coin should be different. To illustrate, it may be
considered that bank note of 10 Rupee denomination may have a triangular
shape of left hand top corner of the note. Further, 50 Rupee note may have
round shape of right hand top corner and so on and so forth. The difference
in the sizes of different denomination bank notes should be in the width and
not in the length of bank note. Similarly, one rupee coin may have round
shape whereas two rupee coin may have quadrilateral shape and so on and so
forth.
4. It is learnt that RBI proposes to issue plastic currency on an
experimental basis. It is therefore recommended that while issuing plastic
currency / bank notes, the Central Govt. should ensure that recommended
distinguishing features are incorporated in the said currency making it
possible for visually impaired and other segments of the society to identify
and recognize different denominations currency easily and independently.
(S.K. RUNGTA) (GEORGE ABRAHAM)
Senior Advocate & CEO Score Foundation &
Amicus Curie Amicus Curie
IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI
WRIT PETITION(C ) NO.10727 OF 2017
IN THE MATTER OF :
All India Confederation of the Blind VS. RBI & Anr.
INDEX
S.NO. PARTICULARS PAGES
1. Report of the Amici Curie on the
issue of accessibility of visually
impaired persons to the Indian currency
(S.K. RUNGTA) (GEORGE ABRAHAM)
Senior Advocate & CEO Score Foundation &
Amicus Curie Amicus Curie
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