Dear all, Please find below the representation that we intend to share and discuss with RBI during our meeting in person. Have incorporate recommendations considering short term and long term needs of persons with visual impairment. The meeting is tomorrow, so please share your feedback if any by today night.
--- To Governor Reserve Bank of India Mumbai. Subject: Representation to make Indian Currency notes easily identifiable for the blind citizens Respected sir, Blind Graduates Forum of India brings to your kind notice the issue of difficult-to-use Indian currency notes. We, the blind citizens face some genuine inconveniences in identifying various currency notes in circulation including the newly introduced ones. This has made daily living very difficult and has led to direct negative impact on livelihood for blind individuals across the country. Kindly consider the following recommendations to make Indian Currency accessible for the blind: 1. Define Indian Currency Accessibility Guidelines to be mandatorily factored in every new release of notes and coins. 2. Mandate adoption of available accessibility guidelines for mobile apps and websites meant for making financial transactions. Communicate the guidelines extensively to all the stakeholders. 3. Use both length and width of the notes to differentiate between each of the notes. The length of the new Rs. 2000, Rs. 500, Rs. 200 and Rs. 50 is the same. 4. Categorize notes into two sets in terms of sizes, one for lower denominations and the other for higher denominations. Differentiate each set with a minimum of 10mm in length. 5. Maintain variation of at least 10mm in width between every note, for both lower and higher denominations. For instance the variation in length between Rs. 200 and Rs. 500 is just 4mm which is extremely difficult to differentiate. 6. Incorporate easily perceptible tactile marking, embossed letters and / or bleed lines. These features should not fade away with use and should be very easy to feel. The bleed lines newly introduced in the new Rs. 2000 and Rs. 500 notes are absolutely not perceivable and are of no help. 7. Phase out all the new notes including Rs. 50, Rs. 200, Rs. 500 and Rs. 2000 notes on priority as its size conflict with the old Rs. 10 and Rs. 20. This will be easier as the number of new notes under circulation are relatively lower. 8. Use different shapes or curved edges for both notes and coins to differentiate. 9. Use very distinct colors for people with low vision to identify. The new notes released recently have been well differentiated by colors. We appreciate and welcome the change incorporated. 10. Adopt contrast colors of the note and of the figures highlighting the denomination. 11. Use large font size for the figures highlighting the denominations. 12. The texture of the notes should be different from normal paper. Maintain the variation in texture in case any other material like plastic is used in future. 13. Involve sufficient number of representative sample of blind individuals for testing of prototype and final version of notes before every release. 14. Review Indian Currency Accessibility guidelines every five years and factor changes in material, technology, user feedback, market trends and best practices globally. Disclaimer: 1. Contents of the mails, factual, or otherwise, reflect the thinking of the person sending the mail and AI in no way relates itself to its veracity; 2. AI cannot be held liable for any commission/omission based on the mails sent through this mailing list.. To check if the post reached the list or to search for old posting, reach: https://www.mail-archive.com/ai@accessindia.inclusivehabitat.in/maillist.html _______________________________________________ Ai mailing list Ai@accessindia.inclusivehabitat.in http://accessindia.inclusivehabitat.in/mailman/listinfo/ai
