Denied the Right to Bank Independently

Forty-nine-year-old Ashok Patil was born sighted in a village in Raigad district of Maharashtra. His father worked at Hindustan Chemical Limited, and his mother was a homemaker. After completing 10th grade in a mainstream school, Ashok enrolled in a chemical diploma program. However, during his second year, his vision began to fail, and by the age of 18, he lost complete sight due to Retinitis Pigmentosa, a degenerative eye condition.

This vision loss forced Ashok to discontinue his studies. Lacking awareness about living with blindness and the available opportunities, he was confined to home for eight years. His life changed when a social worker introduced his family to the Mahalakshmi Rehabilitation Centre of National Association for the Blind in Mumbai. There, Ashok learned essential skills like mobility training, candle making, and wire chair making to help him live independently.

Yet, Ashok’s financial independence remained elusive. When he tried to manage his own bank account, several banks denied him services due to his blindness. His only option was to be added as a secondary holder to his father’s IDBI Bank account. This arrangement worked until his father’s passing, after which the bank officials refused to grant Ashok independent banking rights. They insisted he add a sighted person’s name to acquire a chequebook.

Learning about the Eyeway Helpdesk in a radio promotion, Ashok reached out to our Mumbai counsellor for support. The counsellor shared the Reserve Bank of India’s guidelines for banking services which clearly state that no discrimination should be meted out on grounds of disability. When Ashok’s detailed email to the bank manager went unanswered, the counsellor intervened with a phone call, warning of formal complaints to the Nodal Officer and the Banking Ombudsman.

This advocacy proved successful – the bank provided Ashok with the NEFT or online banking facility, allowing him to manage his finances independently. His case highlights how banks often deny basic services to blind individuals, despite RBI guidelines mandating otherwise.

Team Eyeway