Surendra KC, secretary of Disability Association Myagdi, a customer at Nepal Bank Limited Beni branch, could not sign a check resulting in bank staff signing the check on his behalf. Having lost both hands in a bomb blast, K.C. says he has to face this problem every time he goes to the bank. He is obliged to take someone to assist him during his bank visits.
Article 42, sub-article 3 of the Constitution of Nepal envisions citizens with disabilities with the right to live with dignity and self-respect, including the recognition of diversity, and the right to equal access to public services and facilities. Despite that public services are still not disability friendly.
KC says that people with disability are facing a lot of problems due to the lack of disability-friendly services and structures. Banks’ physical structure is catered only towards able-bodied or non-disabled individuals. He said that if the standards set by the state are met by these institutions, it would be accessible to individuals with a disability.
He has experienced that most banks and financial institutions are located on the upper floors and inaccessible to wheelchair users or individuals with physical disabilities.
Based on the 2012 census, there are 6,122 citizens with disability in Myagdi. According to the statistics of the Disabled Association of Myagdi, there are 1,591 people with physical disabilities, 824 with low vision, 95 with complete vision impairment, 747 with speech impairment, and 247 with mental disabilities.
Three government banks and other private sector banks have branches at Beni Bazar, the headquarter of Myagdi. The three branches of Nepal Bank and Rashtriya Banijya Bank are on the top floor. Although the branch of Krishi Bikas Bank is on the ground floor, it is not wheelchair friendly. Secretary KC said the bank employees do not know the sign language to communicate with hearing-impaired customers.
Private sector banks such as Machhapuchhre, Global IME, Prabhu, NMB, Prime Bank and Garima, and Jyoti Bikas Bank are not accessible to people with disability. The branches of NMB Bank, Kumari Bank, Jyoti Bikas Bank, Nepal Investment Mega Bank, Prabhu Bank, and Prime Bank in Beni Bazaar are on the upper floor. People with disabilities cannot easily get services in those banks where they have to climb ladders. This problem persists even in the context of ATMs.
Navraj Dhungana, branch manager of government bank Rashtriya Banijya Bank, said that his bank has provided services according to the convenience of citizens. He said that the social security allowance is distributed in the villages and, even though his bank is on the upper floor, he comes to the ground floor and provides services keeping in mind the needs and health conditions of the customers.
Dinesh Subedi, branch manager of NMB Bank, said that the facilities inside the banks are not disability-friendly. If customers with a disability and senior citizens visit the bank, the operation manager will immediately send the bank staff to attend to their needs. However, there is no separate disability-friendly mechanism. Subedi said individuals with a disability are not required to wait in a queue to get services. As per the standards set by Nepal Rastra Bank, even if there is a provision for separate bank tellers for individuals with disabilities, there is no designated staff for that purpose. However, if a person with a disability wants to use the facility other staff are employed to prioritize their needs.