The Nigeria Association of the Blind (NAB) has requested the Central Bank of Nigeria to be more proactive on the needs of the blind by providing Mobile App accessibility for the visually impaired in the country.
Although technology is improving people’s lives and bringing us closer together at a greater pace than ever before, NAB members report feeling more isolated than ever. The association, which was established in 1968, has fought for a society where people who are blind or visually impaired are completely included and given equal opportunities.
Therefore, the group has asked the Central Bank of Nigeria to require all regulated financial institutions to ensure that their digital services, including websites, mobile apps, money wallets, and USSD, are accessible to people with disabilities in Nigeria, particularly the blind and other clusters that may have accessibility issues.
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Why is the Nigeria Association of the blind pushing this?
During a media roundtable discussion under the headline “Conducting an Accessibility Audit of Banks’ Websites and Mobile Applications for Persons with Disabilities in Nigeria,” Administrative Officer Mr Adeola Aina voiced their objections.
The inability to complete a transaction using the USSD due to timing issues is one of the issues that have been identified. “We need assistance using a number of the bank’s applications. Some software features call for us to advance the speech temporarily. If we do this, we won’t be able to see the process’s next step and won’t be able to move on. I’ll be the first to admit that we are having a lot of problems right now,” he lamented.
Afterwards, Aina added her demands. In order to utilize banks, handicapped people need the physical barriers that are being removed. Persons in wheelchairs cannot bank. Cashier counters are inaccessible to dwarves.
“With hearing-impaired persons, bank employees cannot communicate. Filling out teller machines and getting ATM cards might be difficult for those who are blind,” He cried out.
As a result, Aina promoted a rule that includes people with disabilities in all financial activities.
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The administrative officer emphasized how many people with disabilities were denied access to banking and ATM services as well as other financial institution activities. The websites and applications of financial institutions are covered in this evaluation. DRF sponsors the audit.
Mr Junyde Mohammed Adebowale, a NAB member and computer instructor at a public school, highlighted that those with visual impairments have the right to use banking services.
He added: “They are excluding us because they are not making their application available.” Make them applications and internet access.”Mohammed proposed that banks test this application with a blind person before releasing it to the public.
Banks must embrace us as one of them. Stop mocking us and asking us to utilize their services with our daughter or friends.
“We also deserve security.” We desire complete independence. No blind person should need a sighted buddy to use the ATM in this technological age. He lamented that Nigeria had the reverse, which is unpleasant and worrying.
In other countries where this works, the computer instructor admitted that there are laws that will enforce it on banks to make their applications or websites, among others, accessible.
“Society needs inclusion,” he said. “I believe the government can establish laws that can make these things feasible so that when the application or website is not usable, and the bank is not ready to work on it, you can submit a complaint to the relevant authorities, who would then take it up and make sure that this is done.”
Mohammed, like other members of the organization, called for the creation of written laws instead of just audio laws so that Nigerians with disabilities could have a good life and take part in society.