PNB launched exclusive credit card for visually impaired persons

The Reserve Bank of India has issued guidelines to the banks to provide banking services for persons with visual impairment and also make arrangements for such people so that they can easily use the banking services. The RBI has asked the banks to make provision at ATM for physically handicap people and visually impaired.

Working on these guidelines the Punjab National Bank (PNB) is the first commercial bank to launch an exclusive credit card scheme for the community.

Although banks are widely providing credit cards to persons with vision challenge, but this is the first time a bank is providing special scheme for the community.

On May 31, PNB issued guidelines to its branch offices across the country to accept application forms from visually impaired customers who have accounts with them for six months and have ‘satisfactory track record’.

According to circular the visually challenged within the age group of 18 to 65 yrs, with the minimum education of Standard 10 and possess a screen reader enabled mobile phones, are eligible for taking this credit card.

The bank is asking visually challenged persons to give personal undertaking declaring that they are taking responsibility for the judicious use of the card. The card is being issued to both salaried employees and self employed individuals based on income and address proofs.

However many persons with vision challenge are still struggling to get debit cards, make use of internet banking and other facilities, but the move by PNB to provide credit cards to the visually challenged has been welcomed by the community.

Akhilesh a visually impaired person working for a famous BPO company in Bangalore said, “Credit cards have become an important aspect of the way we transact today.” He said, "The move by PNB to issue credit cards especially for persons with vision impairment is a nice thing indeed. Hopefully this would extend to other services they provide for able-bodied customers."

But few of them from the community have questioned the requirement for an undertaking. One visually challenged person who has been struggling to get banking services, said, "We don't know if such undertakings are asked from other customers. Anything asked from us only because we are disabled has to be opposed."

He said, “Though the bank has provided the service, it remains to be seen if branch managers and other officials actually understand the significance of it and extend credit card services to us.”