SAUDI ARABIA: Public Apathy Towards Plight of The Visually Impaired

Blind Customers in a Blind Alley By Javid Hasan & Najah Alosaimi, Arab News RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (Arab News), November 4, 2007: Despite moves to integrate blind people into the mainstream of society, efforts have been greatly hindered by lax implementation of banking regulations and public apathy to the plight of the blind. Many banks, according to an Arab News survey, continue to treat the blind and visually impaired as exceptional cases. Bank policies regarding the visually handicapped leave much to be desired. Not long ago, they were barred from obtaining services such as access to credit cards, ATM cards, and check books. Even today, despite government assurances to the contrary, they still cannot open a checking account unless they bring two guardians and witnesses. Moreover, very few facilities are specifically designed for them. The fact is that they often find themselves in a blind alley and have to rely on others to do their banking transactions. The Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency (SAMA) recently published regulations designed to benefit the blind. According to the new policy, a guardian is no longer required to be a partner along with a blind customer who is conducting normal banking transactions. Instead, two of the bank’s employees are officially designated to help him with step-by-step instructions on how to carry out his business. Furthermore, the new regulation is clear that a blind customer has the right to receive all banking services on condition that these services are being rendered at his own request. Yet, the new regulation is not enforced by many banks which prefer to avoid taking responsibility in the event of a problem arising. There are more than 350,000 blind people in Saudi Arabia. Many of them are employed, including some in a managerial capacity. “It’s very frustrating to see the way the blind are treated by some banks,” said Dr. Nasir Bib Saban, a social activist and professor at King Abdul Aziz University. Many banks in the West have devised methods to help their sightless and visually impaired customers achieve considerable independence and self-reliance. These facilities include voice-enabled ATM terminals together with a standard audio jack for a blind person to conduct money transactions. The most common complaints by blind and visually impaired customers are that ATMs do not provide an audio version of information displayed on the screen. “Visual displays on ATMs can’t be read; numeric and control keys are not easy to distinguish by touch,” said Mohsen Alnassir, a young man working as an operator, who expressed his frustration with the ATMs. Asked how he handles his ATM dealings, he said: “When my brother is not available, I ask for assistance from the people.” Arwa Hassan, assistant trainer at Ebsar Foundation who lost her eyesight at the age of 18, says she misses her privacy when doing any bank deal. “The fact that someone has to conduct my ATM deals makes me uncomfortable,” she said. She also observed that periodic statements issued by banks to their customers are not available in Braille. This means that someone has to go through the hassle of briefing her on her banking transactions. Dr. Hammed Altwaigry, head of the School of Economics at King Saud University, said: “There are many negative consequences due to the lack of facilities for the blind.” The fact that the guardians or any other person could have easy access to the blind customer’s bank details, has exposed them, in some cases, to fraud. Moreover, the tendency to rely on others becomes firmly entrenched, Altwaigry said. He continued: “Blind customers should have the right to receive equal treatment like any other person. I think banks should consider offering more blind-friendly policies to ease hardships.” A banking industry official estimated the cost of voice-enabled automated teller machines at $1,000 to $3,000 per unit. He believes that before banks decide to install such units, they need to evaluate effectiveness, including how many people really need the machine and the number of accounts held by the blind, and how many others can read the Braille language displayed on some ATMs. He pointed out that the current machines can be used by the blind as well, since the letters are designed in a manner that makes them readable by touch. But Mohammed Banno, general manager of Ebsar Foundation, told Arab News that not all blind people can read the same language. Some can read the normal language, especially if they have lost their eyesight only recently. Others born blind tend to read the Braille language. Banno said that as a manager of the foundation he faces difficulties resulting from the banks’ misinterpretation of the new regulations. He believes that the real problem is not the loss of eyesight, but social misconceptions about the blind. “Thousands of blind people work, raise families, and live normal lives, but apparently it is society’s inhibitions that prevent their integration into the mainstream of life.” Banno urged SAMA to make sure that its regulations are enforced by stepping up inspection of banks. Anas Alsawi, an audiovisual consultant at a blind assembly plant in Jeddah, said: “Talking ATM machines would be a very useful facility, as they unite all types of blind people. It is a boon for those who can’t read ATM screens. They can have access to audible information delivered privately through a standard headphone handset.” Copyright: Arab News © 2003