RBI mandates equal banking access for visually challenged customers
No longer current — withdrawn, no replacement on file yet
Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2007-2008/364 · issued 12 Jun 2008 · ~2 min read
Quick answerRBI directs all Primary Urban Co-operative Banks to offer full banking facilities—cheque books, ATMs, lockers, net banking, loans, credit cards—to visually challenged persons without discrimination, citing legal competency and a 2005 court order.
What changed
RBI issued a circular reminding UCBs that visually challenged persons cannot be denied any banking facility. It references a 2005 order from the Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities that banks must provide cheque book, ATM, and locker facilities and assist with cash withdrawals. The circular explicitly lists facilities including third-party cheques, net banking, retail loans, and credit cards.
What it means for you
UCBs must treat visually challenged customers on par with all other customers for every banking product and service. The element of risk in operating facilities like ATMs or lockers is not a valid ground for denial, as risk exists for all customers. Banks must also actively assist visually challenged persons in availing these facilities at branches.
Historical instruction — do not use for current compliance. This is what was required at the time; it no longer reflects current RBI requirements. If no replacement rule is linked above, that only means none is recorded on our register yet — it does not prove no later applicable rule exists. Confirm on the official RBI source below.
What banks were required to do at the time
Update internal policies to explicitly include visually challenged persons as eligible for all banking facilities without discrimination.
Train branch staff to provide necessary assistance for cheque book issuance, ATM use, locker access, and cash withdrawals.
Ensure ATMs and net banking platforms are accessible to visually challenged users as per existing guidelines.
Review and remove any internal circulars or practices that restrict facilities based on visual impairment.
Communicate this directive to all branches and compliance teams immediately.
Who it affects
Primary Urban Co-operative Banks (UCBs), Branch managers and customer-facing staff, Visually challenged banking customers, Compliance and legal teams at UCBs
❓ Common questions
Regulatory timeline
Decoded by BankPulse2026-06-19 13:44 IST
repealed_by — Consolidation of Regulations — Withdrawal of circulars (28 Nov 2025)
Status change: withdrawn05 Aug 2026, 04:00 IST
Built from our lineage records — each fact carries its provenance; missing history simply is not shown (never guessed).
Can we deny a cheque book to a visually challenged customer citing risk of misuse?
No. The RBI circular, citing a court order, states that risk is inherent for all customers and cannot be used to deny facilities to visually challenged persons.
Does this circular apply only to UCBs or to all banks?
This specific circular is addressed to all Primary Urban Co-operative Banks. However, similar instructions have been issued to other bank categories separately.
What assistance must we provide at branches?
Branches must render all possible assistance to visually challenged persons for availing banking facilities, including help with cash withdrawals and operation of ATMs and lockers.
📜 This document’s life story (1 recorded event, each backed by RBI’s own words)
Repealed byRBI/2025-26/100 — Consolidation of Regulations — Withdrawal of circulars (28 Nov 2025)
RBI’s words: “Official withdrawal register entry #2226: UBD.CO.BPD.(PCB).No.51/09.39.000/2007-08 — "Banking Facilities to the Visually Challenged - UCBs" dated June 12, 2008”
📜 Read the original circular — full text as issued by RBI
RBI/2007-2008/364
UBD. CO. BPD. (PCB). No51/09.39.000/2007-08
June 12, 2008
The Chief Executive Officers,
All Primary (Urban) Co-operative Banks
Dear Sir/ Madam,
Banking facilities to the visually challenged - UCBs
It has been brought to the notice of the Reserve Bank that visually challenged persons are facing problems in availing banking facilities. It may be noted that banking facilities including cheque book facility / operation of ATM/ locker etc. cannot be denied to the visually challenged as they are legally competent to contract.
2. It may be stated that in the Case No. 2791/2003 , the Honorable Court of Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities had passed Orders dated 05.09.2005 (copy enclosed), the Honorable Court has instructed that banks should offer all the banking facilities including cheque book facility, ATM facility and locker facility to the visually challenged and also assist them in withdrawal of cash. Further, in para 14 of the above Order, the Honorable Court has observed that visually impaired persons cannot be denied the facility of cheque book, locker and ATM on the possibility of risk in operating / using the said facility, as the element of risk is involved in case of other customers as well.
3. Banks are therefore advised to ensure that all the banking facilities such as cheque book facility including third party cheques, ATM facility, Net banking facility, locker facility, retail loans, credit cards etc. are invariably offered to the visually challenged without any discrimination . Banks may also advise their branches to render all possible assistance to the visually challenged for availing the various banking facilities.
Yours faithfully,
(A.K.Khound)
Chief General Manager-in-Charge
Reproduced for reference with acknowledgment — Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2007-2008/364 · issued 12 Jun 2008. The plain-English explanation above is BankPulse’s own independent summary.
Discuss this circular with fellow bankers — reply, upvote what helps, report what doesn’t belong. Be professional; no client data. Views are the commenter’s own, not BankPulse’s.
BankPulse Compliance Evidence Pack — generated 05 Aug 2026 · status cross-checked against RBI’s official withdrawal register (refreshed weekly). Official RBI source: https://www.rbi.org.in/Scripts/NotificationUser.aspx?Id=4242&Mode=0 — Plain-English summary by BankPulse (bankpulse.ai), reviewed by our expert reviewer, CA Amit Jain. Independent platform, not affiliated with the Reserve Bank of India; is our own plain-English paraphrase, not RBI’s original wording.
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