No longer current — withdrawn, no replacement on file yet
Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2008-09/431 · issued 13 Apr 2009 · ~2 min read
Quick answerRBI advises all scheduled commercial banks (excluding RRBs) to install ramps at existing and future ATMs and branch entrances, ensure ATM height does not impede wheelchair users, and make at least one-third of new ATMs talking ATMs with Braille keypads, placed strategically in consultation with other banks to ensure at least one per locality, and inform visually impaired customers of their locations.
What changed
RBI issued a circular on April 13, 2009, advising banks to provide ramps at existing and future ATMs and branch entrances for wheelchair accessibility. Banks are also advised to ensure that at least one-third of new ATMs are talking ATMs with Braille keypads, with at least one such ATM generally available in each locality, and inform visually impaired customers of their locations.
What it means for you
Banks are advised to invest in physical infrastructure modifications like ramps and height adjustments at all ATMs and branches to improve accessibility. The advice to install talking ATMs with Braille keypads for at least one-third of new ATMs may increase costs but improve service inclusivity for visually impaired customers.
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
Conduct an audit of all existing ATMs and branch entrances to identify where ramps are needed and take necessary steps to install them.
Adjust ATM heights at all locations to ensure wheelchair users can operate them without difficulty.
Plan new ATM installations so that at least one-third are talking ATMs with Braille keypads, and coordinate with other banks to ensure at least one such ATM generally available in each locality.
Communicate the locations of talking ATMs to visually impaired customers through appropriate channels.
Who it affects
All scheduled commercial banks (excluding RRBs), Bank branch operations teams, ATM deployment and maintenance teams, Customer service and accessibility officers, Visually impaired and wheelchair-using customers
❓ Common questions
Regulatory timeline
Decoded by BankPulse2026-06-19 10:40 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).
Does this circular apply to existing ATMs or only new ones?
It applies to both: existing ATMs should be provided with ramps and height adjustments, while new ATMs must also include these features plus at least one-third must be talking ATMs with Braille keypads.
What is the deadline for compliance?
The circular advises banks to take necessary steps promptly, but does not specify a specific deadline.
Are RRBs exempt from this requirement?
Yes, the circular explicitly excludes Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) from its scope, so they are not required to comply.
📜 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 #1957: DBOD.No.Leg.BC.123/09.07.005/2008-09 — "Need for Bank Branches / ATMs to be made Accessible to persons with disabilities" dated April 13, 2009”
📜 Read the original circular — full text as issued by RBI
We have been receiving several suggestions including from Government of India to make bank branches and ATMs easily accessible to persons with disability by providing ramps so that wheel chair users can access them and the height of the machine is also appropriate for them. Further we have also been receiving suggestions for installing speaking software and key pads with letters in Braille to facilitate use by persons with visual impairment.
2. We have examined the above suggestions and banks are advised to take necessary steps to provide all existing ATMs / future ATMs with ramps so that wheel chair users / persons with disabilities can easily access them and also make arrangements in such a way that the height of the ATM does not create an impediment in its use by a wheelchair user. Banks may also take appropriate steps including providing ramps at the entrance of the bank branches so that the persons with disabilities / wheel chair users can enter the bank branches and conduct business without much difficulty.
3. Further, banks should make at least one third of new ATMs installed as talking ATMs with Braille keypads and place them strategically in consultation with other banks to ensure that at least one talking ATM with Braille keypad is generally available in each locality for catering to needs of visually impaired persons. Banks may also bring the locations of such talking ATMs to the notice of their visually impaired customers.
Reproduced for reference with acknowledgment — Source: Reserve Bank of India · RBI/2008-09/431 · issued 13 Apr 2009. 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=4923&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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