The Chief General Manager
State Bank of India
Local Head Office
All Circles
                     
                     
                                             NBG/NBG-INB-INB/2013-14/3                07.08.2013

Dear Sir,

Internet Banking (INB) facility for Visually Challenged (VC)
Provision of Transaction Rights and access to https://www.onlinesbi.co

A visually challenged customer is presently given access on https://www.onlinesbi.com/sbivc.html site, a dedicated site for VC customers which provides limited transaction facilities like enquiry, statement of accounts, bill payment and transfer between own accounts. VC customers have been complaining about the inconvenience faced by them as they cannot use the functionalities available in our regular INB site https://www.onlinesbi.com.

2. RBI’s circular No. DBOD No. Leg.BC.18/09.07.006/2011-12 dated July 1, 2011 inter-alia, states that “the Banks to provide all the Banking facilities to the visually challenged persons without any discrimination”. During technical feasibility study, it was learnt that many visually challenged customers are using screen reading softwares like JAWS, NVDA etc. on their PCs and mobiles and they can easily access the OTP which will be sent on their registered mobile number. It was, therefore, possible to provide transaction rights to visually challenged customers on our normal site https://www.onlinesbi.com, after necessary development involving tab
sequencing and tagging (in place of graphics or images) as also addition of a dead man switch facility which enables a VC customer to lock the access to his account on perceiving threat of shoulder surfing etc. Our regular INB site has since been made compatible for use by VC customers.

3. The following benefits will accrue to the bank and the visually challenged customers on granting transaction rights:-  Compliance of RBI directives and order passed by the Court of Chief Commissioner for persons with disabilities.
 It will also make INB services non-discriminatory for the VC customers.
 Visually Challenged customers will be able to use various features available in
the regular site (e.g. funds transfer to third party beneficiary, making e-TDR/e-STDR/e-RD etc.)

4. The process flow for granting access to visually challenged customers on regular site with view or limited / full Transaction righs is furnished in Annexure-A.

5. The existing VC customers who had been given access rights on the dedicated
site for VC customers will now be able to login on our regular INB site which consists
of all the facilities as provided to normal customers. If the VC customer wants to avail
full transaction rights, he has to apply to the branch for change of rights. As the separate VC site would no longer be needed, it has been decided to close it after 31.10.2013. In addition, necessary announcement will be made in the VC site regarding closure of the site from 01.11.2013.

Yours faithfully,

General Manager (Alternate Channels)