E-Banking to increase accessibility for disabled

BEIJING -- China's electronic banking service is required to provide easier access for the disabled, according to a guideline co-issued by China Disabled Persons Federation (CDPF) and China Banking Association on Monday.

The guideline asks banks to promote accessibility primarily for three kinds of disabled people using E-Banking services such as phone and online banking.

For visually impaired users, E-banking will provide specially designed shortcut touch menu, active ID recognition and easy verification codes.

For the deaf customers, the primary concern will be offering multiple visual facilities and instant short message service.

For the physically disabled, the bank will establish a long-distance self-service system allowing them to open accounts from home, which traditionally requires a physical presence at the bank.

The guideline is a holiday gift for the 85 million disabled people in China to enable the convenience of technology, just ahead of the International Day of Disabled Persons observed on Dec 3 annually, said Lv Shiming, vice-chairman of the CDFP.