Access to Banking Services Survey

The Disabled People’s Association (DPA) conducted an Access to Banking Services Survey in early 2013. This survey aimed to assess barriers and/or difficulties people with disabilities may experience whilst accessing banking services. The findings of this survey were published on Thursday 25 April 2013. The full survey report was launched at a seminar held at DPA’s office on the same day.

A copy of the Banking Services survey report can be download here. Paper copies of the survey report can be obtained from DPA’s office.

35 people including DPA’s staff and members, Voluntary Welfare Organisations (VWO) partners, representatives from Banking Services, government officials and individuals with disabilities attended the Access to Banking Services Seminar. In early 2013, DPA conducted a survey on accessibility of banking services for people with disabilities. On 25th April 2013, DPA shared the findings of the survey at a seminar with its members and representatives from banking services.

At Banking Survey Seminar, Marissa Lee Medjeral, Executive Director of DPA, said:

“The right of a person with disabilities to manage their own finances is not only integral to living as independent a life as possible, it is also a right guaranteed to them when Singapore signed the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in November 2012. DPA understands that it will take time to realise this right, but hopes that banks take up the challenge sooner, rather than later.”

At the seminar Nina Munday, Diversity and Inclusion Consultant, who conducted the survey, shared some of the key survey findings with the delegates. She told the delegates that 65% of the survey participants said that they have experienced barriers/difficulties when using banking services. However, only 26% of them told their banks about their 2 problems. The barriers they experienced include using ATMs, authenticating their transactions using bank tokens or telephones, or visiting their local bank branches. Nina shared that the survey participants are looking for improvements in both accessibility and service delivery. The full recommendations are contained in the report.

Jeffrey Ee Hui Tan, Head of Onshore Priority Banking of Standard Chartered shared with the delegates the good practices and positive initiatives that already exist within Standard Chartered. As a bank, they will continue to learn and meet the needs of their customers better. Jeffrey welcomed the findings and encouraged people with disabilities to advise them on areas that they need to improve on.

After the presentations attendees were asked to work in four separate groups to discuss a set of questions in relation to accessibility and service delivery, summary of discussions are listed in the evaluation report of the seminar. You can download a copy here.

Royson Poh, one of the attendees and representing Society for the Physically Disabled and its Infocomm Accessibility Centre, wrote an article and recorded an interview with Nina on the topic of banking services for persons with disabilities. The links for the articles are:

For more information please contact Nina Munday, Diversity and Inclusion Consultant, on [email protected] or +65 6791 1134.