BY: MARVIN CATO | HGP NIGHTLY NEWS|
The Guyana Council of Organizations for Persons Living with Disabilities (GCOPD) is calling on commercial banks to urgently modernize their systems and eliminate long-standing discriminatory practices that continue to affect persons with disabilities.
The appeal comes on the heels of President Irfaan Ali’s recent announcement of reforms within the banking sector—reforms the council hopes will finally compel banks to treat persons with disabilities with fairness, dignity, and equal access.
In a statement, GCOPD noted that persons who are blind are still being denied the right to open personal bank accounts or receive ATM cards, with banks citing “internal policies” as the reason for their decisions.
The council condemned these explanations as outdated and baseless, stating there is no empirical evidence to justify such discriminatory measures.
GCOPD also raised concerns about the lack of physical accessibility at many bank branches and ATM locations, which remain difficult or impossible for wheelchair users to navigate.
The council, however, acknowledged that a few commercial banks do model proper inclusion, offering barrier-free access and equitable services for persons with disabilities.
With the disability landscape improving significantly over the past five years, more persons with disabilities are now employed — and therefore require personal bank accounts to receive salaries.
Additionally, the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security deposits public assistance grants directly into bank accounts, making financial access even more essential.
GCOPD said it fully supports the ongoing banking sector reforms and is committed to working closely with authorities to ensure that banks adopt inclusive, modern, and legally compliant systems.
