Although the law guarantees equal rights and opportunities for persons with disabilities, this reality is rarely reflected in the design of digital services.
Despite banking services, government websites and the telecommunications sector becoming fully digitised, the needs and limitations of persons with disabilities have not been adequately considered at the planning stage. As a result, a large segment of this population remains excluded from digital services even today.
Experts say that digital services are not merely a matter of technological convenience; they are directly linked to an individual’s rights, participation and dignity. They argue that it is impossible to build a truly “Digital Bangladesh” while leaving behind such a vast section of the population.
Under the Rights and Protection of Persons with Disabilities Act, a total of 12 types of disabilities are officially recognised in Bangladesh. These include autism, physical disability, mental health–related disability, visual impairment, speech impairment, intellectual disability, hearing impairment, combined hearing and visual impairment, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, multiple disabilities and other forms of disability.
According to data from the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) National Survey on Persons with Disabilities 2022, the number of persons with disabilities in the country stands at 4.6 million. However, those working in the field believe the actual figure is far higher than official estimates due to social stigma, lack of awareness and a complex registration process.
‘Invisible’ government websites
Information from the government’s Aspire to Innovate (a2i) programme under the ICT Division shows that there are currently more than 33,000 government websites and digital citizen services at both central and field levels. In addition, job portals, e-commerce platforms, news portals, and online and mobile banking services have gained widespread popularity.
It is almost impossible for the people with visual impairments to use most government websites. Conversations with several affected individuals reveal that screen readers do not function properly on these websites, and navigation using a keyboard is not user-friendly. Many private-sector websites and documents are also published in formats that are difficult for visually impaired users to access.
Mohammad Hasan, a visually impaired schoolteacher from Chauddagram in Cumilla, said, “I cannot use government websites. To access services, forms have to be filled in, and those contain CAPTCHA codes. As there is no alternative, I have no option but to seek help from others to obtain these services.”
Barriers in receiving banking services
Digital banking services are also far from accessible for persons with disabilities. The absence of assistive technologies at ATM booths makes independent transactions difficult.
Moreover, mobile banking applications lack essential accessibility features, depriving many persons with disabilities of these services. Even identifying the denomination of banknotes by touch alone remains impossible for people with visual impairments.
Nazma Ara Begum, who works on disability rights. She herself is visually impaired. She told Prothom Alo, “Most bank websites are not accessible. The situation at ATM booths is the same. A person’s financial transactions are among their most private matters, yet we are forced to rely on others for assistance.”
Limited alternatives in telecommunications services too
In the telecommunications sector, fingerprint verification is one of the primary methods of customer identification. However, many people with physical disabilities are unable to provide fingerprints. To date, there is no simple or effective alternative system in place.
Due to a physical condition, development worker Sumona Akhter’s fingerprints are not clearly detectable. While attempting to obtain a mobile SIM card, she had to visit one office after another. Eventually, her SIM registration was completed only after she obtained a no-objection certificate from the election commission.
Bangladesh has both signed and ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). The convention guarantees equal access for persons with disabilities to all information and communication technology–related services, on a par with other citizens. In practice, however, this commitment remains largely unfulfilled.
Bhaskar Bhattacharya, national consultant (accessibility) at Access to Information (a2i), who is also visually impaired, told Prothom Alo that the government has already taken several initiatives in this regard.
He said efforts are underway to make government websites more accessible for persons with disabilities.