Circular: Instructions for Services Provided to Persons with Disabilities in Financial Institutions

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority Head Office

Office of the Deputy Governor for Supervision

Number: 41039051
Date: 1441/06/03
Attachments: 5 pages

Circular

Dear Sirs/Madams,
Peace, mercy, and blessings of Allah be upon you,

Subject: Instructions for Services Provided to Persons with Disabilities in Financial Institutions.

Based on the powers vested in the Authority by its Law issued by Royal Decree No. (23) dated 1377/5/23 AH, and the Banking Control Law issued by Royal Decree No. (M/5) dated 1386/6/22 AH, and in line with the Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority's supervisory and regulatory role over financial institutions under its supervision, and its efforts aimed at enhancing the humanitarian role of financial institutions towards their customers with disabilities by working to facilitate and ease the provision of financial services to this dear segment of society.

Attached are the Instructions for Services Provided to Persons with Disabilities in Financial Institutions, aiming to enhance the humanitarian role of financial institutions in the Kingdom and encourage the development of financial services provided to their customers with disabilities.

For your information and action within three months from this date, with a compliance plan for these instructions to be provided to the Authority within one month from this date.

Please accept my regards,

Fahad bin Ibrahim Al-Shathri
Deputy Governor for Supervision

Distribution Scope:

• Banks and banking institutions operating in the Kingdom.
• Finance companies operating in the Kingdom.
• Insurance companies, reinsurance companies, foreign insurance companies, and licensed professional companies operating in the Kingdom.
• Credit information companies operating in the Kingdom.
• Exchange companies and institutions operating in the Kingdom.
• Payment companies and payment systems operating in the Kingdom.

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Instructions for Services Provided to Persons with Disabilities in Financial Institutions

January 2020

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Table of Contents
Firstly: Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 2
A. Objective .......................................................................................................................................... 2
B. Scope .......................................................................................................................................... 2
Secondly: Definitions ................................................................................................................................... 2
Thirdly: Instructions for Services for Persons with Disabilities ........................................................................... 2

1. Disability Care Unit ............................................................................................................... 2
2. Built Environment .............................................................................................................................. 2
3. Verification of Disability .......................................................................................................................... 3
4. Products and Services ......................................................................................................................... 3
5. Self-Service Devices and Electronic Services ........................................................................................ 3
6. Transparency and Fairness in Dealing with Persons with Disabilities ....................................................... 4
7. Financial Education and Awareness for Persons with Disabilities ................................................................. 4
8. General Provisions ................................................................................................................................... 4

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Firstly: Introduction
A. Objective
The Instructions for Services Provided to Persons with Disabilities in Financial Institutions contained in this document aim to establish the principle of fairness among all segments of society without diminishing or discriminating in any way against the rights of any segment, to achieve financial inclusion and enable all segments of society to access products and services, and to remove all physical and behavioral barriers that hinder or make it difficult for persons with disabilities to access financial services to manage their financial affairs with complete independence and privacy, and to protect their rights as consumers of financial services.

B. Scope
These instructions apply to all financial institutions subject to the supervision and oversight of the Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority.

Secondly: Definitions

1. Person with Disability: Every person who has a long-term impairment in physical, mental, or psychological functions that prevents them from performing their daily tasks effectively in society on an equal basis with others.
2. Disability: Is the affliction with one or more of the following disabilities: visual impairment, hearing impairment, intellectual disability, physical and motor disability, learning difficulties, speech and language disorders, behavioral and emotional disorders, dual and multiple disabilities, autism, and other disabilities that require special care.
3. Financial Institution: Banks and banking institutions, branches of foreign banks, insurance and reinsurance companies, branches of foreign insurance and/or reinsurance companies, professional companies, finance companies, financial lease contract registration companies, credit information companies, payment companies, and exchange institutions operating in the Kingdom that are supervised by the Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority.
4. Accessibility: Measures that ensure persons with disabilities can access facilities and services on an equal basis with others.

Thirdly: Instructions for Services for Persons with Disabilities

1. Disability Care Unit
   The financial institution shall establish an administrative unit concerned with persons with disabilities and ensuring that the financial institution's approved policies and procedures include the requirements and needs of persons with disabilities and that financial services are provided to them easily and smoothly.

2. Built Environment
   The financial institution must provide a suitable built environment for persons with disabilities in all headquarters and branches in a way that provides accessibility and use of buildings and facilities for persons with disabilities and benefits from the services provided without any difficulties or complications, as follows:

• Providing ramps to facilitate the access of persons with disabilities to the building and the use of its various facilities, in addition to providing emergency exits and evacuation routes suitable for the needs of persons with disabilities.
• Providing designated parking spaces for persons with disabilities.
• Providing self-service devices for persons with disabilities, equipped with the necessary tools and at a height that facilitates their use.
• Providing offices equipped with the necessary tools to serve persons with disabilities.
• Providing various means for persons with disabilities to clarify the services and products offered by the financial institution.
• The financial institution may provide mobile services – if possible – to reach persons with severe disabilities if the need arises.

3. Verification of Disability
   The financial institution may use all available means to verify the existence of a disability, such as reviewing approved medical reports or supporting documents to prove the type and condition of the disability, or by observing the case, provided that verification is done only once.

4. Products and Services
   The financial institution must establish a policy and procedures that ensure equality for persons with disabilities with all segments of society by enabling them to obtain products and services and manage their financial affairs.

The financial institution commits to the following:
A. Providing agreement and contract forms concluded with persons with disabilities according to the available means depending on the disability. For example, but not limited to, printing in Braille "raised numbers and letters" for persons with visual impairments. B. Assigning a financial institution employee to read the basic terms and conditions of agreements and contracts concluded with persons with disabilities, such as the blind and visually impaired.
C. Assigning a financial institution employee to assist persons with disabilities in filling out forms, applications, and contracts if requested.

5. Self-Service Devices and Electronic Services
   The financial institution must enable persons with disabilities to access self-service and electronic services, as follows:
   A. Providing self-service devices equipped with compatible tools for use by persons with disabilities, and announcing the locations of these devices through available methods.
   B. Developing electronic services to suit the use of persons with disabilities, for example, but not limited to, awareness materials for persons with hearing impairments and the blind.

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6. Transparency and Fairness in Dealing with Persons with Disabilities
   Firstly: Advertising and Marketing:
   A. The financial institution must update its marketing policies to include the inclusion of persons with disabilities to benefit from the products and services it offers.
   B. The financial institution must provide explanations that are suitable for persons with disabilities for the products and services it offers.

Secondly: Commitment to Achieving Justice and Equality in Dealing with Persons with Disabilities:
A. The financial institution is prohibited from excluding or restricting the access of persons with disabilities to any financial services for any reason whatsoever and under any pretext on the basis of or due to disability without legal justification. B. The financial institution is prohibited from engaging in arbitrary and unfair practices with persons with disabilities, and must treat them with respect and fairness like others without discrimination.

7. Financial Education and Awareness for Persons with Disabilities
   The financial institution must establish appropriate mechanisms to develop the knowledge and skills of persons with disabilities, raise their level of awareness and guidance, enable them to understand the risks of financial products and services, assist them in making informed and effective decisions, and direct them to the appropriate entity to obtain information if they need it.

8. General Provisions
   The financial institution must commit to the following:
   A. Reviewing and developing approved work policies and procedures to include the requirements and needs of persons with disabilities.
   B. Preparing a guiding manual that clarifies the mechanism for providing financial services to persons with disabilities and training and qualifying specialized personnel for effective communication to provide services easily and smoothly.
   C. Giving priority and utmost care to persons with disabilities in a manner that ensures easy reception and accelerated service delivery procedures for them.
   D. The Saudi Arabian Monetary Authority will verify the application of the provisions contained in these instructions, and in case of non-compliance, financial institutions will be penalized according to the relevant laws and regulations.