Majority of ATMs, state govt websites in Goa not disabled-friendly: Report

A majority of ATMs, bus stands and state government websites dealing in public utility services in Goa are not disabled-friendly, according to a survey by the Goa Institute of Management (GIM) and CII-YI.

The B-School has unveiled the report, which is an outcome of a seven-month-long "survey and audit" on public utility facilities in the state from a disability perspective by its students, a statement said.

The report is a part of the B-School's 'Give Goa' initiative, commissioned by the Confederation of Indian Industry Young Indians (CII-YI).

V Padmanaban, who along with the other professors mentored the report, said the ATM audit covered hundred randomly chosen cash-dispensing kiosks in rural and urban parts of Goa.

The findings indicated that faulty error messages or audio cues, lack of Braille-powered ATMs, improper ramp designs and complicated transactions were major issues, he said.

Padmanaban and other fellow professors -- including Mantasha Firoz, Arpita Amarnani and Kingshuk Sarkar -- have mentored the survey and audit.

"The GIM-CII study has recommended that each locality should have at least one fully disabled-friendly ATM," Padmanaban said.

In yet another finding, the report has said that the design and functionality of bus stands should meet the needs of its diverse and less privileged user base.

"Ten bus stands, including the busiest KTC bus stand in Panaji, and the Porvorim Depot were audited. Most bus stands were found lacking in basic accessibility features due to poor construction, lack of communication channels and awareness of disability-related issues," the report said.

The report also conducted an accessibility audit of 50 public utility websites owned by the Goa government and found that most were not user-friendly for persons with disabilities.

"Official websites of 'Fire and Emergencies Services' and 'River Navigation' departments reported a score of 3.12 and 3.85, respectively, making them the two most unfriendly websites for persons with disabilities," as per the report.

The CII-GIM report further stated that the Goa Tourism Development Corporation (GTDC) website had a score of 6.13.

"The audit has also advocated a rehaul and streamlining of the Goa Police website because of its unfriendly design and cluttered content negatively impacting individuals who are visually impaired and those with cognitive disabilities," the report added.