Dear Editor – The People with Disability Solomon Islands organisation’s president Casper Fa’asala in a statement he made over Radio New Zealand International’s Dateline Pacific news programme a few days ago commented on the lack of accessibility for disabled persons to buildings, shops and banks in Honiara.
Major banks, and their subsidiaries, are generally committed to ensuring that their customer service accessibility guidelines, policies, practices and procedures are consistent with providing access to disabled persons to their banking premises.
If this is not yet the case in the Solomon Islands it comes as a surprise and suggests changes should be made to improve local customer services.
I am mindful, as I write, of the words of Mahatma Gandhi of India, who once wrote (quote):
“A customer is the most important visitor on our premises; he is not dependent on us. We are dependent on him.
“He is not an interruption in our work. He is the purpose of it.
“He is not an outsider in our business. He is part of it. We are not doing him a favour by serving him. He is doing us a favour by giving us an opportunity to do so.”
It is my hope that Solomon Islands’ banks will take the lead in provided access to the disabled to their premises and facilities.
In turn, the business, commercial and government sectors might then follow their example.
Frank Short
Bangkok, Thailand
