Exploring Mobile Banking in the Humanistic Financial Inclusion of Visually Impaired People in Zimbabwe

Abstract

Humanistic financial inclusion provides a leeway to improve the standard of living of the underprivileged in society, inclusive of the visually impaired people. In order to fulfil its mandate of promoting economic development through availing financial products and services to all, the financial sector has to support and provide assistive devices which promote humanistic financial inclusion of visually impaired people. The focus of this paper was to explore mobile banking in the humanistic financial inclusion of visually impaired people in Zimbabwe using a selected rural district as a case study. The objectives of the study were to assess the awareness of visual impaired people to humanistic financial inclusion via mobile banking; to evaluate the affordability of assistive mobile devices which promote humanistic financial inclusion; to establish the literacy of visual impaired people as a means of promoting humanistic financial inclusion; and to examine the accessibility of visually impaired people to mobile banking as way of improving humanistic financial inclusion. The study used qualitative approach which advocates interviews and observations as data collection methods. Data was gathered from 20 interviewed and 30 observed visually impaired participants. The data indicated that visually impaired people were financially excluded and living pathetic lives. The study recommends that government, Non-Profit Organisations and corporate world should make a deliberate effort to make sure that humanistic financial inclusion is implemented to people living with visual impairment in rural areas.

Keywords: Humanistic financial inclusion; Mobile banking; visual impairment

DOI: 10.7176/EJBM/11-3-10