The Bank of Ghana(BoG) has set out a detailed implementation timetable requiring banks, payment service providers, and other regulated financial institutions to take concrete steps toward making financial services more accessible to persons with disabilities by the end of 2026.
In a new notice issued on April 20, the central bank said the framework provides “stipulated timelines and guidance for compliance” with its 2025 Directive on Financial Inclusion for Persons with Disabilities. The directive, it said, requires regulated financial institutions to ensure “equitable, non-discriminatory access to financial products and services for persons with disabilities.”
The notice applies broadly across the financial system, covering banks, specialised deposit-taking institutions, finance houses, non-bank financial institutions, and payment service providers.
What the central bank has now done is move the issue from principle to deadline. By July 31, 2026, institutions must develop an internal disability-inclusion policy and appoint a senior manager to oversee its implementation. By September 30, 2026, that policy must receive board approval, with disability inclusion metrics also incorporated into annual management reports to the board.
The pace then accelerates. By October 31, 2026, institutions are required to submit the approved policy to the Bank of Ghana, conduct disability inclusion training for staff and agents, and complete an accessibility audit across physical and digital channels. The audit is expected to cover features such as ramps, tactile signage, screen readers, websites, mobile applications, and USSD services.
The framework also sets earlier and recurring requirements for consumer engagement. According to the notice, the Bank of Ghana requires institutions to hold an initial awareness session for customers by June 30, 2026, followed by a second session by October 31, 2026. Disability-tailored financial literacy programs are to be conducted at least twice a year thereafter.
Beyond policy and training, the directive reaches into product design itself. By December 31, 2026, regulated institutions must adapt both existing and new products, services, and delivery channels to make them accessible to persons with disabilities.
This includes making critical customer documents, such as account opening forms and terms and conditions, available in formats including braille, large print, audio, and other assistive formats. All branches must also clearly display information on support services for persons with disabilities and make it accessible.
The same end-2026 deadline applies to accessibility upgrades in customer support systems. Institutions are required to ensure that support notices are available in accessible formats on websites and in branches, while call centres and support channels must be upgraded with voice and text feedback systems to support more responsive communication.
The framework goes further still by requiring banks to meet physical access obligations. By December 31, 2026, each bank must designate, upgrade, and maintain at least one fully accessible branch in each broad branch grouping or operational zone, in line with Ghana Standards Authority accessibility standards and Bank of Ghana regulatory requirements.
Data collection is also built into the system on an ongoing basis. Financial institutions are expected to collect disability identifiers during onboarding, subject to customer consent, and use the data to support more tailored product offerings and accessible financial education.
To ensure the framework does not become merely aspirational, the central bank has attached compliance monitoring and enforcement measures. It said it will conduct periodic audits where required and warned that non-compliance “may incur penalties” under the directive. It added that all institutions must update their internal policies and frameworks to ensure full compliance by December 31, 2026.
The notice also carries a broader service standard. The central bank said that refusing or denying service to persons with disabilities solely on the basis of their disability is prohibited and that they must receive priority and respectful service, as indicated by clearly visible signage.
The deeper significance of the framework is that it treats financial inclusion for individuals with disabilities not as a corporate social responsibility gesture, but as a regulatory obligation with measurable deadlines.
For Ghana’s financial system, the message is clear: accessibility is no longer optional, and by the end of 2026, the burden will be on institutions not to promise inclusion but to show it.
