ATMs Speak Out: Accessible Machines Bring Automated Banking to the Blind
By Wetzel, Vince; AT Journal, Vol. 107, No. 1Publication Date: May 2005
Article discusses the proliferation of “talking” automated teller machines (ATM), which have become a standard at banks across the country in recent years. Attorney Lainey Feingold has collaborated with various banks and the American Council of the Blind to help make this possible, and 30 thousand talking ATMs have been installed in the United States since October 1999. These ATMs have a headphone jack that people who are blind or have low vision can utilize for ATM transactions. At the time the article was written, efforts were underway to install talking ATMs in convenience stores, gas stations, and sports arenas, while 7-11 stores and Walgreen’s each have over 500 talking ATMs throughout the country. Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Fleet Bank, and Bank One have all collaborated with Feingold and the American Council of the Blind to make their ATMs accessible, and Safeway also boasts talking ATMs inside its supermarkets.
Published by:
AT Network (Web Site: http://www.atnet.org )
Link to text: http://www.atnet.org/journal/050101.htm
