Diebold India, a wholly owned subsidiary of Diebold Inc., has announced in a news release the launch of ATMs designed to meet the needs of the visually impaired. Diebold has launched the ATMs at St. Xavier's College in Mumbai. The Xavier's Resource Centre for the Visually Challenged, a support and advocacy unit within St. Xavier's College in Mumbai, has worked closely with the banking sector to create standards that make ATMs accessible for visually challenged users.
Diebold says it is ready to test the ATMs and use the results to make improvements before the final deployment.
Features that Diebold has designed into the ATMs include:
- Incorporation of Americans with Disabilities Act wheelchair-accessibility standards
- Large display for users with partial vision
- Braille-enabled function keys and guide labels for other functionalities, such as card reader, receipt, cash dispenser and depositor
- Bunch cash presenter for ease in collecting cash
- Personalized headphone jack with voice-control features
- Voice guidance for ease of transactions
- Integrated digital video recorder for enhanced security
- Ergonomic design for easy accessibility
Dr. Sam Taraporevala, director of XRCVC, says ATM accessibility is a growing concern throughout the world:
 | It is a well-known fact that ATMs today have increased convenience banking for the able-bodied customers. For the same effect to take place involving disabled people, ATMs will need to scale to meet accessibility standards. The ATM industry, as well as the banking industry all over the world, has made accessibility an inherent part of its production and deployment. |  |
