PITTSBURGH -- PNC Bank is adding voice-guidance technology to its ATMs to provide visually impaired customers with improved access to banking services.
By the end of May, PNC Bank will have equipped 49 terminals in its 3,600-plus ATM network with voice-guidance technology, according to a news release.
"We are pleased to respond to the needs of visually impaired customers with a solution that provides more flexible access to our ATMs beyond the Braille instructions currently available," said James Walker, PNC's senior vice president and manager of Self-Service Banking. "Our work with the visually-impaired community has shown us that voice-guidance technology generally provides the preferred experience at the ATM, providing an independent transaction and greater accuracy."
PNC Bank plans to enhance 200 ATMs network-wide with the audio feature by the end of 2003.
Later this year, an online list of voice-guided PNC Bank ATMs will be available at the bank's Web site.
The National Federation of the Blind of Pennsylvania sued PNC in June 1999, contending that the bank must provide audio-enabled ATMs to comply with federal disabilities law. (See related story Advocates for the blind want talking ATMs)
In 2001, PNC piloted a program at 250 ATMs during which visually impaired ATM users contacted a call center for help completing their transactions. (See related story Vision for the future)
