BOSTON -- Sovereign Bank is the latest financial institution to announce a plan to install talking ATMs. In addition to installing the ATMs, Sovereign intends to enhance accessibility for its visually impaired customers with a more user-friendly format on Sovereign's Web site and greater accessibility to printed materials.
"Talking" ATMs are currently operating at several Sovereign locations in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania, and hundreds more will become part of the bank's ATM network during the next three years, according to a news release.
Under a phase-in plan, 100 machines will be in place by June 30, 2003. The number will increase until all Sovereign ATM locations are equipped with audio-enabled machines by June 30, 2005.
Sovereign's "talking" ATMs will enable a user with an audio jack to hear transaction instructions either in English or Spanish, according to the release.
Sovereign, a $40 billion financial institution with approximately 530 branches and more than 1,000 ATMs, is installing new ATMs as well as upgrading existing machines to implement the plan.
In addition to "talking" ATMs, Sovereign has improved its Web site. Ninety percent of the Web pages hosted by Sovereign on its Internet site have been redesigned to comply with Priorities 1, 2, and 3 of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines established by the World Wide Web Consortium. As a result, according to the release, the pages are now easier to navigate for customers with visual impairments using screen reader software.
Sovereign will also provide monthly bank statements for personal accounts, as well as its marketing and disclosure materials, in alternative formats to consumers with visual impairments, including Braille, large print, audiotape and computer diskette.
Sovereign embarked on the initiatives as part of a settlement agreement with the Bay State Council of the Blind, the Disability Law Center, Sight Loss Services and several individuals with visual impairments. According to the release, bank officials worked closely with these parties to resolve a dispute over whether the bank provides persons with visual impairments legally required access to the bank's ATMs, printed materials and Web site.
Maxine Rogers, telecommunications manager at Sovereign Bank, said in the release, "This agreement has provided us with an opportunity to better serve an important segment of our customers. By working together with these various parties, we have come up with an effective approach for meeting the needs of persons with visual impairments."
To locate the nearest Sovereign "talking" ATM, consumers may call Sovereign Direct at 877-SOV-BANK (877-768-2265). A complete list of the ATM locations will be available in the future on the Sovereign Web site.
