CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- First Union National Bank has installed 19 audio-assisted ATMs in Maryland, New Jersey and North Carolina, the first in those states, as well as additional "talking" machines in Pennsylvania, Florida and Washington, DC.
In the next nine months, First Union plans to install more than 100 machines in these states and other First Union locations, according to a news release.
First Union National Bank and Wachovia Bank, N.A., are banking subsidiaries of the holding company Wachovia Corporation, which was created through the Sept. 1, 2001 merger of First Union Corporation and Wachovia Corporation.
"Supporters of the blindness community have been terrific partners in our quest to provide banking independence to our customers with vision impairments," said Cece Sutton, executive vice president and retail banking executive for Wachovia Corporation. "Through the installation of audio-assisted ATMs, we are able to offer visually impaired customers greater convenience in accessing their First Union accounts.' .
"We applaud First Union's demonstrated commitment to improving banking accessibility for blind and visually impaired people,' said Pat Yarborough, a representative of the North Carolina Council of the Blind, an affiliate of the American Council of the Blind who has been actively involved in the initiative.
First Union's "talking" ATMs will offer audio guidance and instructions for all transactions, including ``spoken' customer balances. The ATMs also will be equipped with universal audio jacks that work with standard earphones. Customers with vision impairments will be provided with headsets so they can hear the instructions in privacy. When the earphones are plugged into the jack, the listener hears private audio instructions for transactions displayed on the ATM screen, such as cash withdrawals, balance inquiries, deposits, transfers and payments.
Other representatives of the blindness community assisting First Union include the National Federation of the Blind of Pennsylvania; the Orange County Disability Awareness Council of Chapel Hill, N.C.; the Pennsylvania Council for the Blind, an affiliate of the American Council of the Blind; and other people who are blind or have low vision.
