After working with the Italian Union for the Blind, Diebold Inc. signed an agreement with a bank based in Rome to update nearly a third of the financial institution's multifunctional ATMs to make the machines accessible to the blind and visually impaired.
Diebold announced Monday that it inked a deal with Nazionale del Lavoro (BNL) to equip 625 of the bank's 2,000 ATMs with Agilis audio guidance software that had been customized for the bank.
With the software installed, the blind and visually impaired can withdraw cash and learn account balances. They will be able to operate the ATM by listening to directions through headphones plugged into the machines. Bank customers activate the audio guide by pressing the "5" key, which is recognized by a raised symbol. Sometime later, Diebold will add functionality enabling bank customers to top up their mobile phones at the ATM.
"The project, resulting from collaboration with the Italian Union for the Blind, responds to a need strongly felt by the vision-impaired to operate independently, and is in line with the bank's traditional focus on corporate social responsibility," said Mauro Iannucci, BNL's branch automation manager.
BNL is part of the Banque Nationale de Paris and Paribas Group. Diebold is based in North Canton, Ohio.
