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Bank One installs W. Virginia's 1st talking ATM

May 29, 2002

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CHARLESTON, West Va. -- Bank One has installed the first ATM with audio capabilities in West Virginia just outside its headquarters in Charleston, according to the Charleston Daily Mail.

"We hope this audio-assisted automatic teller machine will give our visually impaired customers a new sense of independence and convenience," said Mark Prince, chairman of Bank One West Virginia.

The March installation in Charleston is part of Bank One's nationwide rollout of audio-assisted technology. Banking Center Manager Michelle Townsend told the Daily Mail that there are currently 125-150 more Bank One audio ATMs throughout the United States.

Visually impaired customers can obtain headsets to use at the machines free of charge inside the banking center. They also can order headsets by calling a toll-free number.

Mike Duffie, a visually impaired Charleston resident and Bank One customer, said, "Because automatic teller machines are often different, it's confusing and difficult for the visually impaired to use them. You can't even memorize the keystrokes and sequences because it's inconsistent from machine to machine."

Chicago-based Bank One has about 5,700 ATMs throughout the country.