STRATEGIC PARTNERS
February 27, 2002
WASHINGTON, DC -- New ATM machines could be subject to a requirement that they be equipped for visual and audio capabilities, according to proposed changes to the Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines.
According to the Consumer Bankers Association, the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board has released the proposed changes, with comments due by March 15.
Audible instructions must be provided through an audio mini jack, telephone handset or similar mechanism. Receipts must also be available in audible form. The proposal would apply to new ATMs but could also have an impact on existing machines.
In the preamble to the proposal, the Access Board also seeks comment on whether to expand the proposed coverage to "all types of interactive transaction machines, such as point-of-sale machines and information kiosks, among others."
In a statement sent to its members, the CBA said the proposed requirements "could raise almost insurmountable problems in the real world, where machines employ different software and often lack the capacity to do what is being proposed."
It could also pose a threat to low-end machines, the CBA added, "thereby reducing the number of machines in service and raising the implementation and operating costs of the remainder."
Comments may be sent to: Office of Technical and Information Services, Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board, 1313 F St., NW, Suite 1000, Washington DC 20004-1111, fax 202-272-5447, email docket@access-board.gov.
