"The Braille Forum" has been asked to carry a legal notice pertaining to an agreement reached between Cardtronics, Inc. and Cardtronics USA, Inc. (known collectively as Cardtronics). For reasons of space, this article summarizes the results. An earlier settlement agreement was entered into by Cardtronics on one side and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the National Federation of the Blind, and several other blind individuals as plaintiffs. Because Cardtronics could not meet the stipulations of the original settlement, a remediation agreement was signed that includes five major elements. First, all Cardtronics ATM machines except those in 7-Eleven stores must be equipped with a voice guidance system and phone jack and be accessible by the end of 2010. Those machines in 7-Eleven stores should be compliant by March of 2011. On the latter date, 90 percent of the machines in both classes must be fully functional. Cardtronics must also set up an inspection system to assure that machines are working, must pay $145,000 in attorneys' fees and must pay the NFB $60,000 for testing the voice guidance system.
On Sept. 15 at 2:30 p.m., a hearing will be held to approve this settlement and accept the attorneys' fees. Anyone who objects to this settlement agreement must file their objection in writing before Aug. 30, 2010. Objections should be sent to the United States Courthouse, One Courthouse Way, Boston, MA 02210. Copies of objections should be sent to the attorneys for all parties at the following addresses:
Office of the Massachusetts Attorney General
Attn: Maura Healey, Esq.
100 Cambridge Street
11th floor
Boston, MA 02108
Brown, Goldstein & Levy, LLP
Attn: Sh
aron Krevor-Weisbaum, Esq.
120 E. Baltimore Street
Suite 1700
Baltimore, MD 21202
Joseph Kociubes, Esq.
Bingham McCutchen LLP
150 Federal Street
Boston, MA 02110-1726