by Lainey Feingold
We are happy to report that as of the beginning of 2002, there are now more than 2,000 talking ATMs installed across the United States. At last count, 30 states had talking ATMs, and the number of machines and states will continue to grow throughout this year. Talking ATMs can be found at bank branches, airports, college campuses, and at retail outlets such as grocery stores and convenience stores. These machines provide audible instruction through an earphone for a wide variety of ATM functions, including account balance, deposit, withdrawal, transfer and stamp purchase. And talking ATMs now speak Spanish in several locations!
This article will list all the banks and other institutions we know about that have installed talking ATMs as of December 31, 2001, and all the states where they are installed. To find exact locations, contact the bank by phone or check the web site. If you know of other banks with talking ATMs, or want information on how to encourage other institutions to install talking ATMs, please contact Lainey Feingold at the e-mail or phone listed below.
You can help our talking ATM effort by using the machines in your communities and helping to spread the word about their importance. Most banks will gladly set up a demonstration for a local meeting or send a speaker to a statewide convention. Local media has been very interested in this story, especially in states where there has been little or no coverage. If you have a newsletter, e-tree or web site, work for a radio reading service or an agency serving the blindness community, try to do a story, list locations, and encourage use of the machines. And talking ATMs aren't just for blind people! Anyone with difficulty reading an ATM screen will benefit from the technology, so spread the word in your local disability community as well. The talking ATMs we have today are the result of a national grass roots effort by the blindness community. That effort will not be over until every ATM location has an accessible ATM. Please do your part to help us reach that goal.
Banks/institutions with talking ATMs as of December 2001: Bank of America; Bank One; Citibank; Diebold; First Union; Fifth Third; Fleet; Hibernia; Mellon; National City Bank; San Francisco Federal Credit Union; Union Bank of California; US Bank and Wells Fargo.
States with talking ATMs as of December 2001: Arizona, California, Connecticut, D.C., Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New Jersey, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.
Lainey Feingold has represented ACB and its affiliates across the country in efforts to obtain talking ATMs. For further information, contact Lainey at [email protected] or call (510) 548-5062.