The Co-operative Bank has introduced 'talking' ATM machines to help blind or partially-sighted people withdraw their cash independently.
The machines, available to all Link or Visa card holders, deliver instructions through a headset which is plugged into the machine.
400 of the new talking cashpoints went live today, with over 2,000 more planned for the next 18 months.
The launch follows the lead of Barclays, which currently has around 3,000 voice-enabled ATM machines in operation.
But the Co-op’s new cashpoints also include an innovative high-contrast screen (sampled right), which will significantly improve accessibility for partially-sighted banking customers.
Co-op customer Mark Ellis is delighted with the new talking ATMs, which, he says, offer him some independence back.
Persistence Pays Off
Mark Ellis, an Essex-based customer of the bank, said that his years of campaigning for talking ATMs had finally paid off.
"Conveniently, there is one 400 yards from my house and it has made such a difference," he said.
"I feel that I have my independence back as for the last 30 years I’ve relied on help when getting my cash out."
David Fawell, the Co-op’s Head of Payments, confirmed the bank’s commitment to enabling these accessibility features to the majority of its ATM stock in the upcoming months.
"By the end of 2013 we'll have 1,000 of our ATMs enabled to "talk". Our aim is to extend this out to over 2,000 cash machines which is three quarters of our entire estate by the end of 2014," he said.
The RBS Group, Lloyds, and Nationwide have all committed to adapting their cash machines for blind and partially-sighted customers.
RBS and NatWest expect to have almost 4,000 voiced-enabled ATMs in operation next year.
Keith McDonald
Which4U Editor
If you enjoyed this article:
- Check out the latest articles on our Finance Blog.
- Sign up for our free e-newsletter.
- Follow us on Twitter for regular updates.
{loadmodule php,TwitterButton}