Union Bank of California has begun roll out of talking ATMs across California, Washington and Oregan as part of an initiative to voice-enable all of the bank's automated teller machines over the next eight months.
UBOC claims to be the first bank in the country to install full-service talking ATMs in Washington state and Oregon.
Talking ATMs provide audible instructions to persons who cannot view information on an ATM screen. These machines make it easier for visually impaired citizens to withdraw cash, deposit money, obtain account balances, and perform other transactions. The ATMs have audio jacks that deliver spoken instructions privately to protect the security of users.
The bank also announced a broad plan to improve its printed materials for persons who are blind and vision impaired.