In a compelling presentation at the Perkins School last week, Fleet Boston
Financial and blind leaders announced an agreement that provided access to
1,420 talking atm's in the next two years. The agreement also provided
for full web site accessibility by the end of the year and for documents
in alternative formats.
kelly
Press release
Fleet Boston to Install 1420 Talking ATMs
BOSTON, Feb. 28, 2001 B In a major initiative to make banking services
more accessible to millions of people who are blind or visually
impaired, Fleet and the Boston-based Disability Law Center (DLC) today
announced a comprehensive plan to ensure that persons with vision
impairments, including the growing number of senior citizens, can more
conveniently access banking services at Fleet. The plan includes
installation of the first A talking ATMs@ in New York and New England,
a program to enhance access to printed materials, and improved Web
site accessibility at www.fleet.com.
Marla Runyan, a runner and the first blind athlete to compete on the
U.S. Olympic Team, and Rob Walsh, the first U.S. blind skier to win a
gold medal in international competition, joined Fleet and other
disability advocates in making the announcement at a news conference
today at Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown, Mass., the first
school for the blind in the United States. Runyan and Walsh met with
visually impaired students and staff from the Perkins School,
including members of the ski and track & field teams, and spoke about
their accomplishments as blind athletes.
More than 16 Fleet talking ATMs are already installed and operating in
Massachusetts. The total of talking ATMs, which provide audio
instructions over a headset, will increase to more than 150 throughout
Massachusetts, New Hampshire and the metropolitan New York area by the
end of the year. Over the next two years, Fleet will complete the
installation of 1,420 talking ATMs throughout its Northeast retail
service area, from Maine to Pennsylvania.
Fleet worked closely with representatives of the blindness community,
the Disability Law Center, and California disability rights lawyer
Lainey Feingold, to develop a plan to effectively meet the needs of
this important and underserved segment of consumers.
We are very excited that Fleet has so enthusiastically demonstrated
its commitment to improving accessibility for blind and visually
impaired people, and we applaud their efforts,@ said Kim Charlson, a
representative of the Bay State Council of the Blind, who has been
actively involved in the initiative announced today. Other
representatives present at the announcement included the National
Federation of the Blind of Massachusetts, Sight Loss Services, and
numerous individuals with vision impairments.
With today's announcement, Fleet is taking a leadership role within
the banking industry,@ said Disability Law Center Managing Attorney
Stanley J. Eichner. We hope that other financial institutions follow
in Fleet=s footsteps.@ Also working on this matter for the DLC was
Jane K. Alper, senior attorney.
Fleet is vigorously committed to meeting the diverse needs of all our
customers and to building accessibility into the fabric of our
organization, at virtually every point that we connect with our
customers, whether that is at an ATM or branch, in writing or through
the Internet,@ said Robert Hedges, senior vice president and managing
director of Retail Distribution at Fleet. Though our ATMs have
Braille instructions, the talking ATMs we are installing will create
even greater access for people who cannot easily read information as
it is currently presented on our ATMs.@
Fleet Talking ATMs
Fleet=s Talking ATMs will be equipped with universal audio jacks, and
the bank will provide listening devices to persons with vision
impairments through which they can receive private audio instructions
for transactions typically displayed on the ATM screen for cash
withdrawals, balance inquiries, transfers & payments and deposits.
Fleet is upgrading existing ATMs that have been developed by leading
ATM manufacturers NCR Corporation and Diebold Corporation. Both
companies= ATMs will be included in the pilot phase. Both NCR and
Diebold are actively involved in the development of ATMs that are
voice-guided and/or use other adaptive technologies. To locate the
nearest Fleet talking ATM, consumers may call Fleet Customer Service
24 hours a day at 1-800-841-4000. A complete list of talking ATM
locations will later be available on the Fleet Web site.
Other components of Fleet=s accessibility initiative
Fleet has long been a leader in accommodating the needs of persons
with visual impairments, and today=s announcement expands that
commitment. In addition to installing talking ATMs, Fleet will now
provide important financial materials including statements, brochures
and other account information in Braille, audiocassette, and large
print formats. The bank also is designing and generating each page of
its website (www.fleet.com) to be accessible to persons with
disabilities. Web design features will enable computer users who are
blind and who use screen reader technology on their computers to
access Fleet=s website.
It is estimated that over 1 million Americans are legally blind and
another 12 million Americans experience some form of irreversible
visual impairment. As many as 75,000 Americans become blind each year,
and the visually impaired category increases by 120,000. The fastest
growing segment of this population is the elderly, who are at the
greatest risk of developing degenerative eye disease.
The Perkins School for the Blind, founded in 1829, extends its
educational and rehabilitative expertise for the benefit of the blind,
deaf blind and multi-handicapped worldwide in order that each
individual may realize their potential and maintain their
independence, no matter what age.
The Disability Law Center (DLC) is responsible for Protecting and
Advocating for the rights of Massachusetts residents with disabilities
and dedicated to expanding opportunities for people with disabilities
to live full and independent lives by providing legal representation
and information about their legal rights.
Fleet Boston Financial is the eighth-largest financial holding company
in the United States. A $179 billion diversified financial services
company, it offers a comprehensive array of innovative financial
solutions to 20 million customers in more than 20 countries and
territories. Among the company=s key lines of business are: retail
banking, with over 1,200 branches and nearly 3,400 ATMs in the
Northeast; commercial banking, including capital markets/investment
banking and commercial finance; investment services, including
discount brokerage; and full-service banking through more than 250
offices in Latin America. Fleet Boston Financial is headquartered in
Boston and listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: FBF) and the
Boston Stock Exchange (BSE: FBF).
Contacts:
Alison Gibbs Stanley J. Eichner Lainey Feingold
(617) 434-2489 (617) 723-8455 (510) 848-8125
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