Thanks Kelly for posting the Sovereign information.  Here's the full press
release, which discusses the  bank's commitment to an accessible web site
and alternative formats, as well as to Talking ATMs.   Lainey

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Bank Pursues Initiatives for Persons with Visual Impairments

Boston, Mass. (November 21, 2002) -- Sovereign Bank and the Boston-based
Disability Law Center, Inc. (DLC) today announced that the bank has
launched several major initiatives intended to provide easier access to its
banking services to individuals with visual impairments as well as other
customers.  These initiatives include the installation of Talking ATMs, a
more user-friendly format on Sovereign's Internet Web site,
www.sovereignbank.com, and greater accessibility to printed materials.

New Talking ATMs are now operating at several Sovereign locations in
Massachusetts and Pennsylvania, and hundreds more will become part of the
bank's ATM network during the next three years. Talking ATMs, which deliver
audio information privately through any standard personal cassette player
headset, make it possible for persons who are blind or who otherwise have
difficulty reading an ATM screen to use the ATM independently.  Sovereign's
Talking ATMs will enable a user to hear audio instructions either in
English or Spanish.

Under a phase-in plan, 100 Talking ATMs will be in place by June 30,
2003.  That number will increase until all Sovereign ATM locations are
equipped with the talking versions by June 30, 2005.  Sovereign is
installing new ATMs as well as upgrading existing ATMs to implement its
Talking ATM program.

In addition to Talking ATMs, Sovereign has improved its Web site.  Ninety
percent of the Web pages hosted by Sovereign on its Internet site have been
redesigned to comply with Priorities 1, 2, and 3 of the Web Content
Accessibility Guidelines established by the World Wide Web Consortium.  As
a result, the pages are now easier to navigate for customers with visual
impairments using screen reader software.

Sovereign will also be providing monthly bank statements for personal
accounts, as well as its marketing and disclosure materials, in alternative
formats to consumers with visual impairments.  These formats include
Braille, large print, audiotape and computer diskette.

Sovereign embarked on the initiatives as part of a settlement agreement
with the Bay State Council of the Blind, Sight Loss Services, the DLC, and
several individuals with visual impairments.  Bank officials worked closely
with these parties to resolve a dispute over whether the bank provides
persons with visual impairments legally required access to the bank's ATMs,
printed materials, and Web site.

"This agreement has provided us with an opportunity to better serve an
important segment of our customers," noted Maxine Rogers,
telecommunications manager at Sovereign Bank.  "By working together with
these various parties, we have come up with an effective approach for
meeting the needs of persons with visual impairments."

Kim Charlson, immediate past president of the Bay State Council of the
Blind, praised the bank's initiatives.  "We are very pleased that Sovereign
Bank has so clearly demonstrated its commitment to improving accessibility
for people who are blind and visually impaired," Charlson said.  "We
particularly commend their extraordinary corporate commitment to 100
percent accessibility for Talking ATMs in the Sovereign service area and to
making its Web site accessible under the standards established by the World
Wide Web Consortium."

The bank's Talking ATMs will be equipped with universal audio
jacks.  Sovereign will provide listening devices to persons with visual
impairments so they can receive private audio instructions for transactions
typically displayed on the ATM screen, such as cash withdrawals, balance
inquiries, transfers, and payments and deposits.  To locate the nearest
Sovereign Talking ATM, consumers may call Sovereign Direct at 877-SOV-BANK
(877-768-2265).  A complete list of Talking ATM locations will be available
in the future on the Sovereign Web site.

"Sovereign Bank is committed to providing world-class service to all of its
customers," noted John Hamill, chairman and chief executive officer of
Sovereign Bank New England.  "These initiatives will provide easier access
to our services to persons who are visually impaired, as well as to those
who have other impairments."  He pointed out that Sovereign recently was
recognized by Associated Services for the Blind, Philadelphia, for its
efforts in serving those who have visual impairments.

Sovereign Bancorp, Inc. (NYSE: SOV), headquartered in Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania, is the parent company of Sovereign Bank, a $40 billion
financial institution with approximately 530 community banking offices,
more than 1,000 ATMs and about 7,500 team members in Connecticut,
Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Rhode
Island.  Sovereign Bank is one of the top 25 largest banking institutions
in the United States.  For more information on Sovereign Bank, visit
www.sovereignbank.com or call 1-877-SOV-BANK.

The Disability Law Center, Inc. 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.

The Bay State Council of the Blind (BSCB) is an affiliate of the American
Council of the Blind, advocating on behalf of blind and visually impaired
people of all ages across Massachusetts and throughout New England. BSCB
works to improve the educational, economic, social and cultural
opportunities for all people who are blind and visually impaired in the
Commonwealth.  BSCB can be reached at (617) 923-4519 or www.acb.org/baystate.

Media Contacts:

For Sovereign Bank:
Ed Shultz
Public Relations Director
610-371-3201
Cell: 610-207-8753
[log in to unmask]

For the blindness community:
Stanley J. Eichner
617-723-8455 ext. 145
[log in to unmask]

Lainey Feingold
510-548-5062
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