ATM Access

I'm posting this here as much of it will be ported from the web and I
thought some might want to rais other advocacy issues as well.
if atms get their info from the web then they become user agents.  
-------- Original M
SAPERSTEIN, GOLDSTEIN, DEMCHAK & BALLER
A Professional Corporation
1300 Clay Street, 11th Floor
Oakland, CA  94612
510/763-9800

ELAINE B. FEINGOLD
Law Office of Elaine B. Feingold
1524 Scenic Avenue
Berkeley, CA  94708
510/848-8125


WELLS FARGO & COMPANY
Larry Haeg
Media
415/396-3070


                                                CONTACT:        Leni
Doyle
                                                                       
510/763-9800

                                                                       
Elaine B. Feingold
                                                                       
510/848-8125


WELLS FARGO, CALIFORNIA COUNCIL OF THE BLIND
ANNOUNCE NATION'S FIRST PLAN FOR TALKING ATMS


        SAN FRANCISCO, CA  June 23, 1999 - Wells Fargo and the
California Council of the Blind announced today what they believe to
be the first plan in the nation for developing and installing talking
ATMs.  The plan calls for Wells Fargo to pilot 20 talking ATMs in the
Bay Area and Los Angeles and San Diego counties.  After the successful
completion of the pilot next year, Wells Fargo will begin to install a
talking ATM at each of the more than 1,500 Wells Fargo ATM locations
in California.

        The technology, still in development, will give voice
instruction to users who cannot read information on an ATM screen, on
how to deposit money, withdraw cash, transfer funds and buy stamps. 
The ATMs will have audio jacks to deliver voice information privately
to protect the security of blind and low vision users.

        "Wells Fargo has shown a tremendous commitment to the blind
and low vision community, more than any other financial services
company in the nation that we know of," said Catherine Skivers,
president of the California Council of the Blind.  "They've worked
hard with us to improve access to their ATMs for a very important
segment of customers."

        "Our number one priority is customer service.  We've been
following the development of this promising technology and we look
forward to testing and rolling out talking ATMs and to working closely
with the California Council of the Blind to improve ATM access for
vision impaired customers," said Terri Dial, Wells Fargo's head of
retail banking in California.

        The California Council, with 46 chapters statewide, is an
affiliate of the American Council of the Blind.  Four blind
individuals; the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund,
Berkeley; the law firm of Saperstein, Goldstein, Demchak & Baller,
Oakland; and the Law Office of Elaine B. Feingold, Berkeley; also
participated in the planning.

        In California, Wells Fargo - a diversified financial services
company - provides banking, insurance, investments, mortgages, and
consumer finance from more than 1,300 stores and other distribution
channels.

Received on Wednesday, 23 June 1999 13:45:06 UTC