NatWest and RBS to launch talking cash machines
NatWest and RBS will upgrade cash machines to help blind and partially sighted customers with transactions.
NatWest and the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) have announced plans to roll out “talking” ATMs across the UK, to help blind and partially-sighted people carry out transactions.
Around 3,800 ATMs and in-branch cash and deposit machines belonging to NatWest and RBS will become speech-enabled starting from next year. The overhaul of 80% of the network should be completed by 2015.
Anyone that struggles to read the display on a NatWest or RBS cashpoint will be able to plug earphones into the machines and get a verbal guide to complete their transaction.
The move comes two years after the Royal National Institute for the Blind (RNIB) launched its Make Money Talk campaign, calling on banks to provide ATMs with audio facilities.
Talking ATMs
Barclays was one of the first to commit to upgrade its network and completed the overhaul of 75% of its machines in November last year.
Nationwide, the Co-operative Bank and Lloyds Banking Group have also made commitments to upgrade most of their networks this year.
RNIB said HSBC and Santander are the last of the major banks to commit to upgrading to help those with sight difficulties.
There are two million people that suffer from some form of sight difficulty according to the RNIB that could benefit from audio upgrades.
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I guess the marvellous bit is the bank of Nigeria probably isn't bankrupt and kept afloat by the tax payer. Does that mean they knew it was coming...?
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What is so marvellous about this? I used an ATM in Nigeria in 2007 and it gave verbal instruction - in a Scottish accent! (First Bank of Nigeria I believe it was).
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Whilst I am all for advancement in technology, should RBS/NatWest/Coutts who all run on the same mainframe systems consider upgrading their core infrastructure so that people can access their money and account status 7x24?
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13 April 2013