ATM user interfaces seem to change frequently enough that it must cause fits for blind users, why not have a flag on the account such that when the blind user inserts their card, the same old interface (that they probably have memorized) will come up? Maybe this is how it works now, it seems so obvious...-- JakePatterson, Oct 08 2002 Bank of America Commercial http://www.adage.co...s.cms?newsId=35891#Some folks thought this was *wrong* [thumbwax, Oct 08 2002, last modified Oct 05 2004] I can't actually imagine a blind person using a cashpoint. Well, I can and it sounds so fraught with danger and uncertainty that I imagine most blind people would use one of the other alternatives of getting cash.
On the other hand, tying a user interface to a particular cashpoint card could give you the opportunity to stay in your mother-tongue when travelling abroad and give large print to the partially sighted.
One extra large print croissant heading in your direction.-- st3f, Oct 08 2002 There's braille and audio ATM's throughout L.A. - elsewhere?-- thumbwax, Oct 08 2002 I've not seen an audio ATM anywhere, but braille ones are omnipresent. Especially humorous at the drive-up type. Another favorite of mine is the multilingual ATM where you need to read the English text in order to change the language used.
Doesn't this idea hinge on very similar hardware capabilities at all ATMs?-- phoenix, Oct 08 2002 Why DO they have braille keypads at the drive-up banks?-- Mr Burns, Oct 08 2002 It's for those using Rod's Sensory Demultiplexer in their cars.-- FarmerJohn, Oct 08 2002 How do blind people use paper money? do they have readers that recognize what denomination their cash is?-- Brackforn2, Oct 09 2002 In some countries, Brackforn, bank notes come in different sizes. In America, blind people have to use ESP.-- calum, Oct 09 2002 Older Citibank ATMs, for the last ten years or so, have had a special mode for the visually impaired, which you get by tapping the middle of the screen three times before dipping the card. It uses really large monochromatic symbols for everything, and all user input is in unary (by repeated tapping). It is hard to use, and I don't think they ever advertised it..
I've noticed the latest version of the software in many of the machines no longer has this.-- mab, Oct 09 2002 The braille drive-up ATM's are just walk-up ATM keypads. Saves money manufacturing all one type of pad.-- Paladyne, Oct 09 2002 We also have audio ATM machines throughout Chicago. As for blind people using money, the few experiences I've had tended to revolve around others helping them make the transaction (a very trusting situation to be in). I watched one blind man take the bills out of his pocket, and the shop keeper take the appropriate amount.-- benjaminjcohen, Jan 18 2003 Each denomination of paper money has a unique pattern into which it's folded by the blind user, enabling him / her to identify it by feel. So a tenner is folded once longways, then once shortways, a fiver once shortways, then once shortways again, and so on, or however it goes.
I live near a residence for blind people & they seem to do fine. Local shopkeepers and neighbors certainly aren't going to make a practice of cheating regular customers and familiar faces out of a few bucks in my neighborhood, or, I would think, in any reasonably stable community.-- snarfyguy, Jan 18 2003 I think that audio ATMs are pretty widespred, I know I've seen them lots of places. Many that just have a headphone jack. As for recognizing denominations, other than the folding, I've seen a special wallet where you put in one bill at a time and it tells you what it is. I don't think they are common though.-- notme, Jan 18 2003 random, halfbakery