LaSalle Bank Improves Services for People with a Disability

LaSalle Bank Corporation subsidiaries LaSalle Bank and Standard Federal Bank announced that they have launched several major initiatives intended to provide easier access to their banking services for individuals with visual impairments.

These initiatives include the installation of Talking ATMs, a more user-friendly format on the banks’ Web sites, and greater accessibility to printed materials. LaSalle Bank Corporation worked with Equip for Equality, the American Council of the Blind of Metropolitan Chicago, two Illinois-based non-profit organizations; Kelly Pierce, a Chicago blind advocate and technology specialist; and Lainey Feingold, a California lawyer who has assisted members of the blind community nationally on this issue, on the plan to convert its entire ATM network over the next three years and to provide other services. LaSalle Bank and Standard Federal Bank operate a combined network of more than 1,500 ATMs in the Midwest. Principal Web sites are www.lasallebank.com and www.standardfederalbank.com  
 
“The banks successfully piloted Talking ATMs at 25 locations in 2004,” said Steve Nowaczyk, senior vice president responsible for LaSalle Bank Corporation’s ATM network. “This feature will bring the convenience of our extensive ATM network to people with visual impairments as well as anyone else who has difficulty reading an ATM screen.”
 
Individuals can access the talking features, including a brief orientation, by inserting a headset into an audio jack located on the front of the ATM. All of the Talking ATMs speak in both English and Spanish. Headsets are available for free at LaSalle Bank or Standard Federal Bank branches with Talking ATMs. Talking ATM kits with headsets and instructions on audio cassette and in large print can be ordered at the branches or through the banks’ call centers. Customers can easily find Talking ATM locations using the “Locations” option on the banks’ Web sites or by calling the banks’ toll-free customer service telephone lines.
 
“We applaud LaSalle Bank Corporation for its proactive approach to improving banking services for the blind community and others with difficulty reading standard print,” said Amy F. Peterson, senior attorney at Equip for Equality. “This is an example of how assistive technology can make a significant difference in the lives of people with disabilities.” Her comments were echoed by Albert Anderson, the president of the American Council of the Blind of Metropolitan Chicago, an affiliate of the American Council of the Blind that worked with the bank on this initiative. “The bank has demonstrated a firm commitment to making its services widely available,” said Mr. Anderson, “and we congratulate it on the far-reaching initiatives announced today.”
 
In addition to Talking ATMs, LaSalle Bank and Standard Federal Bank offer a number of services designed to make banking easier for people with visual impairments. For example, retail deposit account statements are available in alternate formats, including Braille, large print, and on audio and computer disk. Raised-line checks are now available for the same price as standard checks and any mass-produced bank document, such as checking brochures, can be provided in an alternative format such as Braille upon request. The banks’ Web sites are also being updated according to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines of the Web Accessibility Initiative of the World Wide Web consortium to make them more accessible. 
 
Source: LaSalle Bank