ScanSoft and Diebold Collaborate to Provide Talking ATMs for Blind Users

ScanSoft, a provider for speech solutions, and Diebold Incorporated, an integrated self-service and security solutions firm, have teamed up in an effort to manufacture speech-enabled ATMs across the US.

Many banks provide Braille features on their ATMs but only nine percent of the blind population actively reads Braille and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires speech output to enhance efforts to make ATMs more accessible for people with visual impairments.

By leveraging ScanSoft RealSpeak text-to-speech (TTS) technology, the Ohio-based Diebold can now provide an unmatched level of accessibility at the ATM. The technology guides visually impaired users through transactions with an easy-to-understand, natural-sounding voice, enabling them to quickly complete transactions with increased ease and fewer errors. ScanSoft RealSpeak helps users navigate their transactions - from simple requests such as account balance information to deposits and cash withdrawals - and alerts ATM users to any errors that may have occurred during the transaction.

ScanSoft is yet another enhancement to Diebold advanced-function ATMs. Diebold’s Opteva family of ATMs, which was launched in 2003, is the most accessible in the financial industry. Through its work with organizations like the National Federation of the Blind (NFB) , Diebold has engineered design elements that ensure accessibility for people with various disabilities. In addition to text-to-speech capabilities, Diebold’s Opteva ATMs also include accessibility features such as a more consistent transaction flow, pronounced bezels for card readers and headphone jacks, a single-style keypad that provides consistency across the entire line of ATMs and grouping of primary and secondary transaction functions.

Both Diebold and ScanSoft have worked with the NFB during the development of their products. Dr. Marc Maurer, president of the NFB, said it is important for all product manufacturers to consider the needs of people who are blind when developing products and services.

“Not all blind individuals can read Braille,” Maurer noted. “That is why, without a speech component, an ATM is not truly accessible to the blind. Diebold is an industry leader in deploying voice-guidance technology in the ATM, and those banks that opt for ScanSoft RealSpeak will be providing their customers with a superior text-to-speech product.”

Source: Business Wire