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Requirements for ATMs under the Americans With Disabilities Act came out last year. One of the stipulations of the new rules is that by March 15, 2012, ATMs will need to provide voice guidance technology that would walk people with visual impairments through a transaction on an ATM. This might involve a headset or earbuds and audio jack.
The new standard became public in March 2010. "The clock is ticking between now and March 15, 2012, and manufacturers are going to be deluged between now and then," says Jack Milford Ford, a Portland, Ore., attorney specializing in ATM and related issues.
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KyIe W. Casburn, CEO of $98 million Seaboard Federal Credit Union (www. seabo ardfcu.com) , Bucksport, Me., agrees.
"My recommendation is to start early, because every credit union in the U.S. will have to comply with this," he says. "In our experience, when we went out for quotes, we didn't get responses as quickly as usual. This was because of the large number of other institutions seeking quotes in order to become compliant."
IfCUs haven't already, Ford recommends they take a complete inventory of their existing ATMs, then go back to the manufacturers to see which machines can be retrofitted to meet ADA requirements. "Then, find out which ATMs would be better to completely replace," he adds.
According to William Thomas, VP/business solutions and support for $3.3 billion United Nations Federal Credit Union (www. unfcu.org)y Long Island City, N.Y., the new ADA mandate is just one in a long line of regulatory changes coming down the pike.
"I think the most important thing for credit unions is to make sure they have an appropriate plan in place, not just for this ADA requirement, but for other upcoming regulatory requirements," he suggests. "I don't think there is going to be a time where we have fewer regulatory changes to deal with."
To become compliant, Thomas recommends being sure you have appropriate resources in terms of people and finances. "Work with leagues, trade groups, and your own compliance office and legal departments to make sure you are up to date on what is coming down the road in terms of regulatory changes," he suggests.
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