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First agreement establishing Talking ATMs in Massachusetts, along with website accessibility and comprehensive alternative formats policy. Fleet Bank was later purchased by Bank of America.
Plaintiff
Bay State Council of the Blind, National Federation of the Blind of Massachusetts, Sight Loss Services, and individual blind advocates
Defendant
Fleet National Bank
Date Filed
February 28, 2001
Jurisdiction
United States (Massachusetts, structured negotiations)
WCAG Level
Level AAThis settlement agreement, entered into on February 28, 2001, was the first agreement that Fleet Bank signed with the blind community. It established the first Talking ATMs in Massachusetts and created a comprehensive framework for banking accessibility. The agreement was negotiated by Lainey Feingold and Stan Eichner of the Disability Law Center in Boston using Structured Negotiations on behalf of the Bay State Council of the Blind and other Massachusetts advocates. Key commitments: - Development, testing, and pilot installation of Fleet Talking ATMs - Installation of Talking ATMs at Fleet ATM locations - Comprehensive alternative formats policy for printed materials - Website accessibility improvements - Training programs for bank staff Fleet Bank was subsequently purchased by Bank of America, and the accessibility commitments were integrated into Bank of America's nationwide accessibility program. The agreement demonstrated that regional banks could also commit to comprehensive accessibility improvements.
This agreement brought Talking ATM technology to Massachusetts for the first time and established that regional banks could make the same accessibility commitments as national banks. When Fleet was acquired by Bank of America, these commitments were maintained and expanded.