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Settlement agreement where Sovereign Bank committed to install Talking ATMs at all locations, implement comprehensive alternative formats policy, and make website accessible through Structured Negotiations.
Plaintiff
Bay State Council of the Blind, Sight Loss Services, and individual blind advocates
Defendant
Sovereign Bank
Date Filed
November 1, 2002
Jurisdiction
United States (Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and other states, structured negotiations)
WCAG Level
Level AAThis settlement agreement, entered into in November 2002, established comprehensive accessibility commitments for Sovereign Bank across its multi-state operations (Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Delaware, and Pennsylvania). 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 30 Talking ATMs in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania - Rollout of Talking ATMs at all Sovereign ATM locations - Comprehensive alternative formats policy for printed materials (Braille, large print, audio) - Website accessibility improvements - Provision of headphones for Talking ATMs - Training programs for bank personnel The agreement demonstrated that regional banks operating across multiple states could make comprehensive accessibility commitments similar to national banks.
This agreement demonstrated that regional banks operating across multiple states could make the same comprehensive accessibility commitments as national banks. It established a model for regional banking accessibility that has been followed by other similar institutions.