Cardtronics Inc. will pay $1.5 million after failing to follow a previous settlement in which the company said it would make its ATMs accessible to blind and visually impaired users, Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley said on Monday.
The settlement will resolve contempt charges filed against the company in 2011 and 2012 after it failed to pay a previous court-approved settlement. The largest ATM provider in the world, Cardtronics also will update its approximately 95,000 ATMs to provide accessibility features for blind and visually impaired consumers.
“With this settlement, blind and visually impaired consumers finally will have equal access to Cardtronics’ ATMs in Massachusetts and across the country,” Coakley said. “Our office will be aggressive in enforcing the terms of its agreements. We are pleased to have worked with the National Federation of the Blind to achieve this important result.”
Cardtronic's ATMs nationwide will now be required to have Braille markers and voice technology that will allow consumers to hear instructions through every step of the ATM process. In addition, the Braille markers will instruct the customer on how to use the voice technology.
The original settlement agreement with Cardtronics was reached in 2007.