Thursday 7 July
Commitment to change the digital divide
While the finance industry is improving access to electronic services, customers with disabilities still are not fully aware of or benefiting from these changes, Acting Disability Discrimination Commissioner Dr Sev Ozdowski said today.
Dr Ozdowski today released a report on the progress banks have made towards ensuring their electronic financial services are accessible for customers with disabilities.
“The review shows that while industry is clearly making considerable progress and committing resources to improving access, customers with disabilities are not yet fully aware of, or benefiting from the changes taking place,” Dr Ozdowski said.
In 2002 the Australian Bankers’ Association (ABA) released a set of voluntary industry standards covering how to make ATMs, internet, telephone and EFTPOS financial services more accessible to people with disabilities. This included detailed specifications on how to make internet banking accessible for blind people and how to design ATMs so that people using wheelchairs can use them.
“I have been very pleased by the broad acceptance of the standards throughout industry, but the review shows that there is still a lot of work to be done to fully implement the standards and ensure people with disabilities are aware of the services available to them,” Dr Ozdowski said.
He pointed out that while a number of people with disabilities commented on improved access to the internet and the benefits of being able to find an accessible ATM, the overwhelming message was that industry needed to do more.
“The review suggests that there are significant opportunities for financial institutions to promote the existence of the standards, and also their commitment to a phased implementation of them,” Dr Ozdowski said.
“As a follow-up to this review I will be asking individual banks and other financial institutions to provide me with more information on how customers with disabilities can keep abreast of developments and find out information such as where their nearest accessible ATM is.”
The ABA developed the industry standards following an inquiry conducted by the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission into Access to Electronic Commerce http://www.humanrights.gov.au/disability_rights/inquiries/ecom/ecom.html
The ABA has also released a report updating the Commission on progress in this area http://www.bankers.asn.au/access/reporttohreoc\
Media inquiries: Diana Plater: (02) 9284 9880 or 0419 692 502
Last updated 25 January 2005.
