Tactile ATM controls for visually impaired users

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to propose and test some practical ideas for improving the ease with which ATMs (Automatic Teller Machines) can be used by the visually impaired. This article consists of three parts. In the first part, we report the manner in which we designed sixteen raised pictorial signs, each of which represents one of the tasks involved in using ATMs. Four criteria were considered in their design: 1) They must be simple to recognize by touch alone; 2) Potentially misleading perspective or overlap must be minimized; 3) They should not be confused with each other; and 4) The task should be directly inferred or imaged from the individual design. In the second part, we experimentally evaluated recognition accuracy, ease of learning, and the effect of the size of the raised signs. The results of these experiments indicate that these new designs work well. In the third part, a mock-up of an ATM was built with seven of the sixteen raised signs and ten raised numerals arranged around the screen and also with auditory guide. A practical test of the entire system, carried out using both visually impaired users and blindfolded subjects, involved six kinds of transactions. Our results indicate that adding raised signs to ATMs is both economical and practical, and would provide a substantial benefit to many visually impaired users.