Putting Cash Within Reach

The U.S. Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board has finally proposed a rule to amend the reach range requirement under the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA).

The old translation was that new ATMs had to be accessible from both a side AND a forward reach, with a maximum height of the controls of 48 inches.

This would have been perfect for people in wheelchairs, reaching forward, but difficult for people who use walkers, or who are vision impaired.

The compromise proposal, released the first week of September, permits an ATM height up to 54 inches, as long as there is enough maneuvering room for a person in a wheelchair to access the keyboard and dispensing slots from the side. If only a forward reach is possible, the controls must be no more than 48 inches.

According to the ABA Bankers Weekly, (September 8, 1992) none of the three major ATM manufacturers presently produce ATMs meeting the forward reach requirements of 48 inches.

The new standard should take effect in early October.

Copyright © 1992 Bankers' Hotline. Originally appeared in Bankers' Hotline, Vol. 3, No. 5, 9/92

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