Bank of America Accessibility

Bank of America has long been a leader in providing accessible information and technology to blind people. It was the first bank in the country to make its online banking platform accessible and the first to roll-out Talking ATMs nationally. Bank of America has worked with the Law Office of Lainey Feingold, Linda Dardarian, and blind advocates in Structured Negotiation since its first agreement in 2000. This topic includes the settlement agreements and press releases about the bank's solid accessibility commitment.

Talking ATMs: Early History in California and Beyond

Posted on Updated on October 2, 2024
October 1, 2009 marks the 10th anniversary of the first Talking ATM installed in the United States. From that first accessible ATM in 1999, there are now tens of thousands of Talking ATMs around the world. In this post, the first of several Talking ATM posts over the next two months, you can read about early Talking ATM history. Read more… Talking ATMs: Early History in California and Beyond

The First U.S. Web Accessibility Agreement was Signed Twenty Years Ago this Week

Posted on Updated on February 3, 2021
Twenty years ago this week (on March 14, 2000) Bank of America became the first company in the United States to sign an agreement to make its website accessible to people with disabilities. The agreement referenced the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 1.0 at a time when the standard was less than one year old.… Read more… The First U.S. Web Accessibility Agreement was Signed Twenty Years Ago this Week

Bank of America Honored for Accessibility Work; Structured Negotiation Gets Shout Out

Posted on Updated on September 29, 2020
On October 21, 2019 friends and supporters of Disability Rights Advocates, a national nonprofit disability rights legal center, gathered in New York to celebrate the organization and honor this year’s Eagle Award recipients. One of the honorees was Bank of America, a long-time digital accessibility and disability inclusion leader and Structured Negotiation champion. The picture… Read more… Bank of America Honored for Accessibility Work; Structured Negotiation Gets Shout Out

Bank of America Credit Card Rewards Website Agreement

Posted on Updated on April 3, 2018
Bank of America has long been a leader in its commitment to accessible digital content. The agreement posted here concerns accessibility enhancements to the bank’s travel rewards redemption site. This agreement was reached through Structured Negotiations, a collaborative dispute resolution process. Structured Negotiations has been used for twenty years to successfully resolve accessibility claims without lawsuits. Read more… Bank of America Credit Card Rewards Website Agreement

Bank of America Final National Agreement

Posted on Updated on April 3, 2018
The Settlement Agreement below is the third agreement that Bank of America negotiated with the California Council of the Blind and individual members of the blind community using the process of Structured Negotiations. This final agreement contains the bank’s commitment that 100% of its ATM locations will have at least one Talking ATM. As of early 2008, the bank is on the road towards far exceeding this goal, with over 11,000 Talking ATMs, and multiple Talking ATMs at many locations. Read more… Bank of America Final National Agreement

Bank of America California and Florida Agreement

Posted on Updated on April 3, 2018
The Bank of America California and Florida Agreement was negotiated by Lainey Feingold and Linda Dardarian using Structured Negotiations on behalf of the California Council of the Blind (CCB) and several individual blind advocates. The Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund (DREDF) also represented the Claimants. This was the first agreement in the country in which a bank committed to make its website accessible, and the first in which a bank committed to install Talking ATMs in more than one state. This was the first of three agreements involving Bank of America’s services for blind customers. The interim Bank of America national agreement and the final Bank of America national agreement are posted in the Settlement Agreement Category. Read more… Bank of America California and Florida Agreement

Bank of America Accessible Mortgage Information Agreement

Posted on Updated on April 3, 2018
The settlement agreement posted here details Bank of America’s commitment to improving the accessibility and usability of mortgage documents for customers who are blind. The agreement was reached in Structured Negotiation; no lawsuit was needed or filed. The Law Office of Lainey Feingold and Linda Dardarian, of the Oakland civil rights firm Goldstein, Borgen, Dardarian and Ho represented Bank of America mortgage holder Jessie Lorenz in the negotiation. This agreement reflects Bank of America’s ongoing commitment to its disabled customers, begun more than fifteen years ago when the bank assumed a leadership role in rolling out Talking ATMs and making its online banking platform accessible. Visit the Bank of America Accessibility topic on this website for links to press releases and settlement agreements demonstrating the bank’s accessibility commitment. Read more… Bank of America Accessible Mortgage Information Agreement

Bank of America Announces New Initiative for Accessible Mortgage Documents

Posted on
May 4, 2016 Press Release: Bank of America announces it has begun an initiative to enhance the accessibility of its online mortgage documents for visually impaired customers. The bank worked in Structured Negotiations with Jessie Lorenz, a visually impaired customer, and with Lainey Feingold and Linda Dardarian on the initiative. Read more… Bank of America Announces New Initiative for Accessible Mortgage Documents

Bank of America California Pilot Press Release

Posted on Updated on March 10, 2016
This press release, announcing Bank of America’s first 15 Talking ATMs, was issued as a result of the first Bank of America settlement agreement negotiated using the process of Structured Negotiations. The agreement was negotiated by Lainey Feingold and Linda Dardarian on behalf of the California Council of the Blind (CCB) and several individual blind advocates. The Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund (DREDF) also represented the Claimants. As of early 2008, the bank has installed more than 11,000 Talking ATMs. Read more… Bank of America California Pilot Press Release