NEW DELHI: India has announced that its first “talking” ATM went live in the Western city of Ahmedabad on Wednesday in an effort to assist the visually impaired in the country. The Press Trust of India reported that the new ATM from the Union Bank of India is the first of its kind and will assist those who cannot use regular ATMs to receive money. “The foundation stone of Union Bank building in Mumbai had been laid by Mahatma Gandhi. I am happy that the first accessible ATM is being started in the state of Gujarat, janambhumi and karambhumi of Gandhi,” Union Bank of India Chairman and Managing Director D Sarkar said after inaugurating the ATM at the Blind People's Association (BPA) here. According to BPA functionaries, the users have to plug-in a headphone into the ATM which has a unique voice interface and once it is done the machine guides them into further operations. The ATM can be operated by wheelchair-bound persons as well. There are some 20,000 blind persons in Ahmedabad and they can use the ATM which can also be used by general public for transaction, the BPA said.
