Customer Experience

Most Canadian ATMs, digital kiosks fail accessibility standards

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July 31, 2024

University of Waterloo researchers have partnered with the Canadian Standards Association Group to interview people living with disabilities about their experiences with self-serve devices including ATMs and kiosks. According to the responses, there is an overwhelming consensus that most of the devices have little to no accessibility features, according to a Mirage report.

Participants expressed concerns about the protection of personal information, privacy and security, as well as the usability of these devices, adding that their ability to use self-service devices was undermined if they needed to seek assistance from a staff member.

"Independence is a big one for me," one participant told the news outlet. "It's really important to be able to accomplish a task on your own independently, especially if it's something confidential."

Some solutions the researchers are exploring include broadly promoting accessible features and increasing accessibility training for on-site staff.