BANKING INDUSTRY’S DISABILITY ACTION PLAN CALL FOR PUBLIC CONSULTATION ON DRAFT INDUSTRY STANDARDS FOR ELECTRONIC BANKING Sydney, 30 November, 2001: The Australian Bankers’ Association and its members are working together with the community to improve accessibility of electronic banking services and are contributing to efforts to narrow the digital divide. Under the leadership of the ABA, representatives from member banks, other financial institutions, community groups and retailers have developed draft Industry Standards for: Automatic Teller Machines (ATMs); Electronic Funds Transfer at the Point of Sale (EFTPOS); Automated Telephone Banking; Internet Banking. The draft Industry Standard for Automatic Teller Machines (ATMs) will soon be released. The ABA, on behalf of its member banks, lodged in April 2001, an Industry Disability Action Plan with the Human Rights and Equal Opportunities Commission (HREOC) to address access concerns for older Australians and people with disabilities. “The Disability Action Plan commits the industry to developing industry-wide best practice standards and protocols for voluntary adoption by the banks. Representatives from the banks could then use these standards to develop their own action plans,” said  David Bell, Chief Executive of the ABA. Mr Bell said during the consultation period any interested group could have its say on these draft Industry Standards. “Public consultation will involve active engagement with organisations representing people with disabilities as well as other peak bodies.” “Instrumental in helping us develop the plan was the Accessible E commerce Forum, an initiative of HREOC and the ABA, which includes representatives from a range of industry, Federal Government and community groups,” Mr Bell said. The draft Industry Standards can be found at: ABA website:            www.bankers.asn.au HREOC website:       www.humanrights.gov.au Copies of the standards are also available from the ABA, including alternate formats eg braille and large print. Telephone ABA on (02) 8298 0417 or fax on (02) 8298 0402. Submissions should be sent to reception@bankers.asn.au or posted to the Australian Bankers’ Association, Level 3, 56 Pitt St, Sydney 2000. The ABA is inviting comment by 31 January 2002. For further information contact:  Heather Wellard ABA PR Phone: 02 8398 0411 Mobile: 0409 830 439 Janine MacDonald HREOC Phone: 02 9284 9880 Mobile: 0408 469 347   Background for Editors: The role of the Accessible E commerce Forum is to identify partnerships and strategies to address the recommendations in the HREOC report (June 1999) "Accessibility of Electronic Commerce and New Service and Information Technologies for Older Australians and People with a Disability." The report identified an emerging digital divide between those people who could utilise new technologies to improve their lives and those who could not. The report made a series of recommendations to begin the process of eliminating the Digital Divide by dismantling E commerce access barriers.  The main driver of the Industry Action Plan is the Commonwealth Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) which requires all businesses to provide facilities that can be accessed by people with disabilities. The DDA means that there is no need or case for the industry itself to self-regulate for the adoption of the Standards and Protocols. It will be up to individual banks to make their own assessments as to whether they are meeting the requirements of the DDA and use the Industry Standards and Protocols to assist in this task. The Australian Bureau of Statistics estimates that 3.2 million Australians, or 18.4% of the population have some type of disability. 14% of the Australian population have a handicap resulting from their disability. Approximately 50% of the Australian population over 60 years have a disability. ENDS