The Australian Bankers' Association (ABA) has published new voluntary industry standards to improve the accessibility of electronic banking across the country.
The voluntary standards - covering automated teller machines (ATM), electronic fund transfer at the point of sale (EFTPOS), automated telephone banking and Internet banking - have been developed by the ABA following the release of a Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC) report on access to e-commerce for older Australians and people with disabilities.
The new standards offer guidelines on designing, installing and operating electronic banking services to ensure they are more accessible.
David Murray, chairman of the ABA, says: "The industry standards are important steps in helping overcome the digital divide and will assist individual banks develop or enhance their electronic banking services for older Australians and people with disabilities."
Individual banks may use the standards to assist in meeting the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act and it is up to individual banks to assess their compliance with the Act, says Murray.
Sev Ozdowski, disability discrimination commissioner, HREOC, comments: "The standards are voluntary, but I am confident industry will very quickly move to adopt them and develop implementation plans in consulation with the community."
The Australian Bureau of Statistics estimates that 3.2 million Australians, or 18.4% of the population have some type of disability.