# Why do they put Braille dots on the keypad of the drive-up ATM **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 12, 2002, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-put-braille-dots-on-the-keypad-of-the-drive-up-atm/113746 "2002-06-12T23:33:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ryanisthebest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/898d66/32.png) [@Ryanisthebest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ryanisthebest)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2002, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-put-braille-dots-on-the-keypad-of-the-drive-up-atm/113746/1 "2002-06-12T23:33:56Z")
That is one of lifes unanserable questions…😕 ---
**Author:** ![Tsubaki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@Tsubaki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tsubaki)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2002, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-put-braille-dots-on-the-keypad-of-the-drive-up-atm/113746/2 "2002-06-12T23:45:34Z")
Well, I’m not American so I don’t know, but can’t pedestrians use the drive-up ATM’s? I mean, is it illegal to walk up and use one? If not then they are covering their bases; a blind person MAY walk up and use one. Just the same as children’s cold medicine. There are warnings that the medicine may cause drowsiness, so you shouldn’t drive or use heavy machinery. Why put that warning on kid’s medicine? Because there’s no law saying that adults can’t drink the stuff. They, again, are covering their bases. ---
**Author:** ![Ryanisthebest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/898d66/32.png) [@Ryanisthebest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ryanisthebest)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2002, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-put-braille-dots-on-the-keypad-of-the-drive-up-atm/113746/3 "2002-06-12T23:54:14Z")
Yea but they have walk up ones so you don’t get hit by a car. ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2002, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-put-braille-dots-on-the-keypad-of-the-drive-up-atm/113746/4 "2002-06-12T23:58:16Z")
> [@](#): > > Well, I’m not American so I don’t know, but can’t pedestrians use the drive-up ATM’s? Yes, but what would it accomplish? How could a blind person read the screen? I’ve yet to see an ATM that talks, but every one that I’ve ever encountered has braille dots on the keys. ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2002, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-put-braille-dots-on-the-keypad-of-the-drive-up-atm/113746/5 "2002-06-12T23:59:07Z")
First thread title in ages to make me LOL. 🙂 I would guess that they have a standard keypad that they get from the manufacturer. The walk-ups predated the drive-ups IIRC so they probably have a set model they use with the braille on it. Why design a new one at additional expense just to eliminate something that nobody’s really going to care about? ---
**Author:** ![whitetho](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whitetho/32/1059_2.png) [@whitetho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whitetho)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2002, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-put-braille-dots-on-the-keypad-of-the-drive-up-atm/113746/6 "2002-06-12T23:59:19Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Ryanisthebest \* > \*\*That is one of lifes unanserable questions…😕 \*\* Unanswerable??? O ye of little faith, this is the official home of Cecil Adams – The World’s Smartest Human Being! And on page 10 of _The Straight Dope Tells All_ – available at book stores everywhere – Unca Cece informs us, in [Why is there braille on drive-up teller machines?](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a4_010.html), that a blind person is perfectly able to ride in a car as a passenger, and, for example, use the ATM from the back seat. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2002, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-put-braille-dots-on-the-keypad-of-the-drive-up-atm/113746/7 "2002-06-13T00:02:11Z")
I’ve also heard this explained this way: The blind person sits in the back seat, and his or her sighted friend drives up to the ATM so the blind person can conduct his or her business privately. Doesn’t solve the problem of onscreen displays that say “Press this button -----\>” for this function or that, though. ---
**Author:** ![stankow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cdc98d/32.png) [@stankow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stankow)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2002, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-put-braille-dots-on-the-keypad-of-the-drive-up-atm/113746/8 "2002-06-13T00:12:35Z")
Most ATMs have a pretty basic setup, and a blind customer can easily learn the pattern on a particular one. Barring that, the sighted driver can look back and say, “Press the second one down on the left if you want a receipt.” From my perspective – I have this thing about not knowing other people’s passwords. I turn around when people type in their screensaver passwords at work, even if I can’t actually see the keyboard. I just don’t want to know them. So even if she wanted me to punch all the other buttons on the ATM, I still made her punch in her own PIN. Hence the Braille. ---
**Author:** ![pldennison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9fc29f/32.png) [@pldennison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pldennison)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2002, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-put-braille-dots-on-the-keypad-of-the-drive-up-atm/113746/9 "2002-06-13T00:44:33Z")
**Diceman** , I saw the first talking ATM I’ve ever seen just the other day. It’s in a First Union bank near my office, and not only has a talking function, it has a headphone jack! ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2002, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-put-braille-dots-on-the-keypad-of-the-drive-up-atm/113746/10 "2002-06-13T01:01:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by pldennison \* > \*\ ***Diceman** , I saw the first talking ATM I’ve ever seen just the other day. It’s in a First Union bank near my office, and not only has a talking function, it has a headphone jack! \*\* Wow! They do exist! ---
**Author:** ![typhoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ed8c4c/32.png) [@typhoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/typhoon)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2002, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-put-braille-dots-on-the-keypad-of-the-drive-up-atm/113746/11 "2002-06-13T01:09:47Z")
Why is this a mystery to people? Drive-through ATMs are simply made from the same molds and such as booth ATMs. Why wouldn’t they be? ---
**Author:** ![SCSimmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e495f1/32.png) [@SCSimmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCSimmons)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2002, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-put-braille-dots-on-the-keypad-of-the-drive-up-atm/113746/12 "2002-06-13T01:41:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Scarlett67 \* > \*\*Doesn’t solve the problem of onscreen displays that say “Press this button -----\>” for this function or that, though. \*\* I’ve seen some such ATM’s that have instructions printed below the screen-I suspect that these are instructions to replace the onscreen instructions, although not knowing Braille, I have to admit that they could just as well be an apple pie recipe or something. ---
**Author:** ![SCSimmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e495f1/32.png) [@SCSimmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCSimmons)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2002, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-put-braille-dots-on-the-keypad-of-the-drive-up-atm/113746/13 "2002-06-13T01:41:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Scarlett67 \* > \*\*Doesn’t solve the problem of onscreen displays that say “Press this button -----\>” for this function or that, though. \*\* I’ve seen some such ATM’s that have instructions printed below the screen-I suspect that these are instructions to replace the onscreen instructions, although not knowing Braille, I have to admit that they could just as well be an apple pie recipe or something. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2002, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-they-put-braille-dots-on-the-keypad-of-the-drive-up-atm/113746/14 "2002-06-13T02:56:17Z")
I’m in total agreement with **ArchiveGuy**. The answer is simple: drive-up ATMs have braille on the keypads because it’s cheaper and easier for ATM manufacturers to make just one type of keys for all their ATMs. It’s a decision of economics.