To handle this increased number of choices, the terminal often incorporates a sophisticated interface which can cause problems for users who are elderly or have a disability. To select a preferred interface, the user could simply press a button or select from a menu on the screen. Another method would be to store the information on the customer's card. A smart card has fewer restrictions on storage capacity so appears to be ideal for this purpose, as long as an international standard is agreed for the coding of this information. Some elderly and disabled customers may want the terminal to offer them a restricted number of choices, such as automatically dialling a pre-stored number on a telephone card, or the ability to store a few telephone numbers and select them by two or three key presses.
Terminals often display information which some users find difficult to read or understand.
These users might be helped by large characters on the screen, or speech prompts, or the ability to select a preferred frequency response to compensate for their hearing loss. Since there is no card insertion, contactless cards would help people in wheelchairs who cannot reach the slot for the card reader, those with hand tremor or arthritis, and blind persons. Systems for interrogating cards at distances of a few metres were developed for road charging, but this technology could have numerous benefits for blind and physically disabled persons. For instance it could trigger an audible location signal which would help blind persons find the terminal. One should not underestimate the resistance to change from service providers as well as the general public.