Folks, you don't have to park you life savings in banks that pay minuscule, almost non-existent, interest rates only for the purpose of having a place to issue or cash checks. Needless to say, high minimum balances and costly fees have made it especially hard for senior citizens and others on a fixed income.

Attorney General Eliot Spitzer has announced a statewide agreement with four major New York banks to ensure that the public knows about the availability of lowcost saving and checking accounts.

The announcement followed a year-long investigation by Spitzer's office that revealed that the banks were not adequately informing consumers about the availability of the accounts, and at times, were even dissuading people from opening such accounts.

Under the voluntary agreement, Chase Manhattan, Key, M&T, and HSBC banks will contribute $75,000 each to pay for statewide newspaper advertisements informing the public that state law requires banks to offer consumers a "basic banking account" with the following features:

• An opening minimum deposit of as little as $25;
• A minimum monthly balance of one cent;
• A monthly maintenance fee of no more than $3; and,
• Eight withdrawals, or third-party checks cashed, per month, at no additional cost.

Spitzer's found that banks often failed to advertise the availability of the mandated basic banking accounts, but did extensive advertising of more lucrative accounts.

This agreement will give people of limited means the ability to have affordable bank accounts, access to ATM machines and help end the practice of keeping large sums of money at home, in the mattress, a shoe box or in grannies cookie jar.

In addition to the ads, (which will appear in 48 newspapers across the state beginning within the month of October) the agreement also requires that the banks advertise the availability of the lowcost accounts within their branches and in brochures and other materials in an "equally conspicuous" manner as they do for all of their other consumer accounts.

Promoting these basic banking accounts will help bring 'unbanked' New Yorkers into the financial mainstream and provide huge savings for seniors, students, and working families.

The Attorney General's investigation began after a Syracuse-area consumer complained that she was unable to cash a check at a bank because she did not have an account. She was not told at the time that she could open a low cost account for check cashing purposes.

Who said you can't prevail over the rich and powerful?

U.S. VETERANS TO GET FREE HEPATITIS C TEST KITS

Overwhelming response of first test kit giveaway prompts Veterans Council of the American Liver Foundation to sponsor a second round. The American Liver Foundation (ALF) Veterans Hepatitis C Council is urging veterans nationwide to get tested for hepatitis C - a potentially life-threatening illness that is four to five times more prevalent among veterans than it is among the general public. The Veterans Council also is again making free in-home hepatitis C test kits available to all U.S. veterans from Thursday, November 9, through Sunday, November 19. A free test giveaway was one of the Council's first initiatives in July of this year. The giveaway, to which more than 4,000 veterans responded, was a place for veterans to gain information about hepatitis and to find out if they themselves were indeed infected with the Hepatitis C virus.

The American Legion, AMVETS, Disabled American Veterans, the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Vietnam Veterans of America are co-sponsoring this testing program with the American Liver Foundation, and these organizations are also members of ALF's Veterans Council.

HOW TO TRAVEL BY AIR

Air travel can be either a delightful ride, or, more likely these days, a grim nightmare. In any event, one can never be too informed of his/her legal rights, available aids, facilities and assistive devises. Here follows a brief summary of information that can help the disabled air traveler:

Today travel by air in the United States is covered by the Air Carriers Access Act of 1986 and the subsequent regulations published in March 1990. This law provides that no air carrier may discriminate against any otherwise qualified individual with a disability by reason of such disability in the provision of air transportation.

For information about these regulations and also changes resulting from the American With Disabilities Act, the best source is a 33-page booklet from the Department of Transportation entitled New Horizons for the Air Traveler With a Disability. Topics include accessibility of airports and aircraft; requirements for advance notice, attendants, and medical certificates; handling of mobility aids and assistive devices; and much more, including how to file a complaint.

Another useful federal publication is Access Travel: Airports (#580Y), which provides details on handicapped facilities and services at 533 airports worldwide. These booklets are available free from S. James, Consumer Information Center 2-D, P. O. Box 100, Pueblo, CO 81002. A $1.00 service fee is charged for up to 25 free booklets.

Travelers with disabilities can therefore expect to travel by air within the United States without unnecessary restriction. The same law applies to all U.S. carriers on international flights. IATA, the International Air Transport Association, also carries disabled passengers under similar rules, with one or two exceptions, since July 1994. For a copy of the specific IATA rules, contact IATA Publications Agent, 2000 Peel St., Montreal, Quebec H3A 2R4, Canada or other IATA offices outside North America.

So long as your disability is stable and not liable to deteriorate during travel (e.g., paraplegia, quadriplegia, post-polio, diabetes, mental handicaps, etc.), you can expect to be treated like any other passenger with special needs (e.g., those with special dietary requirements). Ask your travel agent to notify the airlines that you will travel with, under the code SSR (Special Service Request) or OSI (Other Service Information), of your status and the special services you will need. This must be done at least 48 hours prior to your departure.

In the event of a problem with airport or in flight personnel, you should require them to contact the Complaints Resolution Officer (CRO), who by law must always be available and willing to deal with your grievance. They cannot refuse. Passengers who require oxygen when traveling are subject to special safety regulations and require a doctor's prescription with specific information. They may be required to pay for the provision of equipment and cannot use their own, which must be empty and stored in the baggage compartment (carried free of charge). See also the specific information sheet for your disability.

Additional Resources

A growing number of American airlines publish travel information for handicapped passengers. America West Airlines has a 6-page booklet entitled, Tips for Passengers With Special Needs. For a free copy, call (800) 235-9292 or (800) 526-8077 (TDD). Northwest Airlines offers a 13-page brochure entitled Air Travel For People With Disabilities. It is available in a standard print format, as well as in Braille with large print and on audio cassette with Braille labeling. For free copies, call (800) 358-3100. American airports are also producing booklets about their facilities and services for handicapped travelers. Airports currently offering such guides include the Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport, Logan Airport in Boston, and McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas.