Banks prepare to break down ATM barriers. (converting automated teller machines to become accessible to the disabled)

Nearly three months since the Americans with Disabilities Act went into effect, Massachusetts banks are still deciding what changes they will make to comply with the federal law and how they will pay for them.

Converting automatic teller machines into handicapped-accessible ATMs will cost millions of dollars and take years to complete, according to bankers and consultants familiar with the act.

There are a handful of ATM conversion or replacement options with a wide range of prices.

BayBanks spokesman Tom Kennedy said that instead of replacing its costly Diebold ATMs, the institution devised a cheaper alternative: lowering the machines into the floor.

The bank, with $9.5 billion in assets, cannot afford to switch over all the equipment at once--and is not necessarily required under …