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Judge Says U.S. Money Violates Rights of the Blind
An anonymous reader writes, "The United States is one of the few countries in the world whose currency isn't distinguishable by blind people. Most other nations use raised text, different-sized bills, or other methods to assist blind people in spending their money. If a recent decision by a federal court in D.C. survives appeal, however, that will soon change. Under Sec. 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, federal programs cannot deny 'meaningful access' to people with disabilities. Because blind people are unable to distinguish U.S. currency without assistance, the court held that they are denied meaningful access to their own money. U.S. District Judge James Robertson ordered the Treasury Department to come up with ways for the blind to tell bills apart. He said he wouldn't tell officials how to fix the problem, but he ordered them to begin working on it." How Appealing notes that Judge Robertson opened the door to a speedy appeal of his ruling.
Well, you have to carry it around, but there are machines out there that when a bill is scanned through them, will report it's value. So, is there really a need to redesign the bills so that they're accessable to the blind?
China are hardly alone here! For example Euros and Pounds Stirling are both use different sizes for different amounts.
In Australia notes are all different colors (red, green, blue, pink etcetc) to make it patently obvious which note is which. It might not help blind people, but it prevents silly mistakes and makes money easily identifiable!
For blind people they are slightly different lengths, which doesn't really effect non blind people.
Exactly what they should do. Most currencies today are done like that, stacking currency is only done in the same bill, so you can tell the difference. Hence most other currencies uses different colours for each note.
The US is behind.
Clicked pie.
And if you add some kind of relief on the bills as well then you will most likely cut down on counterfeit bills as well. Swedish bills have the numbers printed with reliefs and it's very easy just to run your finger over them to make a preliminary check if the bill is real.
Already being done - http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/6167868. stm
In Australia notes are all different colors (red, green, blue, pink etcetc) to make it patently obvious which note is which. It might not help blind people, but it prevents silly mistakes and makes money easily identifiable!
The polymer that Australian Bank Notes are made from also has raised areas to help the blind and the clear windows are also different shapes with a smoother texture. Not just handy for blind people; they're also good anti counterfeiting measures.
The Wikipedia article on the Australian Dollar has a nice chart of the Polymer Series. Having lived in Germany (post Euro), Australia and the U.S.A. I can honestly say that Australian banknote technology is something that the U.S.A. and many other countries really should look into licensing.
The British Pound (£) has a lot of features to help the blind. The notes are a different size; different colours; the denomination is in big numbers in the corner; different shapes (the £10 has a diamond, I think the £5 has a circle); and the back is not just a different picture, but is completely different (colors, shapes, etc). All of which make it really easy to tell what the note is.
Here in the UK, all our banknotes are different sizes and colours, and have a unique symbol on them as well (the £5 note has a blue square, the £10 a brown diamond, and so on). Frankly, as you're rifling through your wallet trying to find the right note, these distinguishing features are a godsend; when I was in the USA on holiday, it was much more time-consuming, although having said that the uniquely-blue $20 note helped a lot.
Having easily-discernable banknotes will save everyone time, and will help the partially-sighted or blind a great deal. Why should they need to buy a device when it can be done by the money printers to everyone's benefit?
And tomorrow the stock exchange will be the human race
At the beginning of 2002 vast swathes of Western Europe managed to change not just the size and shape of their notes but introduced a completely new currency at the same time. In Germany (and possibly other places) they even managed to fix it so that ATMs gave out Deutschmark right up until midnight on Dec. 31, 2001 and as soon as 2002 rolled over, pumped out shiny new Euro notes.
Other countries such as the UK regularly replace their currency designs, usually every 10 - 15 years or so.
If the US did the same, it would benefit maybe not just blind people but keep e.g. the North Korean counterfeiters on their toes.
Actually, there are already hand held optical bill readers for the blind.
That's obviously why they won't tell them WHAT to do, just to do it. And there isn't even a need to change the reader, most probably. A simple embossing of a small area of the bill will be sufficient, I should think. There wouldn't be any need for any machinery changes to handle a different embossing or texture - it wouldn't need to be used for "verification" of the bill in an electronic device, just so that a blind human can tell the difference between them (the issue of whether blind people can spot a forged 20 from any country is a different question altogether).
And this is something that I've always questioned about the US currency - in the UK we have different designs, patterns, textures, embossing, sizes and colours on each of our denominations. It doesn't generate any problems in terms of carrying or using the money and blind people can probably tell quicker than a sighted person what denomination the note that they have in their pocket is. I've always wondered how the bloody hell you are supposed to tell US bills apart if you are blind.
Incidentally, coins in the UK are similar to our notes - different sizes, metals, embossings, shapes etc.. I think almost every country has done this with coins, though, even if only for reasons of economy (e.g. the 1p coin not costing more than 1p to produce).
Venezuelan money does too (though not sure for how long it has had it). The denomination number is raised, as is the face and other features to help blind people distinguish them, and it really helps... I've seen blind people recognize the bills as fast as non blind by rubbing their thumb on the bills as they receive them.
The coins also have different ridges on the sides for that (the 50Bs. coin has ridges, the 100 one has a smooth edge, and the 500 one has alternating ridged and smooth areas).
Here - take a lesson from Sweden:
http://www.banknotes.com/se62.htm
The Fed determines how much money is in circulation and places orders for paper money with the Bureau of Engraving & Printing, which is part of the Treasury Dept. (as is the US Mint which produces the nation's coins). The Treasury Department determines what the money looks like, because the Treasury Department is responsible for the security of the dollar.
The US Mint and Bureau of E&P produce money, and the Fed is their only customer.
The road to tyranny has always been paved with claims of necessity.
One of the things that has prevented the adoption of many of the newer innovations in currency design for US paper currency is the 'crumple test', where a bill is rolled tightly, then inserted into a cylinder and crushed with a ramrod, then removed, rolled the other way, and crushed again. This process is repeated a total of 16 times; the note must remain recognizable. Prospective currency changes also go through a number of other durability tests -- being washed with eight cotton towels, being soaked in a variety of chemicals (such as bleach, sulfuric acid, and gasoline), 'rub tests' with a two-pound weight with a pad after bills are soaked in the chemicals, and others. So far, only relatively minor innovations, like the color-changing ink, have survived the durability tests -- for example, image holograms, IIRC, fail the crumple test badly.
It's likely because a standard keypad / face is used for ATMs, and that is used on both walk-up and drive-up machines.
Can someone please tell me why the keys on drive through instant tellers have braille on them?
You're blind. You get a taxi to the store, stopping at the ATM on the way. Do you want to give the cab driver your card and PIN?