Judge Said Paper Money Unfair to Blind People

Posted by Sun on November 29, 2006
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For me, they are fine except there is no way to tell the denominations from the size. Yes, I really have to see to tell them apart. But what if I can't see?

Today, according to CNN, Judge James Robertson of the district court for the District of Columbia has ruled "that the U.S. Treasury Department is violating the law by failing to design and issue currency that is readily distinguishable to blind and visually impaired people." The judge also ordered the Treasury to "devise a method to tell bills apart" and "begin working on a solution within 30 days."

The case was brought up by the American Council of the Blind, which suggested some alternatives, including "embossing, holes punched in the paper or using different-sized bills for different denominations."

Actually, I think a better solution could be printing the Braille codes on the paper money so blind people can touch the code to tell the denomination. This method, however, may not work well when the note is worn out and dots disappear. But holes in the paper? It doesn't look good to me. And you really have to have different sizes to compare with to know which one is which, and that, I feel, may not be convenient to blind people.

Anyway, let's see what design the Treasury Department can come up with to satisfy everybody.

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