To All Readers on Paper Money and the blind. In nearly every money
changing machine the different denominations of paper money are
electronic identity scanners that determine the bill amount and dispense
the proper change. Simple pencil like scanners are now in use to check
for counterfit bills. Changing the size and/or shape of US paper
currency would make nearly every vending machine paper money slot out of
date. ACB and other advocates need to re-examine the problem.
Gordon Wahl
#####
Kennedy, Bud wrote:
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Kennedy, Bud
> Sent: Monday, May 06, 2002 10:05 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: RE: [VICUG-L] American Council of the Blind seeks changes in
> U.S. currency
>
> I agree that this is an interesting issue and needs discussion. But can you
> really participate independently in a transaction where someone hands you a
> bill and tells you what it is and you accept that on trust. Fortunately,
> what makes the current system work is one of two things. Either people are
> still trustworthy enough that they don't want to cheat a blind person or
> they are really not sure whether a blind person can or can not tell the
> denomination of a bill.
>
> Incidentally, according to a 1996 article in the New York Times magazine,
> the average life of a bill is 18 months.
>
> Bud Kennedy
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Christopher J Chaltain [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: Sunday, May 05, 2002 11:34 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: [VICUG-L] American Council of the Blind seeks changes in
> U.S. currency
>
> I'm not sure how I feel about this issue. I agree that having different
> sized bills or braille markings would make things more convenient, but I'm
> not sure it's worth the price. How much will it cost to replace all of
> the bills in circulation with new bills? How much more expensive will it
> be to print bills of different size or bills with braille markings?
>
> Even more expensive could be how this effects the perception of the blind
> by the general public. For example, the article says the following:
>
> "The lawsuit contends individuals who can't identify currency
> denominations are precluded from participating in a variety of
> transactions integral to daily life, such as the ability to freely make
> purchases. All U.S. bills are the same size."
>
> I don't feel "precluded from participating in a variety of transactions
> integral to daily life," at least not because all US bills are the same
> size. I'm not sure I want those I work with every day, and someone I may
> be talking to about a job in the future, thinking that I and blind people
> cannot cope with our currency as it is now. I don't want people thinking
> that I cannot be an independent member of this society until the federal
> government changes all of the paper currency in circulation.
>
> I guess I feel that there are still more important issues facing the blind
> today. Personally, I'm worried about the high unemployment rate among the
> blind, access to software I need to use as part of my job and public
> transportation, to name a few. I'm glad to see that we're getting
> accessible ATM's, and it'll be easier for blind students and teachers to
> get access to text books. I guess I feel that we should pick and choose
> are battles, and I'm not sure that our paper currency should be the next
> battle.
>
> Christopher
>
> Christopher J Chaltain
> [log in to unmask]
>
> Kelly Pierce <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent by: "VICUG-L: Visually Impaired Computer Users' Group List"
> <[log in to unmask]>
> 05/05/2002 01:17 PM
> Please respond to Kelly Pierce
>
> To: [log in to unmask]
> cc:
> Subject: [VICUG-L] American Council of the Blind seeks
> changes in U.S. currency
>
> American Council of the Blind seeks changes in U.S. currency
> Fri May 3, 6:46 PM ET
>
> By JEANNINE AVERSA, Associated Press Writer
>
> WASHINGTON - The American Council of the Blind sued the federal
> government Friday seeking changes in the design of the U.S. paper
> currency.
>
> The lawsuit contends individuals who can't identify currency
> denominations are precluded from participating in a variety of
> transactions integral to daily life, such as the ability to freely make
> purchases. All U.S. bills are the same size.
>
> The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Washington, seeks changes
> including the use of Braille markings and varying the length and height
> of bills by denomination.
>
> The council is suing under a provision contained in the Rehabilitation
> Act of 1973. The provision says individuals with disabilities may not be
> excluded from or denied the benefits of participation in any program or
> activity conducted by the U.S. government.
>
> The lawsuit says the issuance of currency constitutes a government
> activity.
>
> "However, persons with visual disabilities are largely excluded from
> enjoying the benefits of this activity due solely to their physical
> limitations," it says.
>
> The American Council of the Blind is a national organization that seeks
> to improve the quality of life, security and work opportunities for the
> blind and visually impaired.
>
> A Treasury Department ( spokeswoman declined to comment on the lawsuit.
>
> Over the past several years, the U.S. has redesigned paper notes - except
> for dlrs 1 bills and dlrs 2 bills - including some features geared to
> help the visually impaired - as part of an ongoing effort to thwart
> high-tech counterfeiters. More changes are planned.
>
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>
> VICUG-L is the Visually Impaired Computer User Group List.
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>
> VICUG-L is the Visually Impaired Computer User Group List.
> To join or leave the list, send a message to
> [log in to unmask] In the body of the message, simply type
> "subscribe vicug-l" or "unsubscribe vicug-l" without the quotations.
> VICUG-L is archived on the World Wide Web at
> http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/vicug-l.html
VICUG-L is the Visually Impaired Computer User Group List.
To join or leave the list, send a message to
[log in to unmask] In the body of the message, simply type
"subscribe vicug-l" or "unsubscribe vicug-l" without the quotations.
VICUG-L is archived on the World Wide Web at
http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/vicug-l.html
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