Counting on Currency Accessibility
By Bennett, Sara; Dialogue: A World of Ideas for Visually Impaired People of All Ages, Vol. 46, No. 4, pp. 39-44Publication Date: July-August 2007
Article on accessible currency around the world. The author finds that "of the approximately 180 nations that issue banknotes, some 170 differentiate between denominations by varying the color and 100 by varying the size, both features originally intended to benefit the sighted population. Twenty-four print large numerals on their notes for the benefit of people who have low vision, while 23 employ tactile markings on some or all denominations. Still others utilize geometric shapes or patterns, or even machine-readable features." Accessibility features of Canadian currency and of the Euro are described. According to the author, "the Bank of Canada provides a handheld, battery-operated banknote reader free of charge to blind and partially sighted people through CNIB" (the Canadian National Institute of the Blind). The author concludes that "No worldwide standard for currency accessibility has yet emerged, but it is clear that all stakeholders are increasingly involved in the design, production and circulation of easily-identifiable denominations of notes and coins."
Assistive Products Discussed: CANADIAN BANK NOTE READER
Published by: Blindskills, Inc. (Website:http://www.blindskills.com)
Link to text: http://www.blindskills.com/jul_aug_2007_sample2.html
