[blindlaw] Judge rules money to be accessible to the blind

Wed Nov 29 13:13:40 CST 2006

Steve:

I agree with you and have thought for some time that the tactile features 
often suggested would make us, the blind, more -- not less -- vulnerable to 
being cheated and the currency more -- not less -- vulnerable to being 
counterfeited (at least insofar as we are concerned and it is we that count 
in that were we to find out that a bil had been tampered with it would have 
been after the transaction and so we would have been bilked just as surely 
as had we been misinformed about the denomination of currency under present 
conditions).

Bottom line: the ACB lawsuit won't solve the problem and may well 
precipitate a backlash that *will* cause us harm.

Mike

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Steve Jacobson" <steve.jacobson at visi.com>
To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" <blindlaw at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, November 29, 2006 7:15 AM
Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Judge rules money to be accessible to the blind

I probably should not admit this inasmuch as this seems to be an unpopular 
viewpoint, but I've wondered the same thing.  If we get to assume that paper 
of a certain
shape is a given bill, it seems to me that it would be almost easier to fool 
us than if we no we have to check our bills.  It is different than with 
coins where changing
the shape is more difficult.  Given the cost, i would rather see the money 
spent on making available identifiers to us, and developing something that 
could be used by
the deaf-blind.

On Wed, 29 Nov 2006 09:53:40 -0500, BRIAN LANGLOIS wrote:

>I heard on the news this morning that the government is concerned about the
>possibility of counterfeiting the accessible currency.
>Sounds a bit flimsy to me.
>Brian L.

>----- Original Message ----- 
>From: "Angie Matney" <angie at mpmail.net>
>To: "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List" <blindlaw at nfbnet.org>
>Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2006 11:00 PM
>Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Judge rules money to be accessible to the blind

>> OK, here's my opinion, for what it's worth.
>>
>> This isn't the most important issue we're dealing with--not by a long
>shot. But I really, really hope the NFB doesn't participate in an appeal of
>this ruling. This will eventually come to pass, and I'm not completely
>convinced it shouldn't. Do
>> we **need** it? No, not in the way we need power to *earn* money. Will it
>enrich people's lives? Absolutely.
>>
>> I read the district court judge's ruling (there's a link to it in the
>article). It's fascinating. Some of the objections by the department of the
>treasury seem to be based on a belief that they are "above" accessibility
>and the law. They argue
>> they are not covered by section 504. According to the judge, they
>misrepresented facts to make it look like this will be more expensive to
>implement than it actually would be.
>>
>> So, again, while I don't view accessible currency as something that's 
>> very
>important, I don't think it needs to be appealed, since these featuers will
>eventually be incorporated into currency anyway.
>>
>> I'll post the ruling if anybody wants to read the whole thing.
>>
>> Angie
>>
>>
>>
>> On Tue, 28 Nov 2006 22:44:07 -0500, Rod Alcidonis  wrote:
>>
>> >I love the ruling. Other countries are doing it, why not the U.S?
>>
>> >Rod
>> >-----Original Message-----
>> >From: blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:blindlaw-bounces at nfbnet.org] 
>> >On
>> >Behalf Of Sceach Blackwolf
>> >Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2006 6:44 PM
>> >To: NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List
>> >Subject: Re: [blindlaw] Judge rules money to be accessible to the blind
>>
>> >At first I was scornful of this idea (yeesh, fold your money!) but I've
>come
>> >to like the idea. Maybe it will cut down on blind people being ripped
>off.
>>
>> >CT
>>
>> >On 11/28/06, dlb723 <dlb723 at comcast.net> wrote:
>> >>
>> >> Judge says Treasury Department is violating the law by keeping all
>money
>> >> the same size and feel.
>> >> November 28 2006: 5:30 PM EST
>> >>
>> >> NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- A federal judge 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.
>> >>
>> >> Judge James Robertson, in a ruling on a suit by the American Council 
>> >> of
>> >> the Blind, ordered the Treasury to devise a method to tell bills 
>> >> apart.
>> >>
>> >> dollar_money_press_print.03.jpg
>> >>
>> >> The judge wrote that the current configuration of paper money violates
>the
>> >> Rehabilitation Act's guarantee of "meaningful access."
>> >>
>> >> "It can no longer be successfully argued that a blind person has
>> >> 'meaningful access' to currency if she cannot accurately identify 
>> >> paper
>> >> money without assistance,"
>> >> Robertson wrote in his ruling.
>> >>
>> >> He further ruled that finding a solution to the problem would not be 
>> >> an
>> >> "undue burden" on the government and ordered the Treasury Department 
>> >> to
>> >> begin working
>> >> on a solution within 30 days.
>> >>
>> >> The American Council for the Blind has submitted several alternatives,
>> >> including embossing, holes punched in the paper or using
>different-sized
>> >> bills for
>> >> different denominations.
>> >>
>> >> The Treasury Department had no comment on the ruling.
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
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>> >>
>> >>
>>
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