[nfb-talk] Paper Money

[H. Field]

Mike!
On what do you base your comment that other countries are not more 
advanced with their currency technology than America? Have you lived 
and worked in other countries and had the opportunity to see just how 
truly archaic your American currency really is?

I have had such an opportunity and I assure you the American currency 
system is pitiful.
In Australia, for example, the notes are made of highly durable 
plastic. This makes them virtually indestructible in the course of 
normal usage and getting washed and dried doesn't  effect them. They 
have holograms and transparent sections on the notes which makes them 
almost impossible to counterfeit. the notes are different sizes but 
they vary in length only. The $5 is the first note denomination. The 
$10 is 5 millimetres longer than the 5, the 20 is 10 longer than the 
$5 and so on. A simple tactile measuring device, the same size as a 
folded bank note, fits in your wallet or purse and is provided free by 
banks. Deaf blind people can  use the measuring device. Because 
plastic is used to make the notes, bright colours have been used to 
distinguish them from each other easily.
This means everybody benefits because they are very easy to tell 
apart, even in dimly lit environments like night clubs.
Finally, they have 1 and 2 dollar coins which does away with that 
horrific stack of 1 dollar bills filling up one's purse or wallet, and 
they do not use 1 or 2 cent pieces. They simply round up or down. 
Convenience for blind people had nothing to do with the government's 
decision to overall the currency system in Australia over 10 years ago 
but the blind were invited to participate in the process and were able 
to give valuable input about colour contrast and coin design so that 
the currency was independently usable by blind people by the time the 
process was completed.
So. While I agree that the ACB's way of going about currency change is 
deplorable and is likely to cause very real problems as well as 
reinforcing false stereotypes of the blind, I also believe that the 
American currency system is long overdue for a move into the twenty 
first century. Most change involving infrastructure costs money but, 
in the long run, this currency update will save a great deal of money 
as well as time for all who use it.
Best,

Heather Field


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Mike Freeman" <k7uij at panix.com>
To: "NFB Talk Mailing List" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, November 29, 2006 2:37 PM
Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] Paper Money


Who said the other countries were more progressive? I happen not to 
think
so. (grin)

And consider this: a money identifier doesn't cost much more than a
XBox-360.

Mike

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Sekhon, Harmeet" <Harmeet_Sekhon at cable.comcast.com>
To: "NFB Talk Mailing List" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Wednesday, November 29, 2006 11:26 AM
Subject: [nfb-talk] Paper Money


Okay,



So I've seen good reasons why changing paper currency would have some
huge negative impact.  But the idea about just using a bill reader; 
well
that sounds too much like "let them eat cake" to me.  Does anyone else
see that?



I'm the blind parent of a blind kid.  Of course I want there to be 
real
improvements to solutions to real barriers in my son's life as he 
grows
up.  Changing paper money isn't very high on that list of priorities.
But are we less progressive in this country than they are in others
because of this?  Maybe.



Harmeet




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