[nfb-talk] Fw: [acb-l] Associated Press ReportsACB'sVictoryRequiring Accessable Currency

Thu Nov 30 16:08:00 CST 2006

Alan;
This might work for partials, but not for totally blind.  I would rather
have the person give me the money, bill by bill, so I can fold it on the
spot or at least know how many I have of each bill and in what order.  
Terry Powers

-----Original Message-----
From: Alan Wheeler [mailto:awheeler at neb.rr.com] 
Sent: Thursday, November 30, 2006 6:40 AM
To: 'NFB Talk Mailing List'
Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] Fw: [acb-l] Associated Press
ReportsACB'sVictoryRequiring Accessable Currency

Actually?  I met a cashier, not long ago, who said another blind person
told
them to put the large bills on top, and I really like that system.  What
do
y'all think?

Alan Wheeler
awheeler at neb.rr.com or alan_wheeler at neb.rr.com
redwheel1 on skype
http://alan-wheeler.blogspot.com/
"Tell the people the truth and the country will be free"
  --Abraham Lincoln

-----Original Message-----
From: nfb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nfb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org]
On
Behalf Of Constance Canode
Sent: Wednesday, November 29, 2006 9:44 PM
To: NFB Talk Mailing List
Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] Fw: [acb-l] Associated Press Reports
ACB'sVictoryRequiring Accessable Currency

When I go to the bank or when I am shopping, it is very simple to tell
the
clerk to give you the 20s first, tens, etc.  I can honestly say that it
only
takes a couple of seconds and I have never been ripped off.  Leave it to
the
ACB to make a big deal out of this.  There are so many other issues in
life
that are of much greater importance than the size of bills.

Connie Canode
At 11:26 AM 11/29/2006, you wrote:
>Hey folks,
>
>So we fold our money and can identify it that way.  Very true.
>
>But a sighted person is generally needed to identify the denominations 
>in the first place.
>
>I'm going to air on the side of logic here.  Yeah, we should make them 
>different sizes.  Forget different colors because that leaves many of 
>us out.  Forget coins for obvious reasons.  The gold standard ain't
comin'
>back.  Let's just make the denominations different sizes.  Makes sense 
>to be able to identify it from the time you take possession of it, on 
>your own.  No?
>
>Federationist I am and damn proud of that.  But not doing anything 
>makes very little sense.
>
>Harmeet
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: nfb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nfb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org]
>On Behalf Of ANTONIO GUIMARAES
>Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2006 8:47 PM
>To: NFB Talk Mailing List
>Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] Fw: [acb-l] Associated Press Reports 
>ACB'sVictoryRequiring Accessable Currency
>
>Braille on dollar bills would make bills too bulky, and awkward for 
>banks to store, and transport.
>
>Solely relying on coins would be expensive, and banks would oppose it 
>for the same reason mention above.
>
>The article states
>
>"Of the more than 180 countries that issue paper currency, only the 
>United States prints bills that are identical in size and color in all 
>their denominations,"
>Robertson wrote."
>
>  Is this a fact? Is the United States oh so backward? Besides, if 
>money is to be made accessible to the blind, do we want it to be a 
>visual feature, or will it be a clear tactile distinction.
>
>What can we do to make money accessible to the blind? More jobs, and 
>less fuss about the rehabilitation act sounds like sound policy to me.
>
>In adition to my comments, I am including what seems to be the full, 
>unedited, uncut version of the article, witch I received on another 
>list, not an ACB list.
>
>It might be valuable to read the edited out part first, I think, so 
>here it
>is:
>
>The other side, left out of the ACB/generated e-mail
>
>Others have developed ways to cope with the similarly shaped bills.
>Melanie Brunson, a member of the American Council of the Blind, told 
>the court that she folds her bills into different shapes: $1 bills stay

>straight, $5 bills are folded in half left to right, $10 bills in half 
>top to bottom and $20 in quarters.
>
>The Treasury Department had no comment on the ruling Tuesday. The 
>government has 10 days to decide whether to appeal.
>
>U.S. bills have not always been the same size. In 1929, the government 
>standardized the size and shrank all bills by about 30 percent to lower

>manufacturing costs and help distinguish between genuine and 
>counterfeit notes.
>
>Since then, the Treasury Department has worked to stay ahead of 
>counterfeiters. Security threads and microprinting were introduced in 
>1990. The portraits were enlarged in 1996, and an infrared feature was 
>added to encourage the development of electronic readers for the blind.
>
>The latest redesign is under way. New $10 bills, featuring splashes of 
>orange, yellow and red, hit the market this year, following similar 
>changes to the $20 bill in 2003 and the $50 bill in 2004. The $5 
>facelift is due in 2008.
>
>In court documents, government attorneys said changing the way money 
>feels would be expensive. Cost estimates ranged from $75 million in 
>equipment upgrades and $9 million annual expenses for punching holes in

>bills to $178 million in one-time charges and $50 million annual 
>expenses for printing bills of varying sizes.
>
>Any change to the dollar's design could ripple into the vending machine

>industry, which participated in discussions regarding previous 
>redesigns.
>The American
>Council of the Blind is not seeking changes to the $1 bill, according 
>to court documents.
>
>The Treasury Department spent $4.2 billion on printing over the past 
>decade, Robertson said. Adding a raised number to the bills would have 
>increased costs less than 5 percent over that period, he said.
>
>"If additional savings could be gained by incorporating the new feature

>into a larger redesign, such as those that took place in 1996 or 2004, 
>the total burden of adding such a feature would be even smaller," 
>Robertson wrote.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>Now, the full article
>Judge: make bills recognizable to blind MATT APUZZO Associated Press
>
>WASHINGTON - The government discriminates against blind people by 
>printing money that all looks and feels the same, a federal judge said 
>Tuesday in a ruling that could change the face of American currency.
>
>U.S. District Judge James Robertson ordered the Treasury Department to 
>come up with ways for the blind to tell bills apart. He said he 
>wouldn't tell officials how to fix the problem, but he ordered them to 
>begin working on it.
>
>The American Council of the Blind has proposed several options, 
>including printing bills of differing sizes, adding embossed dots or 
>foil to the paper or using raised ink.
>
>"Of the more than 180 countries that issue paper currency, only the 
>United States prints bills that are identical in size and color in all 
>their denominations,"
>Robertson wrote. "More than 100 of the other issuers vary their bills 
>in size according to denomination, and every other issuer includes at 
>least some features that help the visually impaired."
>
>Government attorneys argued that forcing the Treasury Department to 
>change the size of the bills or add texture would make it harder to 
>prevent counterfeiting.
>Robertson was not swayed.
>
>"The fact that each of these features is currently used in other 
>currencies suggests that, at least on the face of things, such 
>accommodations are reasonable,"
>he wrote.
>
>He said the government was violating the Rehabilitation Act, which 
>prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in government 
>programs. The opinion came after a four-year legal fight.
>
>Electronic devices are available to help blind people differentiate 
>between bills, but many complain that they are slow, expensive and 
>unreliable. Visually impaired shoppers frequently rely on store clerks 
>to help them.
>
>"It's just frankly unfair that blind people should have to rely on the 
>good faith of people they have never met in knowing whether they've 
>been given the correct change," said Jeffrey A. Lovitky, attorney for 
>the plaintiffs in the lawsuit.
>
>Others have developed ways to cope with the similarly shaped bills.
>Melanie Brunson, a member of the American Council of the Blind, told 
>the court that she folds her bills into different shapes: $1 bills stay

>straight, $5 bills are folded in half left to right, $10 bills in half 
>top to bottom and $20 in quarters.
>
>The Treasury Department had no comment on the ruling Tuesday. The 
>government has 10 days to decide whether to appeal.
>
>U.S. bills have not always been the same size. In 1929, the government 
>standardized the size and shrank all bills by about 30 percent to lower

>manufacturing costs and help distinguish between genuine and 
>counterfeit notes.
>
>Since then, the Treasury Department has worked to stay ahead of 
>counterfeiters. Security threads and microprinting were introduced in 
>1990. The portraits were enlarged in 1996, and an infrared feature was 
>added to encourage the development of electronic readers for the blind.
>
>The latest redesign is under way. New $10 bills, featuring splashes of 
>orange, yellow and red, hit the market this year, following similar 
>changes to the $20 bill in 2003 and the $50 bill in 2004. The $5 
>facelift is due in 2008.
>
>In court documents, government attorneys said changing the way money 
>feels would be expensive. Cost estimates ranged from $75 million in 
>equipment upgrades and $9 million annual expenses for punching holes in

>bills to $178 million in one-time charges and $50 million annual 
>expenses for printing bills of varying sizes.
>
>Any change to the dollar's design could ripple into the vending machine

>industry, which participated in discussions regarding previous 
>redesigns.
>The American
>Council of the Blind is not seeking changes to the $1 bill, according 
>to court documents.
>
>The Treasury Department spent $4.2 billion on printing over the past 
>decade, Robertson said. Adding a raised number to the bills would have 
>increased costs less than 5 percent over that period, he said.
>
>"If additional savings could be gained by incorporating the new feature

>into a larger redesign, such as those that took place in 1996 or 2004, 
>the total burden of adding such a feature would be even smaller," 
>Robertson wrote.
>
>
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "dmgina" <dmgina at qwest.net>
>To: "NFB Talk Mailing List" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
>Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2006 10:56 PM
>Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] Fw: [acb-l] Associated Press Reports 
>ACB'sVictoryRequiring Accessable Currency
>
>
>If they put the Braille on the money then I would be for it.
>But if we go to all coins then that wouldn't help those of us who have 
>bad shoulders.
>Carrying out all of the money they need.
>Just some thoughts.
>
>
>--Dar
>every saint has a past,
>every sinner has a future
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "James Aldrich" <jkaldrich at qwest.net>
>To: "NFB Talk Mailing List" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
>Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2006 9:45 PM
>Subject: [nfb-talk] Fw: [acb-l] Associated Press Reports ACB's 
>VictoryRequiring Accessable Currency
>
>
>Hello all,
>
>Since this subject has come up, here is the material which brought this

>forth.  ACB has advocated for the printing of braille money or some 
>kind of identification for our paper currency.  This should be 
>interesting indeed as to how it will play out.  No doubt somebody might

>say that federal judge is too pushy and the whole thing could be thrown

>out.  This is something to be watched.
>
>Jim Aldrich
>
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "Tom Mills" <tmills79 at bellsouth.net>
>To: <acb-l at acb.org>
>Cc: <alabama at acb.org>; "NFBnet Blind Law Mailing List"
><blindlaw at nfbnet.org>; <4alabama at nfbnet.org>
>Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2006 3:28 PM
>Subject: [acb-l] Associated Press Reports ACB's Victory Requiring 
>Accessable Currency
>
>
>Judge: make bills recognizable to blind 11/28/2006, 4:49 p.m. ET By 
>MATT APUZZO The Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) - By keeping all U.S. 
>currency the same size and texture, the government has denied blind 
>people meaningful access to money, a federal judge said Tuesday.
>U.S. District Judge James Robertson said the Treasury Department has 
>violated the law, and he ordered the government to come up with ways 
>for the blind to tell bills apart.
>He said he wouldn't tell officials how to fix the problem, but he 
>ordered them to begin working on it within 10 days. The American 
>Council of the Blind has proposed several options, including printing 
>bills of differing sizes, adding embossed dots or foil to the paper or 
>using raised ink.
>"Of the more than 180 countries that issue paper currency, only the 
>United States prints bills that are identical in size and color in all 
>their denominations," Robertson wrote. "More than 100 of the other 
>issuers vary their bills in size according to denomination, and every 
>other issuer includes at least some features that help the visually 
>impaired."
>Government attorneys argued that forcing the Treasury Department to 
>change the size of the bills or add texture would make it harder to 
>prevent counterfeiting.
>Robertson
>was not swayed.
>"The fact that each of these features is currently used in other 
>currencies suggests that, at least on the face of things, such 
>accommodations are reasonable,"
>he wrote.
>He said the government was violating the Rehabilitation Act, which 
>prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in government 
>programs. The opinion came after a four-year legal fight.
>"It's a landmark decision. I believe it will benefit millions of 
>people,"
>said Jeffrey
>A. Lovitky, attorney for plaintiffs in the lawsuit.
>Copyright 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved.
>This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or 
>redistributed.
>(c) 2006 al.com All Rights Reserved.
>
>
>
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