Court rules paper money unfair to blind

[peas hode]

http://money.cnn.com/2008/05/20/news/money_blind/index.htm?cnn=yes

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- A federal appeals court Tuesday 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.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit upheld a 2006 district court ruling that could force the U.S. to redesign its money so blind people can distinguish between values.

Judge Judith Rogers, in a ruling on a suit by the American Council of the Blind, wrote that the Treasury Department's failure to design and issue paper currency that is readily distinguishable to the visually impaired violates the Rehabilitation Act's guarantee of "meaningful access."

The Rehabilitation Act was originally designed to extend civil rights to disabled individuals and provide them a full opportunity to participate in American society.

"We are very pleased with the ruling," said a spokeswoman for the American Council of the Blind. "We are hopeful that the treasury department will now get busy and come up with a plan to make paper money more readily identifiable for the visually impaired people all over the world," she added.

Suggested solutions include making bills different sizes, including raised markings or using foil printing which is tactically discernable.

The suit was originally filed in 2002 by the American Council of the Blind and two individuals with visual impairments, Patrick Sheehan and Otis Stephens.

The appeals court ruled 2-1, with Judge A. Raymond Randolph dissenting


So now we have to spend millions of dollars to accomodate what 1% of the population? Whats next? make all the bills grey as to not offend the color blind? Make them out of a new material for the 6 people who are allergic to paper? This fuckin couintry is making me sick.

[Turfmower]

Didn't they design Susan B Anthony dollars for the blind with special ridges. They went over well.

[ruckstande]

Isn't it unfair to people allergic to paper too? Who gives a shit. Deal with it, they make devices to work around it.

[Sam_Adams]

http://money.cnn.com/2008/05/20/news/money_blind/index.htm?cnn=yes



So now we have to spend millions of dollars to accomodate what 1% of the population? Whats next? make all the bills grey as to not offend the color blind? Make them out of a new material for the 6 people who are allergic to paper? This fuckin couintry is making me sick.

Yeah maaaaaaaaan fuck those blind assholes. Who do they think they are trying to go around not seeing shit?

Hell, now we have soldiers going off blinding themselves in wars too maaaaaaan just so they can get handicap stickers and fuck over the government maaaaaaaan.

You make me sick.

[peas hode]

Yeah maaaaaaaaan fuck those blind assholes. Who do they think they are trying to go around not seeing shit?

Hell, now we have soldiers going off blinding themselves in wars too maaaaaaan just so they can get handicap stickers and fuck over the government maaaaaaaan.

You make me sick.

So we should spend millions of dollars putting new money into the system to accomadate a very small minority of people? What about the small business owner who services and maintains vending machines that will now have to be adjusted, at their cost, to accomadate the new currancy? What about the fact that the population is steering more towards the use of debit and credit cards? will every business owner be required to purchase equipment that would print out receipts in brail?

The point is where does it stop? Why is it that everytime i turn around in this country the needs of a few are constantly outweighing the majority? Guess it only matters to you if someone is trying to take your guns away then you are up on your soap box.

[d0uche_n0zzle]

One solution would be to imprint Braille numbers, sir.

[Mother Shucker]

Sam, you can not be for real. You think we should spend dime one to make money for the blind? Fuck that noise.

[LiL JJ]

One solution would be to imprint Braille numbers, sir.

I don't see how that would work very well. I would think as much as money is handled the braille would flatten out. Come to think of it how the hell are books written in braille? Wouldn't the pages flatten out if you closed the book?

[kidconnor]

There is a blind guy that runs a candy/news stand in the brooklyn supreme court building. He's been there for a pretty long time and doesn't seem to have a problem. Maybe he can make a new living teaching the other lazy blind bastards..

[THE FEZ MAN]

i just had this discussion with my wife, i hate to admit it but it is a good idea, the best way would be to resize the money or change the weight of the paper, as our population ages there are going to be more and more "sight impaired" people. most other country's already do this, hey, i dont know about any of you fellas but more than once ive had some whore in a strip club try to short change me. they could even make it as simple as changing the size of the security strip thats in the money. it would also help thwart counter fitters. as it stands now it is possible to "wash" a bill and reprint it at a different face value because there all the same . for the most part over the last 30 years or so coins have become less useful for purchases... ever notice there different sizes... ever wonder why? so you know what your giving out now that you cant buy shit for a nickel its time to change the paper money. i agree, and im one of the most unsympathetic people you will ever meet

[Grem]

Does US paper money change often? In the UK we recently changed the £20 note, and added all kinds of security stuff to it. Perhaps having something the blind can identify on the money and have it introduced as new money is put into circulation would be the answer?

Security Stuff on British money:


SECURITY FEATURES - FRONT AND REAR
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/42672000/jpg/_42672909_new_20note_416x440.jpg


1. Paper quality -Banknotes are printed on special paper with raised lettering in some areas. Fake notes can sometimes feel limp or waxy
2. Print quality - Numbers, letters and colours are sharp and clear, whereas counterfeit notes may appear slightly blurred
3. Holographic strip - Pound symbol and figure 20 alternate when the note is tilted
4. Microlettering - Words printed below the portrait of the Queen are only visible with a magnifying glass
5. Metallic thread - Silver dashes on the back of the note become a continuous dark line when held up to the light
6. A see-through "register" shows a broken pound sign. The symbol becomes whole when held up to the light.
7. The watermark has been moved to a white panel to make it easier to find
Other - Some unpublicised "covert features" are designed to further deter counterfeiters

[Ballbuster1]

They've been thru this before. Not interested in finding the article now.
This will go no where.

[MrBogey]

With all the changes to the money I bet a good conman could bluff a clerk into accepting an orange 100$ bill with George Washington on it.

"Yea, it's the new 100$ bill. you didn't know that?"

[Sct Ptersns Twn]

Would I get in trouble if I sent this e-mail to their website?

"You are a joke, how can blind people navigate your website? You should sue yourself. "

-Concerned tax paying citizen

[weakside]

I don't see a problem with this. We change the look of our money fairly often anyway, so what if the next change is to raise the numbers off the paper slightly? Is it really that big of deal if it helps out the blind?

[THE FEZ MAN]

Would I get in trouble if I sent this e-mail to their website?

"You are a joke, how can blind people navigate your website? You should sue yourself. "

-Concerned tax paying citizen

ummmmmm, yea aaaaaa, your computer will talk to you if you want it to. i used to talk to a girl on pal talk that was blind and windows talked to her...

[Glenn Dandy]

As worthless as most our tax money is spent.... why not.

sucks enough being blind.

in a country full of people speaking Spanish.

[TreeFortRichard]

hey, why not settle a class action lawsuit with the blind over this...Say for $50 million dollars...that would be cheaper than reprinting the money...and then we can tell them we are paying them with $100's but really give them $1's and we will save $49.5 million!

[Sam_Adams]

Sam, you can not be for real. You think we should spend dime one to make money for the blind? Fuck that noise.

tape your eyes shut and see how well you do for a week

[THE FEZ MAN]

hell, just tape one eye closed, i work with a guy with one eye, he does quite well but has no depth perception and believe it or not you need it. that and most of the blind people that i know are really cool people, like GD said, if there going to piss away my money i would rather they do that than give free money to spooks that dont want to work, hell even MAC machines have a button that you can push so you can here it, and most of the numbers are in braille

[DonTheTrucker]

Braille money is not possible.

The only solution would be notes of different sizes for each denomination which will fuck everyone else up.

Nothing will happen with this. Ray Charles had the best system. He had everyone pay him with $1 bills for EVERYTHING. Why can't a blind guy ask the clerk at the store or bank to give him everything in $1.

Or get a debit card. Who really even NEEDS cash anymore?

[BeerBelly]

I'm 42 and haven't seen a blind person since i was a kid and I've
never ran into anyone allergic to peanuts, this is all a fucking scam!