Blind advocates in Chicago are handing out free Pocket Money Marker Braillers this Wednesday morning, encouraging the public to use them to mark their paper money on behalf of those of us who can’t see. Hanni and I are doing a school presentation that morning, so we won’t be able to join the demonstration. We’ll be with them in spirit, though!
The demonstration – and the brailler giveaway — is intended to make the public aware that the Treasury Department should mark U.S. currency in order to prevent discrimination against those of us who are blind. An op-ed piece I wrote about this issue appeared in Friday’s Chicago Tribune:
180 countries use printed paper money, and the United States is the only one that prints bills all the same size and color, no matter how much each bill is worth.
Last year a federal appeals court ruled that the U.S. currency system discriminates against blind people. The court decision was not a unanimous one, and some high muckity-mucks weren’t exactly happy with the ruling, either. The National Federation of the Blind, for example. NFB strongly opposed the 2002 lawsuit that led to the ruling. They figure that most blind people have found ways to cope with paper currency and say there are other, more pressing needs to address. Treasury Secretary
Henry M. Paulson, Jr. testified against it, too. He said the blind can function fine using credit cards or electronic scanners to identify different bills,
and if that didn’t work they could rely on help from others.
The NFB and Paulson do have a point. In the 20+ years I have been blind, I have never been shortchanged by a cashier. Even Chicago cab drivers – who have an undeserved reputation for being rude – have been honest with me, correcting me when I’ve made mistakes and tried to pay them too much. Still, I feel pretty stupid sometimes when a bill unfolds itself, or gets mangled up in my wallet, and I have to ask what money I’m carrying.
You can read the entire editorial online — it’s called Paper Money that Works for the Blind –and leave comments there at the Tribune site if you’d like. And hey, if you happen to be out shopping in Chicago this Wednesday morning, word has it that most of the free money-braillers will be handed out in front of Water Tower Place – check it out!
Hi Beth!
Nice job on the Tribune article! I have voice similar concerns about paper currency. It amazes me that we are the only nation that has the same size bill
denominations. One of our clients at the Guild recently told me that she had an easier time traveling abroad than her sighted friend because of the different
size in bill denominations.
I’m not surprised you had heard about the demonstration being held at Water Tower Place on Wednesday, Nov. 25. I find it almost humiliating that they are passing
out pocket braillers so people with vision loss can braille their money. Isn’t this against the laws to deface currency? An how absolutely ridiculous
that someone would think that while being handed back cash at a check out, someone would stand their and braille their money.
I have tried repeatedly to express my concern over the tactics of this candidate for Illinois state government to the public relations firm trying to get
blindness organizations to participate in this demonstration. . While it is nice that he is trying to raise awareness about people with disabilities,
to ride on the coattails of a very important and significant ruling, is extremely disheartening.
Thank you for speaking up and putting what we do everyday so eloquently!
Kathy Austin
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