Judge rules paper money unfair to blind

[dquan97]

Judge says Treasury Department is violating the law by keeping all money the same size and feel.
November 28 2006: 6:10 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.

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.

 

[tw1164]

all the paper money should have a button you can push, then it will announce its value.

 

[AnonymouseUser]

????? ?? ??????? ????????.

 

[txrandom]

We should make cars for the blind too..it's only fair.

 

[Ika]

It makes sense, but still, it's stupid.

I guess the system wouldn't be TOO hard to change, though, using some sort of system of holes.

 

[Quasmo]

stupid IMHO

 

[slayer202]

Originally posted by: tw1164
all the paper money should have a button you can push, then it will announce its value.

:laugh:

This won't go anywhere

 

[TheoPetro]

Originally posted by: txrandom
We should make cars for the blind too..it's only fair.

there are already cars for female drivers just look at the civic

 

[Kelvrick]

Originally posted by: Aflac
I guess the system wouldn't be TOO hard to change, though, using some sort of system of holes.

I can just imagine the bored jackasses out there punching holes in money to fvck with blind people.

 

[txrandom]

Originally posted by: TheoPetro

Originally posted by: txrandom
We should make cars for the blind too..it's only fair.

there are already cars for female drivers just look at the civic

The only good car for a female drive is no car at all.

 

[mugs]

Seems unlikely that whatever solution they come up with would increase production cost meaninfully, so what's the harm?

 

[clamum]

Originally posted by: tw1164
all the paper money should have a button you can push, then it will announce its value.

LOL :laugh:

That or make it out of those little Braille dots

 

[OutHouse]

Originally posted by: dquan97
Judge says Treasury Department is violating the law by keeping all money the same size and feel.
November 28 2006: 6:10 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.

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.

seriously, does his power reaches the treasury dept. and order them to do something? what if he said that the green on the dollar is bad and the TD must change the color? i dont think he can... but i could be wrong.

 

[everman]

How many blind people use credit/debit cards and checks vs cash?

 

[daniel1113]

I don't understand how paper money "was violating the Rehabilitation Act, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in government programs."

Blind people are not being treated any differently than other citizens, so how is it discrimination?

 

[Eska]

stupid

 

[wazzledoozle]

I cant think of any good way for them to implement ways to distinguish different denominations of cash...

Some things that came to mind were the holes, but that would be too easy to modify. They could cut the side of the money in different patterns, but they would have to implement a whole new manufacturing process or step to do that, and new designs for the money. And people could still modify that... Another is dimples, but those would wear out over time.

 

[orakle]

The "new" series of Canadian bills has the value imprinted in Braille. This can't be that expensive to implement.

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: Citrix

Originally posted by: dquan97
Judge says Treasury Department is violating the law by keeping all money the same size and feel.
November 28 2006: 6:10 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.

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.

seriously, does his power reaches the treasury dept. and order them to do something? what if he said that the green on the dollar is bad and the TD must change the color? i dont think he can... but i could be wrong.

Do you understand what a judge does? Congress passes laws, judges interpret them. Congress passed this "Rehabilitation Act," and the judge ruled that the Rehabilitation Act's provision of meaningful access applied to the treasury department in this case. Judges can't just make up whatever laws they want.

 

[compnovice]

Many countries have paper money of different sizes for different denominations for exactly this reason...

Also it is colored differently, for easier identification (for illiterates)

 

[daniel1113]

What about blind people that have also lost both of their hands? We can't discriminate against them by using braille.

 

[bobdelt]

some of these ideas have been so stupid.... just make it different sizes like most countries...

 

[Wreckem]

Originally posted by: Citrix

Originally posted by: dquan97
Judge says Treasury Department is violating the law by keeping all money the same size and feel.
November 28 2006: 6:10 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.

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.

seriously, does his power reaches the treasury dept. and order them to do something? what if he said that the green on the dollar is bad and the TD must change the color? i dont think he can... but i could be wrong.

Yes, yes it does. He is a federal district court judge. He handles cases involving federal issues. The Government can appeal to the Circuit Court of Appeals, and the loser of that can appeal to the US Supreme Court.

In all likelyhood, the Government will ask for an injuction on his ruling until it has a chance to appeal.

 

[Cristatus]

Originally posted by: txrandom
We should make cars for the blind too..it's only fair.

That is a seriously ignorant comment to make.

The British pound is designed for use with blind, or visually impaired people.
The Euro, from concept, was designed for use with blind, or visually impaired people.

I was just thinking about this yesterday: how can blind people tell the difference between all the bills if they are exactly the same.

Also, a car is a luxury, and money is a neccesity, especially for the blind, or visuall impaired. I'm not saying that they don't need to make cars for blinds, but what's the market for that.

 

[SampSon]

Another cute little judge with a huge ego.

Not to be harsh, but reality is that the world revolves (or should) around non-handicapped people.

I doubt the treasury will do anything, but the best way to do it is making small braille like dots on the bills.