Money You Can Feel
A federal district court in DC ruled yesterday that the Treasury Department's failure to issue paper currency that is readily distinguishable to blind and visually impaired individuals violates section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. The case is American Council of the Blind v. Paulson.The judge explained that "like deaf students who can have real access to a lecture only with an interpreter or a real time transcript, blind or visually impaired people cannot make effective use of American money without help."
The court stopped short of ordering a remedy, but discussed the
possibility of embossing or punching holes in bills, or printing new
bills of different sizes. The court is holding a separate conference to
determine the appropriate remedy, but the Treasury Department will
almost certainly appeal the decision.
- Alicia Ouellette, Director, AMBI Health Law & Bioethics
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This may be a dumb question, but if a person is so visually impaired that he has to feel a hole in a piece of paper to know whether it's a $5 bill or a $20, how does he even know that what he has is money?
- by Laura(southernxyl) on Dec 2, 2006 at 12:24 AM | link