BRAILLE MONEY FOR VISUAL
IMPAIRED AMERICANS

By
Gary N. Gray

               On Tuesday December 12, 2006, The United States District Judge James Robertson ordered the Treasury Department to invent new ways to help low vision disabled Americans and help visually impaired Americans. The Treasury Department wants to help these citizens to distinguish the differences in their paper currency in their everyday use.                

              Judge Robertson did not explain how to achieve this goal but he stated that it was time to end the discrimination of our visually challenge citizens.

Five years ago the United States Treasury Department began to change the colors, the code bars, and the printing on the five, ten, and twenty dollar bills.             

              Judge Robertson citied the government, stating that this was in violation of the Rehabilitation Act which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability.  The Bush Administration will have ten working days to respond to this new court order.                

              The Bush Administration has reported that it would be almost impossible to achieve this goal because the treasury department had just spent 4.2 billion dollars on the new orange, red, and yellow bills. The Bush Administration suggested that the (ABC) American Council of the Blind take legal action to change this decision. This seems to be this administration’s typical answer response when they do not agree with a certain political problem or case.             

               Several options the ABC proposed like: - different sized bills, embossed dots; the same used in reading books (Braille), or raised numbers on the bills. The United States currency has been the same since 1929 after the Stock Market crash and the government standardized the size, color, and print of all United States bills.           

                The American Council of the Blind stated that blind Americans had to rely on the honesty and good faith of other Americans to give them the correct change when shopping. This problem became nationally known after the 2004 film, “Ray” starring Jamie Foxx.  The issue of Ray Charles getting paid after a long week of work, brought to light this major problem. Ray asked his employer to pay him in one dollar bills so he could count each one. Ray’s employer finally throws the money at him and walks out of the room.     

             The problem still exist today, Singer Neville Thomas from New Orleans who has low vision stated that dishonesty still occurs. “Folks have given back money and tell me its something else”.   

                The American Council of the Blind wants Braille numbers on American dollar bills. The Bush Administration and The United States Court systems decide in two weeks. Then the disabled community will know and respond accordingly.