Blind and Visually Impaired Community
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How do blind people tell the difference between money? (self.Blind)
submitted by A-rat-on-a-keyboard
In most countries the dollar bills of different values are the same size and are made of the same material. It seems like a pretty important thing to know the differences between money unless you only use card, so how would a blind person be able to tell?
Arinvar 6 points 1y ago
In most countries the bills are different sizes more often than no I think. US currency is just about the worst in the world for everything including counterfeiting.
Australia has over the last few years gradually introduced tactile dots on the currency. It's becoming popular in countries that use plastic notes. 1 dot for $5, 2 for $10, etc.
Australia has over the last few years gradually introduced tactile dots on the currency. It's becoming popular in countries that use plastic notes. 1 dot for $5, 2 for $10, etc.
NovemberGoat 3 points 1y ago
Canada has had them for quite a while. We also have them here in the UK, but we haven't gone through the entire transition yet. We're still waiting on the 50 and 100 pound notes to come out in the next few years.
Arinvar 2 points 1y ago
Yeh I think we just got the 50's, only 100's to go for us.
NovemberGoat 2 points 1y ago
I always thought Australia implemented them along the same timeline as Canada. They were all done and fazing out paper notes when I visited in 2014. Pretty sure they're completely plastic now.
Arinvar 2 points 1y ago
Sorry, I'm talking about adding the dots. We've had plastic notes for over 20 years now.
PepperPhoenix 3 points 1y ago
In the UK the currency is very well adapted for both the blind and partially sighted.
The notes are all different sizes. The higher the value, the larger the note. They are also different colours. The new polymer notes also feature a pattern of dots and ridges that identify the value.
The coins are different shapes, thicknesses and colours and have different edge textures. The smaller value is always the smaller coin.
1p, 2p, 5p, and 10p and £2 are all circular.
1p and 2p have a plain edge and are copper colour.
5p and 10p have a ridged edge and are silver in colour.
20p and 50p have an angular shape with 7 sides and are silver.
£1 is possibly a nonagon? It has an angled shape. It is significantly thicker than any of the pence coins.
£2 is circular but is the largest coin and is also thick.
Both are gold coloured with a silver centre.
Edit: I checked a pound coin and it actually has 12 sides.
The notes are all different sizes. The higher the value, the larger the note. They are also different colours. The new polymer notes also feature a pattern of dots and ridges that identify the value.
The coins are different shapes, thicknesses and colours and have different edge textures. The smaller value is always the smaller coin.
1p, 2p, 5p, and 10p and £2 are all circular.
1p and 2p have a plain edge and are copper colour.
5p and 10p have a ridged edge and are silver in colour.
20p and 50p have an angular shape with 7 sides and are silver.
£1 is possibly a nonagon? It has an angled shape. It is significantly thicker than any of the pence coins.
£2 is circular but is the largest coin and is also thick.
Both are gold coloured with a silver centre.
Edit: I checked a pound coin and it actually has 12 sides.
zersiax 3 points 1y ago
Good question :) Answer is really ...they wouldn't, not unaided by some kind of assistive tech.
There are apps that can identify bills for you, and there are techniques like always folding fifties the same way, but its rather painful to deal with that so I personally try to avoid having to deal with cash if possible.
Over here, we have coins up to 2 euro, and coins are quite easy to distinguish between, so I don't mind those as much. Euro bills do have different sizes, but that really only helps if you have two different ones so you can see which one's shorter :)
There are apps that can identify bills for you, and there are techniques like always folding fifties the same way, but its rather painful to deal with that so I personally try to avoid having to deal with cash if possible.
Over here, we have coins up to 2 euro, and coins are quite easy to distinguish between, so I don't mind those as much. Euro bills do have different sizes, but that really only helps if you have two different ones so you can see which one's shorter :)
Laser_Lens_4 2 points 1y ago
We don't, at least not here in 'Murica where all the bills are the same size and devoid of tactile features. I use money clips and image recognition when dealing with cash, but I do my best to avoid it and use credit or debit instead. I don't feel like getting robbed by a homophobic cashier. Plus, cards give me fraud protection and various other goodies.
QuentinJamesP89 2 points 1y ago
There are apps, but they're not always that helpful on the spur of the moment. I'm in the US, so I tend to avoid cash. If you have to use cash in different denominations the best thing to do is to get someone else or an app to identify it for you, and then fold the bills. Ones are flat, fives are in half vertically, tens are folded in half horizontally, twenties are folded into quarters, and so on. It's a pain and they can get very bulky in your wallet this way. Honestly, though, I can't even remember the last time I used cash. I never carry it.
hopesthoughts 1 points 1y ago
Yeah me neither. It's such an inconvenience. We're probably contributing to the whole cashless society thing though lol.
hopesthoughts 1 points 1y ago
I never use cash anymore, but when I used to I folded the money different ways.
oncenightvaler 1 points 1y ago
fun fact: here in Canada all our bills have Braille symbols on them which is why I am not planning on moving.
For the coins I can tell by the size and by the edges.
There's also a Bill-reader which can beep for certain amounts of money 1 for 1 dollar, 2 for 5 dollar etc, but why have that when I can read my money?
For the coins I can tell by the size and by the edges.
There's also a Bill-reader which can beep for certain amounts of money 1 for 1 dollar, 2 for 5 dollar etc, but why have that when I can read my money?
JudgeSavings 1 points 1y ago
exactly, though the braille is like, very pushed down and kinda hard to read
ronaldoMo 1 points 1y ago
There is an oficaIs an official app in the App Store
Ant5477 1 points 1y ago
Nowadays, they have an app that allows them to know the difference between currency
bevk_2092 1 points 1y ago
In the UK, bank notes actually comes with some braille on them which help tell the notes apart
Shadowwynd 1 points 1y ago
US Coins are accessible, US paper money is not easy for the blind/visually impaired because it all looks and feels the same. Yes, some new bills have some color, but it is not nearly enough.
If you are in the US, here is where you can get a free (US only) currency reader: https://www.moneyfactory.gov/uscurrencyreaderpgm.html
Once you know what paper money is what, this wallet (comes in other colors) is useful to store your money (lots of pockets for different types of bills) - much easier than trying to fold money a certain way:
https://lssproducts.com/money-organizer-wallet-red/
The free SeeingAI app on the iPhone can also do currency identification (and colors, and scene detection, and read text aloud). EnvisionAI can do the same things, with bit more accuracy on reading, and is available on iPhone and Android ($2 month or $20/year).
If you are in the US, here is where you can get a free (US only) currency reader: https://www.moneyfactory.gov/uscurrencyreaderpgm.html
Once you know what paper money is what, this wallet (comes in other colors) is useful to store your money (lots of pockets for different types of bills) - much easier than trying to fold money a certain way:
https://lssproducts.com/money-organizer-wallet-red/
The free SeeingAI app on the iPhone can also do currency identification (and colors, and scene detection, and read text aloud). EnvisionAI can do the same things, with bit more accuracy on reading, and is available on iPhone and Android ($2 month or $20/year).
zapto_gamer 1 points 1y ago
Why not just use Seeing AI?
Shadowwynd 1 points 1y ago
Between SeeingAI and EnvisionAI, Envision seems to have a little better accuracy and a couple of cool features (e.g. look for chair, look for keys, etc)
Between SeeingAI and the iBill reader from the treasury department - some people don't have an iphone (or are not technically apt enough to handle one - or at least think they can't). The iBill is fast - insert bill, press button, get value. On the iPhone, you have to open the app (by tapping / Siri), then go to currency identification and read the value. On our younger (~60 and below crowd), most of them just use seeingAI - it means one less device to carry. For some of the ones who are older than that, they are much more comfortable with just a simple device to read money, without all that newfangled techno-stuff.
We have some seniors who are all about the smartphone, and others that hate them with a passion.
Between SeeingAI and the iBill reader from the treasury department - some people don't have an iphone (or are not technically apt enough to handle one - or at least think they can't). The iBill is fast - insert bill, press button, get value. On the iPhone, you have to open the app (by tapping / Siri), then go to currency identification and read the value. On our younger (~60 and below crowd), most of them just use seeingAI - it means one less device to carry. For some of the ones who are older than that, they are much more comfortable with just a simple device to read money, without all that newfangled techno-stuff.
We have some seniors who are all about the smartphone, and others that hate them with a passion.
spacelibby 0 points 1y ago
I don't know about you guys, but I do it by taste. There's nothing quite like a delicious 20 dollar bill.
What? Just me?
What? Just me?
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