Have you ever wondered how blind people identify U.S. bills without help? Most people never give it a thought, but people like bank tellers and cab drivers, even random strangers in stores, ask me how I, as a blind person, identify money. There’s no magic to it, nor has there been, until recently.

Blind people who don’t have enough vision to see bills aren’t born with a “special extra sense” that permits us to identify bills by touch. However, we can definitely learn to recognize coins by sound and touch. In fact, I’m quite good at that. On occasion, I mention to people that they dropped a dime, quarter, nickel, or penny. But U.S. bills are an entirely different matter.

In recent years, assistive technology has made it possible to identify paper money. Blind people can use scanners and special computer software that recognizes the bill and speaks its denomination aloud. Alternatively, there are handheld devices, costing a few hundred dollars apiece, that identify money. But the true revolution in money identification for blind people in the U.S. is the availability of accessible mobile phones and the accompanying applications, or apps. And most of these apps are quite affordable.

As a new iPhone user, for the first time just a few weeks ago, I successfully identified my change without sighted assistance, simply by placing the bill under my phone’s camera. Then, I could fold my bills in the different ways I always do, and place them in my wallet. This kind of independence may seem like a small matter, but it is liberating not to have to rely on others when handling cash—no more holding up the line in the store or wondering whether I received the correct change.

A Little History about U.S. Bills and the Blind Community

For about twenty years, many in the blind community have attempted to convince the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) to make bills independently identifiable by blind and visually-impaired people. Some possible methods include different sizes, tactile markings, and different colors. You may have observed strategies like these implemented in many countries. However, the U.S. Treasury Department has been reluctant to implement currency changes due to the initial cost, changes for businesses and vending machines, and other challenges.

An article by Darren Burton in the American Foundation for the Blind’s AccessWorld from March 2011, “A Tech Geek Talks Money: An AFB TECH Lab Rat Discusses the Accessibility of Financial Technology,” indicates the American Council of the Blind sued the U.S. Treasury in 2002 “for their failure to design paper currency that is easily identifiable by people with vision loss.” After several years, the BEP issued a notice requesting comments on the strategies to be proposed to the Secretary of the Treasury, according to the Federal Register. The notice states that the three main options under consideration are as follows:

1. Tactile Feature. As part of the next currency redesign, BEP will develop and deploy a raised tactile feature that builds upon current tactile feature technologies. The tactile feature will be unique to each Federal Reserve note denomination that it may lawfully change, and will provide users with a means of identifying each denomination by way of touch.
2. Large, High-Contrast Numerals. Consistent with current practice, BEP will continue its practice of adding large, high-contrast numerals and different and distinct color schemes to each denomination that it is permitted by law to alter to further assist visually impaired citizens.
3. Supplemental Currency Reader Program. BEP also proposes to recommend to the Secretary of the Treasury a supplemental measure that will be taken in order to provide access to U.S. currency. This measure would involve a process to loan and distribute currency readers to the blind and visually impaired at no cost to them. BEP believes this process will ameliorate difficulties stemming from the transition that will occur during the co-circulation of notes with and without a tactile feature, and large, high contrast numerals, a transition which will persist for many years after the introduction of the tactile-enhanced note.

Availability of Apps on Mobile Phones

In 2011, with the release of an iPhone app called EyeNote, the Treasury Department was among those who took an exciting step to address the issue of money identification, at least for iPhone users. iPhone users can use EyeNote, as well as IQ Engine’s oMoby, or the LookTel Money Reader from IPPLEX for spoken currency recognition. While the LookTel product currently costs $9.99 in the Apple app store, the other two options are free. What a pleasure it is to have several choices at my fingertips, and all three apps work with all generations of the iPhone.

Though I do not use an Android-based phone, I was pleased to notice that New Designs Unlimited LLC developed a new app named Darwin Wallet  that is now available for Android phones. When you place a bill in front of the camera, Darwin Wallet (for Android 2.2 and above) recognizes and speaks the value of U.S., UK, Canadian, EU, and Australian paper currencies.

My Experiences with Money Identification on the iPhone

As mentioned earlier, I was thrilled to be able to identify and sort my change by myself. I’ve tried all three apps—LookTel, EyeNote, and oMoby—and all three products were useful. I was confident while using them and recognized the value of each. oMoby is versatile; it can identify many objects, but works best on products. You can take a picture of an object like a jelly jar, and oMoby can probably find it. Although money-identification is not its primary purpose, it is handy to have on my phone. EyeNote requires me to activate the camera, so I prefer the LookTel product for its speed and ease of use.

In fact, the LookTel product was so easy to use that it fooled me; I tried to make it harder to use than it actually is. When I opened LookTel, I didn’t hear anything on my screen after exploring the screen with the iOS’s built-in screen reader, VoiceOver. I was looking for a button to activate my camera, but there isn’t one; it’s not necessary. All I had to do was to put the bill on a flat surface, hold the phone a few inches above the bill, and VoiceOver said, “Five dollars.” It was much easier than fumbling with bills as I walked with a sighted friend, having to remember to check my money when I was next at my computer, or even having to activate a button on the phone’s screen to take a picture of the bill. In addition, LookTel offers a software application, Money Reader for Mac, users who want to use a Mac instead of, or in addition to, their iPhone.

Both LookTel products can also identify currency from other countries. This flexibility will be most helpful when I next travel with my new iPhone. After a day or two, I can identify Euros by touch, and this app will help remind me of the different sizes and denominations.

After using each of the three apps, I far prefer the LookTel product. The cost is worth the ease of use, so I’m more than happy to support the company with its innovative approach. And based upon what I have seen in the product preview on the LookTel website, I cannot wait to experience the new capabilities that will be offered in the next product release. Additional LookTel solutions under development include identifying objects and landmarks, personalized image databases, remote sighted assistance, and a text reader.

The Future Seems Bright

Using mobile devices to access these easy and inexpensive money identification apps makes me hopeful about the future. Accessibility on the Android platform is gradually improving, so perhaps soon we won’t need specialized and expensive approaches to bill identification. If blind people can access apps on phones that will permit easy purchasing at the same time—and at the same cost—as the sighted community, we will truly be integrated into the mainstream of mobile money. Even now, although I have not yet had a chance to test all of the apps I’d like to, a range of banking and financial management apps are accessible.

If you are involved in building, designing, or testing an iPhone or Android app, please consider accessibility for a wide range of users, including those with disabilities. You might be surprised to find how easy and fun it can be to test these apps for yourself. Maybe you don’t need to identify your money with your phone, but think about the various things you can do with your smartphone when it talks to you. Join the many app developers, like those making identification of money possible, who are committed to providing an easy user experience for everyone.

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Additional Accessibility Resources

• Strategies Proposed to the Secretary of the Treasury in the Federal Register
• Resources for Mobile Accessibility Guidelines from Henny Swan’s blog posted September 7, 2011.

Learning more about Android Accessibility

All Android phones with Android version 1.6 or later have free built-in support for speech output and accessibility. Android is customizable even if not all applications are accessible. To offer the most accessible results on the Android platform, it’s ideal to focus on building for Ice Cream Sandwich.

• For demonstrations, see the EyesFreeAndroid’s channel on YouTube.
• Android Accessibility provides and introduction to using Android phones for people with no or low vision who want their phone to speak.
• Android developers: Designing for Accessibility provides Android developer tips.

Learning More about iOS Accessibility

• iOS App Accessibility from the Humanizing Technology blog by Léonie Watson, February 21, 2011.
• A Demonstration of iOS Accessibility Features by MacAdvisorUK on YouTube
• Apple developer iOS Accessibility Technology Overview

[/bluebox]在没有帮助的情况下，盲人如何辨别美元纸币？大多数人从来没有考虑过这个问题。盲人可以通过声音和触感来识别硬币，但辨别美元纸币是一件完全不同的事情。

二十年来，许多盲人社团试图说服美国雕刻与印刷局 (BEP)对纸币做出改进，使盲人和视力受损的人们可以独立辨别它们。一些可行的方法包括不同面额的纸币采用不同的尺寸或颜色，或者给纸币添加触觉标志。读者很可能在其他国家看到过不同的纸币，并好奇为什么所有美元纸币看起来都是一样的。

2011 年，美国财政部在解决这个问题上迈出了令人兴奋的一步 – 至少对于 iPhone 用户而言。iPhone 用户现在可以使用三个不同的手机应用 (App) 来辨别美元纸币。使用移动设备辨别纸币，无疑是朝着正确方向迈出了一步。

成功辨别纸币找零让我变得独立，而在处理现金时不必再依靠别人也让我如释重负。

文章全文为英文版

시각장애인들이 도움 없이 어떻게 미국 지폐를 식별할 수 있는지 생각해 보셨습니까? 대부분의 사람들이 그런 생각은 전혀 해보지 않습니다. 시각장애인들은 소리와 촉감으로 동전을 식별하는 것을 배우지만, 미국 지폐의 경우는 아주 다릅니다.

20여 년 동안 많은 시각장애인 단체들이 미국 조폐국(Bureau of Engraving and Printing, BEP)을 설득하여 시각장애인들이 혼자서 식별할 수 있는 지폐를 만들고자 하는 시도를 하였습니다. 가능한 몇몇 방법으로는 다른 크기, 촉각 표시 및 다른 색상 등을 들 수 있습니다. 아마 어떤 분은 다른 나라의 지폐에서 이런 특징을 발견하고 왜 미국 지폐는 모두 똑같은지를 의문스럽게 생각했을 수도 있습니다.

2011년 적어도 아이폰 사용자들을 위해 이 문제를 해결하고자 흥미 있는 조치를 취한 기관 중 하나가 미국 재무성이었습니다. 아이폰 사용자들은 이제 3개의 다른 애플리케이션(앱)을 이용하여 지폐를 식별할 수 있게 되었습니다. 모바일 기기를 이용한 이런 손쉽고 저렴한 지폐 식별 앱은 틀림없이 올바른 방향으로 향하는 한 단계라 할 수 있습니다.

거스름돈을 잘 분간해낼 수 있다는 사실이 나에게 독립성을 부여하였고 현금을 취급할 때 다른 이들에게 의지하지 않아도 되는 것이 참 자유롭습니다.

The full article is available only in English.

Você já se perguntou como as pessoas cegas identificam cédulas de dólares norte-americanos sem ajuda? A maioria das pessoas nunca pensou nisso. Uma pessoa cega pode definitivamente aprender a reconhecer moedas pelo som e toque; mas as cédulas de dólares norte-americanos são uma questão totalmente diferente.

Por cerca de vinte anos, muitos na comunidade de cegos tentaram convencer o Escritório de Gravação e Impressão dos Estados Unidos (BEP) a fazer cédulas que pudessem ser identificadas independentemente por cegos e deficientes visuais. Alguns métodos possíveis incluem diferentes tamanhos, marcas táteis e diferentes cores. Você pode ter percebido isso em outros países e se perguntado por que todas as cédulas em papel de dólares norte-americanos parecem iguais.

Em 2011, o Departamento do Tesouro dos EUA estava entre aqueles que tomaram uma medida estimulante para tratar dessa questão, pelo menos para usuários de iPhone. Os usuários de iPhone podem usar agora diferentes aplicativos para identificar cédulas. O acesso a esses aplicativos de identificação de dinheiro fáceis e baratos utilizando dispositivos móveis é certamente um passo na direção certa.

Identificar com sucesso o meu troco me proporciona independência e é libertador não ter que depender de outros para manusear o dinheiro.

O artigo completo está disponível somente em inglês.視覚障害者が米ドル札を人の助けなしでどう識別するか、不思議に思ったことがあるだろうか。多くの人々は考えもしないだろう。視覚障害者は、硬貨に関しては、その音や手触りによって確かな識別方法を学べる。しかし紙幣はまったく別である。

約20年間、視覚障害者のグループは財務省製版印刷局（BEP）に、個々の紙幣を視覚障害者にも識別可能にしてくれるよう呼びかけてきた。そのための可能な方法としては、さまざまなサイズの紙幣を作る、触ってわかるマークを付ける、異なるカラーを使うといったものが挙げられていた。他の国の紙幣を見てこの点に気付いた読者は、なぜすべての米国紙幣が同じような外観をしているのか不思議に思ったかもしれない。

だが2011年、米国財務省などの機関で、少なくともiPhoneのユーザ用に、この問題に対するエキサイティングな手段が講じられた。今ではiPhoneユーザには、紙幣識別のための3つの違うアプリが用意されている。携帯機器を使った、簡単で廉価な紙幣認識アプリを利用することは、しかるべき方向に向かう第一歩と言える。

間違いなくおつりが数えられることは、障害者の自立を助け、現金を扱う際に他人に頼る必要のないことで解放感を与えてくれる。

原文は英語だけになります¿Alguna vez se preguntó cómo hacen los ciegos para identificar los billetes estadounidenses sin ayuda? La mayoría de la gente nunca se pone a pensar en eso. Los ciegos sin dudas aprenden a reconocer las monedas por el sonido y el tacto, pero los billetes son una cuestión totalmente diferente.

Durante unos 20 años, muchos integrantes de la comunidad de no videntes han intentado persuadir a la Oficina de Grabado e Impresión (Bureau of Engraving and Printing, BEP) para que produzca billetes para que las personas ciegas y con visión reducida puedan identificar de manera independiente. Algunos métodos posibles incluyen tamaños diferentes, marcas táctiles y diferentes colores. Tal vez haya notado que esto se aplica en otros países y se haya preguntado por qué todos los billetes de moneda estadounidense son iguales.

En 2011, el Departamento del Tesoro de los EE. UU. estuvo entre los que dieron un paso interesante para abordar este tema, al menos para los usuarios de iPhone. Hoy los usuarios de iPhone pueden utilizar tres aplicaciones distintas para identificar billetes. Acceder a estas aplicaciones sencillas y económicas para identificar el dinero mediante el uso de dispositivos móviles es sin dudas un paso en la dirección correcta.

La versión completa de este artículo está sólo disponible en inglés.