Posted on 12/01/2006 2:12:41 PM PST by chessplayer
National Federation of the Blind Comments on Federal Court Ruling on U.S. Currency Views Effort as Dangerously Misguided Baltimore, Maryland (November 29, 2006): "The National Federation of the Blind, the largest organization of blind persons in America and known as the voice of the nation’s blind, criticized as dangerously misguided a federal court ruling saying that the design of U.S. currency discriminates against the blind."
"Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind, said: “The blind need jobs and real opportunities to earn money, not feel-good gimmicks that misinform the public about our capabilities. Blind people transact business with paper money every day. This ruling puts a roadblock in the way of solving the real problem, which is the seventy percent unemployment rate among working-age blind Americans that severely limits our access to cash. The ruling will do nothing to alleviate that situation; in fact, it seriously endangers the ability of the blind to get jobs and participate fully in society. It argues that the blind cannot handle currency or documents in the workplace and that virtually everything must be modified for the use of the blind. An employer who believes that every piece of printed material in the workplace must be specially designed so that the blind can read it will have a strong incentive not to hire a blind person.”
(Excerpt) Read more at nfb.org ...
I'm curious as to the Freepers' position on this issue. It doesn't seem like your typical right/left debate. Personally I'm against changing the money.
I have problems with the judges ruling not because I'm necessarily against changing the money (I really don't have a strong opinion on that), my problem is that it's not the place of a judge to tell the mint how to print money.
Ouch. That's gotta hurt.
So who sued to get the judge to make this ruling?
I don't care if they change the money or not. I don't mind changing the money, even if it costs us, because money should be universally accessible and usable.
But it would seem strange to change the money if it isn't necessary.
Actually, the judge simply ruled that the feds had to figure out a way to make bills useful to the blind, maybe all they have to do is hire this guy, have him spend $50,000 to do a "study" showing the money is already usable by the blind, and be done with it.
Depends on how it's changed. Say, the paper under the letters and numbers forming the words "twenty dollars" and "20" is made palpably thicker. Not particularly expensive change, and not demonstrative or obtrusive, either. Bill color coding [for the sighted, but impaired] would help, too.
Ping!
I thought you might find this interesting.
LL
yeah I just saw the guy on Cavuto too, and it's refreshing to have leaders of these types of organizations not present themselves as victims
I think this guy just nailed my position which is that we should focus on how best to make use of all talented people - blind or otherwise - and not get sidetracked by little measures like this.
I just had my piano tuned by a blind person - best tuning I ever had. This is probably not a good example but the point is that we all have gifts and skills and as a country we must make full use of them to compete in the world.
It's good to see that somebody has some sense.
To change all the money is ridiculous.
Seems to me blind people have been doing well without special money until now.
There are reasonably inexpensive currency readers readily available. They operate off of a 9V battery and are about the size of a cell phone.
google "currency reader"
This judge is an idiot.
This ruling was stupid, period. It will cost millions to change our currency just to accomodate the less than 1% of blind people out there. If blind people have a problem using currency then they should switch to debit cards.
I think technology has gotten so much better to the point where hand held scanners can help the blind decipher various bills. Another good point made in the press release is it won't stop with money. It'll continue into various areas of the workplace as well. It is important to help the blind become more independent not the other way around.
I'm against it.
First, the selfish reason, I like to keep my bills in my pocket, I don't use some Eurocontinental leather folder to tuck them into. Just a thin wad of bills in my pocket.
Second, this judge is exceeding his authority. Judges shouldn't be allowed to make arbitrary decisions that cost the taxpayers a lot of money, which this certainly would do. This judge needs to be slapped down before he comes up with more crazy schemes.
Third, if congress wants to accommodate the blind in this way, let them pass a bill and fund it and see if the taxpayers like it or not.
If 2% of the population always turned to the courts for redress society would lock up. For instance if transexuals...er...nevermind my head hurts.
I had no idea. Thanks for enlightening me.
What's funny is reading all the competing groups spokespeople. I just checked a few articles, there's this group (National Foundation for the Blind), against it.
There's the American Foundation for the Blind, for it.
THere's the American Council for the Blind, which filed the lawsuite.
Then there's various government agencies which are responsible for making sure blind people are treated as second-class citizens needing special government help, and they seem to be for this, because it feeds their position that the blind are special and need extra help.
I have worked with some very capable non-seeing people in the photo finishing industry. They are very good dark room workers, and very grateful for the job. They are just normal people who can't see. I would guess that many if not most would not favor the change in currency. They ask a trusted sighted person to help sort out their money and they take it from there. If the money were to change size then eventually some low life would try to cheat them with some funny money I agree with Dr Maurer there are many other useful things that could be done to help.
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