[Nfb-krafters-korner] money identifier

[Becky Frankeberger]

From:  Kim Charlson

Sent: Friday, June 13, 2014 6:17 PM

Subject: [leadership] Money Identifier Coming

 

The following piece comes from the Congressional Record Roll Call section
relating to an electronic currency identifier discussed at a Congressional
hearing this week:

 

Roll Call

 

Thousands of 'Currency Readers' in the Pipeline for the Blind

 

By Anne L. Kim Posted at 4:31 p.m. on June 11

 

While a $1 bill means something entirely different than a $100 bill, they
might not feel too different to the visually impaired. The government is
ready to do something about that challenge, though.

 

The Bureau of Engraving and Printing expects to distribute between

100,000 and 500,000 "currency readers" to the blind and others who are
visually impaired, says Larry R. Felix, director of the bureau in written
testimony for a House Financial Services Committee hearing today.

 

In a report last year, the Government Accountability Office described the
gizmos as "portable electronic devices capable of speaking the denomination
of a bill out loud."

 

The effort is part of a response by the Treasury Department to a court
ruling several years ago that directed the department to provide the blind
and visually impaired with meaningful access to currency.

 

"We plan to launch a pilot program this summer and roll the program out
nationally in 2015. The project plan is under joint development and will be
operated by the BEP an the LOC/NLS," Felix said in his statement. LOC/NLS is
the Library of Congress' service for the blind and physically handicapped.

Felix said the office helped to develop the readers.

_______________________________________________

 

 

Becky Frankeberger

Butterfly Knitting

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