[Nfbf-l] Thousands of 'Currency Readers' in the Pipeline for the Blind

[David Andrews]

I am 99 percent sure they are using the iBill.

Dave

At 08:10 AM 6/18/2014, you wrote:
>Hi everyone,
>
>The only question I have is why didn't they just use the already existing
>technology which is the iBill currency identifier?  Not only would it help
>the blind but it also helps those who are deaf and blind.
>
>Anyway, just my thought.
>
>Thanks,
>Jim Ellsworth
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Nfbf-l [mailto:nfbf-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Alan Dicey via
>Nfbf-l
>Sent: Tuesday, June 17, 2014 7:39 PM
>To: Undisclosed-Recipient:;
>Subject: [Nfbf-l] Thousands of 'Currency Readers' in the Pipeline for the
>Blind
>
>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.