Money to change in the near future

A change is in the air, and it might involve your money. According to an article on cnn.com, Judge James Robertson, in a ruling on a suit by the American Council of the Blind, ordered the Treasury to devise a method to tell bills apart. The judge said the Treasury is violating the law by failing to accommodate the blind.

Robertson also noted in a New York court that the monetary system is not blind friendly and violates the Rehabilitation Act’s guarantee of “meaningful access.”

Implemented into law in 1893, the Rehabilitation Act was set into place to guarantee that persons not be discriminated against solely due to physical or mental disabilities. And since then, the U.S. monetary system has yet to change.

If the thought of changing the entire monetary system of America seems a little extreme, how do you think blind people feel?

Many of us have seen or know that it is possible for blind people to count money. But according to http://www.ourmoneytoo.org, since American paper currency is all the same size and texture, it is hard for blind people to tell ones from 20s without help from machines, people with sight or a heightened sense of weight.

In an effort to help assist blind people, Roberson ordered the U.S. Department of Treasury to begin working on a solution within 30 days.

Devising a monetary system that would be easier for blind people is not a bad idea. Solutions such as different-sized bills, embroidering bills with a thick lining or hole punched money, can help the blind differentiate among their dollar bills. Katrelle Simmons for the editorial board.