Talking money identifiers can assist people with visual impairments to recognise note denominations. They work by inserting the bank notes into a machine which reads aloud the denomination. The denomination of the note can also be announced by a tone or by vibration (American Foundation for the Blind 2008).
Workplace solutions and adjustments:
Recognition of bank notes can be very difficult for people with a visual impairment. Although talking money identifiers are accurate, reliable and easy to operate, they have not been developed to cater for Australian currency at this stage. There appears to be plans to reproduce a similar device in Australia to read Australian currency however the device is yet to be developed (Hinwood, Preston, Suaning, & Lovell, 2006).
Below is a list of other ways to identify money that may benefit a person with a visual impairment including:
- Money folding for identification purposes
- money wallets with different sized compartments relating to the different sized bank notes
- note recognition holders which allow the individual to identify the bank note by its length.
(Queensland Blind Association 2000)
Relevant Links:
References:
American Foundation for the Blind 2008, Bank Note Reader, American Foundation for the Blind, New York, viewed 27 March 2008.
Hinwood, A., Preston, P., Suaning, G. J. & Lovell, N. H. 2006, ‘Bank note recognition for the vision impaired’, Australasian Physical and Engineering Sciences in Medical, vol. 9, no. 2, viewed 27 March 2008.
Queensland Blind Association 2000, Products: Money, Queensland Blind Association, Brisbane, viewed 27 March 2008.