[accessibleimage] Redesign of bills

Excerpt form The New York Times
May 22, 2008

The Blind Welcome a Ruling That May Help Them Count Their Cash
Harold Wenning, 69, remembers what he called “the one-for-five trick” from his days running a news kiosk in Midtown Manhattan.
“They’ll say it’s a five and give you a one,” he said. “I had a guy say it was a 20 once and he gave me a one. I had a guy buy a roll of quarters from me and he gave me a dollar. That happens.”
It happens for two reasons. All the bills have the same size and feel, and Mr. Wenning has been totally blind for 30 years.
On Tuesday, a federal appeals court panel in Washington upheld a lower court ruling that said the government discriminated against the blind or partly blind by making its paper money all the same size and texture. Under the ruling, which may be appealed, the Treasury Department may need to redesign its bills, and vending machines may need to be refitted to accommodate new currency. 
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/22/nyregion/22blind.html?_r=1&oref=slogin&pagewanted=print

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