May 22, 2008
A court ruling, another lesson on accessibility
Court rules that US currency discriminates against the blind
The Vision 5K raises hundreds of thousands of dollars each year to help the blind and visually impaired. Convert that money to bills of different denominations, however, and a blind person would be unable to tell them apart. It is a situation that leaves anyone with limited vision insecure and vulnerable when using cash.
But in a 2-1 ruling this week by the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, the blind won a significant victory to remedy this vexing problem. The court ruled that US currency discriminates against the blind and those with visual impairment because the currency is all the same size, no matter what the value.
Within the ruling is a larger lesson, one that is at the heart of the Vision 5K. Too often, barriers to helping the blind and visually impaired arise from a lack of will, rather than a lack of resources, tools, and techniques. For example, many countries employ strategies such as tactile features, different sizes, and varied colors to make their money accessible--and all of these options have been long been available to the US Treasury.
At the Vision 5K, our runners and walkers have the will to make a difference. Join us on June 7 to see what you're made of.
Read about the ruling here.
