[NEWS] Australia launches tactile banknotes to aid the blind

[TheABELBOTO]

http://www.bbc.com/news/blogs-news-from-elsewhere-37231007

Australia's newest banknote goes into circulation on 1 September with a tiny new feature designed to help people who are blind or visually impaired.
The A$5 note has two raised dots on both of its long sides, allowing those who cannot see to identify its value, ABC News reports. It's the country's first note to feature the tactile markings, and is being hailed as a major breakthrough. "For the first time in the history of Australian currency it will be possible for someone who is blind or vision-impaired to just pick up a note and know instantly what it is," says Bruce Maguire from the non-profit Vision Australia organisation. He says the change will help 360,000 Australians.

[Ad Bot]

[Tactical Nuke]

what happens when the dots get crushed or crumpled up

[Poliwhirl]

hey thats a pretty good idea

what happens when the dots get crushed or crumpled up

they do what they've been doing before the bumps were even implemented

[Tactical Nuke]

hey thats a pretty good ideathey do what they've been doing before the bumps were even implemented

doesn't that make it somewhat pointless though?

if you want to make changes you want them to last the test of time

[Poliwhirl]

doesn't that make it somewhat pointless though?

if you want to make changes you want them to last the test of time

i doubt the bumps will really be made that fragile. they'll at least be moderately useful for blind people. anything helps, or something.

[ArmyUnit]

I keep misreading "tactile" as "tactical" in the thread title

[Dreams_Of_Cheese]

I keep misreading "tactile" as "tactical" in the thread title

i refuse to spend money if it doesn't have a foregrip attached

[ReddBoi]

i refuse to spend money if it doesn't have a foregrip attached

and a good iron sight

[McJob]

what happens when the dots get crushed or crumpled up

Our money is made of a special plastic and old notes/coins are commonly collected and destroyed to allow for new notes/coins to replace them. The notes already have several unique features such as a little "window" and a stack of UV-light elements to protect against counterfeiting.

Believe me; it's going to be extremely tough to break the dots.

[ReddBoi]

^

[Foxscotch]

I keep misreading "tactile" as "tactical" in the thread title

me too, especially after "Australia launches"

[TheABELBOTO]

me too, especially after "Australia launches"

Death by a million papercuts

[Ravencroft·]

what happens when the dots get crushed or crumpled up

Australia uses a polymer-based synthetic plastic in the production of their banknotes so that probably wouldn't happen unless someone really tried to crush them. Even then there would probably be some sort of texture left.