As of this writing, there is nothing currently built into U.S. paper currency to help those with visual impairments distinguish one denomination from another. Additionally, all bills have the same size and shape. So how do blind people differentiate currency?
Here are a few ways:
- They have a friend or relative arrange their money for them.
- They trust the cashier they are working with to be honest.
- They mark them in some way themselves, like folding a corner, or attaching a paper clip in specific spots.
- In recent years, it’s become possible to use a phone app to identify the bill.
- The iBill Talking Bank Note Identifier is a small device available free of charge from the Treasury Department to any US citizen who is blind or visually impaired that helps identify their notes.
Like everyone else in the U.S., they also just use credit cards or their phone to conduct electronic payments.
In some other countries, bills are available at other sizes, and/or there are tactile marks embedded in the currency to help distinguish the bills from each other.
