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Stańczyk by Jan Matejko; source: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e3/Stanczyk_Matejko.JPG
May 21
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the above image from here is of the five different Australian currency notes presently in circulation you’ll notice that they are of different widths, increasing with the denomination the Stumblng Tumblr thought it worth displaying them to those who aren’t familar with them because of this story: A federal appeals court yesterday [MAY 20] upheld a lower court’s ruling that the U.S. currency system discriminates against blind people because bills of different denominations are the same size, shape and color and cannot be easily distinguished by the visually impaired.In a 2 to 1 decision, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit said the existing currency system violates the federal Rehabilitation Act. The judges said that the Treasury Department must find a way to accommodate the needs of the visually impaired. … … [T]he court said Treasury did not prove that changing the currency system would unduly burden the federal government. it seems that the lower court whose decision was affirmed had said “that of more than 170 countries that print paper currency, only the United States prints bills that are identical in size and color regardless of denomination” of course, the fat lady hasn’t sung yet: the gummint might try to appeal to the SCOTUS; Congress might amend the law which led to the result; however, in the absence of those things, we’ll look to see the US join the other 170 or so countries, including Oz ——
  • the above image from here is of the five different Australian currency notes presently in circulation
  • you’ll notice that they are of different widths, increasing with the denomination
  • the Stumblng Tumblr thought it worth displaying them to those who aren’t familar with them because of this story:
A federal appeals court yesterday [MAY 20] upheld a lower court’s ruling that the U.S. currency system discriminates against blind people because bills of different denominations are the same size, shape and color and cannot be easily distinguished by the visually impaired.

In a 2 to 1 decision, a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit said the existing currency system violates the federal Rehabilitation Act. The judges said that the Treasury Department must find a way to accommodate the needs of the visually impaired.

…

… [T]he court said Treasury did not prove that changing the currency system would unduly burden the federal government.

  • it seems that the lower court whose decision was affirmed had said “that of more than 170 countries that print paper currency, only the United States prints bills that are identical in size and color regardless of denomination”
  • of course, the fat lady hasn’t sung yet: the gummint might try to appeal to the SCOTUS; Congress might amend the law which led to the result; however, in the absence of those things, we’ll look to see the US join the other 170 or so countries, including Oz
——