Blind Can Bowl But They Can't Read US Currency

Two stories about the blind are making headlines. First, a 94 year-old blind woman bowled a score of 244.

Second, an association for the blind won a case in District Court to make US currency bills accessible to them. This story has largely flown under the radar but has big consequences, as it requires the Treasury to redesign the currency.

Robertson said U.S. paper money violates the Rehabilitation Act, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability in government programs. The opinion came after a four-year legal fight.

However uncaring it might seem to oppose this ruling, the economic impact is big, as every ATM, stamp vending machine, cash drawer, soda vending machine, public transit fare system and wallet in the US are designed around a same-sized bill, which this ruling seeks to change by mandating different sized bills. The cost to the public will be staggering.

NPR had a great talk session on the hazards of this ruling and its relative costs and benefits.