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Our Stories
Index
"Was It A Hundred, Or A One?" by Michael Gorse
"Accessible Currency Would Help Sighted People Too" by Alison Roberts
"I Enjoyed Accessible Currency in France" by Jessica Barr
"He Could Have Kept The Hundred" by Jonathan Simeone
"Accessible Currency Is So Liberating" by Karla Gilbride
"Don't Want To Be In The Way" by Tyler Terrasi
"A Surprised Cashier" by Peter Smith
"He Never Apologized" by Beverley King
"Europe Is Easier" by Bill Burns
"Am I Too Trusting?" by K.F.H.
"Unnecessary Difficulties" by Patricia Burns
The Stories
Was It A Hundred, Or A One?
"One day, one of my roommates gave me what she said were some hundred-dollar bills to pay me back for money she had borrowed from me. I didn't entirely trust her not to take advantage of me, so I later asked a coworker whom I thought I could trust if the bills were in fact hundreds. He said that they were, so I went home and put them into my bureau until I could get to the bank to deposit them.
"A few days later, I went to buy groceries with a bill that I thought was one of the hundreds, but the cashier told me that it was a one.
"I still have no idea what happened. Maybe my coworker took the hundred and gave me back a one (I think this is unlikely, but technically I can't rule it out). Maybe my roommate took the hundred out of my bureau and put a one in its place. Maybe the cashier was lying to me and ripping me off. I just don't know and probably won't ever know, but there would have been a lot fewer variables if I could tell a one from a hundred myself."
Michael P. Gorse, blind, Software Engineer
"One day, one of my roommates gave me what she said were some hundred-dollar bills to pay me back for money she had borrowed from me. I didn't entirely trust her not to take advantage of me, so I later asked a coworker whom I thought I could trust if the bills were in fact hundreds. He said that they were, so I went home and put them into my bureau until I could get to the bank to deposit them.
"A few days later, I went to buy groceries with a bill that I thought was one of the hundreds, but the cashier told me that it was a one.
"I still have no idea what happened. Maybe my coworker took the hundred and gave me back a one (I think this is unlikely, but technically I can't rule it out). Maybe my roommate took the hundred out of my bureau and put a one in its place. Maybe the cashier was lying to me and ripping me off. I just don't know and probably won't ever know, but there would have been a lot fewer variables if I could tell a one from a hundred myself."
Michael P. Gorse, blind, Software Engineer
Accessible Currency Would Help Sighted People Too
"One morning last fall I missed the bus and decided to take a taxicab to work. I woke up my boyfriend and asked him to lend me $40, and he gave me two bills that we both thought were $20's. My boyfriend and I are both sighted, but maybe because I was in a hurry and he was sleepy, neither of us realized that the bills he gave me were actually a $20 and one of those 'new' $10's that look similar--until I was sitting in the taxi in front of my office downtown, with a $32 fare on the meter and what turned out to be only $30 in my pocket. The driver had to take me around the block (which added to the fare I owed) to an ATM at a convenience store (where I had to pay a fee)--all of which added about $10 extra to what I had to pay to get to work that morning. There's no reason why the government has to make all the bills look and feel so similar, especially since they're already planning to change the currency every few years anyway. 'Accessible' paper currency will end up helping everyone, not just blind people!"
Alison Roberts, 33 years old, sighted
"One morning last fall I missed the bus and decided to take a taxicab to work. I woke up my boyfriend and asked him to lend me $40, and he gave me two bills that we both thought were $20's. My boyfriend and I are both sighted, but maybe because I was in a hurry and he was sleepy, neither of us realized that the bills he gave me were actually a $20 and one of those 'new' $10's that look similar--until I was sitting in the taxi in front of my office downtown, with a $32 fare on the meter and what turned out to be only $30 in my pocket. The driver had to take me around the block (which added to the fare I owed) to an ATM at a convenience store (where I had to pay a fee)--all of which added about $10 extra to what I had to pay to get to work that morning. There's no reason why the government has to make all the bills look and feel so similar, especially since they're already planning to change the currency every few years anyway. 'Accessible' paper currency will end up helping everyone, not just blind people!"
Alison Roberts, 33 years old, sighted
I Enjoyed Accessible Currency in France
"I spent four months studying in France for my college French major. There they use the euro, which varies in size, so it was easy for me to identify which bill was which, once I got used to the system.
"One night while I was there, a friend and I were getting ready to go out to a club. As I was struggling to fit my wallet into my pocket, my friend suggested that I leave it at home and simply carry a little bit of loose cash. People have suggested this to me before, but I would never do it in the U.S. because I would have a hard time keeping track of all that inaccessible paper money without a wallet to organize it in. When my friend in France suggested this, it was the first time in my life that I felt I could use the currency any way I wanted, just like sighted people do. Now that I'm back in the U.S., I really miss the freedom that accessible paper currency offered me in France."
Jessica Barr, college senior, blind
"I spent four months studying in France for my college French major. There they use the euro, which varies in size, so it was easy for me to identify which bill was which, once I got used to the system.
"One night while I was there, a friend and I were getting ready to go out to a club. As I was struggling to fit my wallet into my pocket, my friend suggested that I leave it at home and simply carry a little bit of loose cash. People have suggested this to me before, but I would never do it in the U.S. because I would have a hard time keeping track of all that inaccessible paper money without a wallet to organize it in. When my friend in France suggested this, it was the first time in my life that I felt I could use the currency any way I wanted, just like sighted people do. Now that I'm back in the U.S., I really miss the freedom that accessible paper currency offered me in France."
Jessica Barr, college senior, blind
He Could Have Kept The Hundred
"One night, I came home from work late and I decided to order a pizza. After a long day at the office I did not feel like cooking. After placing my order I took out my twenty-dollar bill and sat down to watch television while I waited for the pizza. Thirty minutes later, my pizza arrived. I went to the door and handed the delivery man my twenty and asked him for five dollars change. He handed me a bill and told me it was a five.
"Over an hour later, as I was watching a basketball game, I heard another knock on my door. I was surprised to hear the knock because it was almost 10 p.m. When I got to the door I asked who was outside. I was shocked when the voice on the other side replied that he was the pizza delivery man. As I was opening the door I began to wonder, 'Did I not pay him enough? Was my twenty really a five?'
"The feelings of embarrassment quickly turned to shock as the man explained to me that I had accidentally given him a one-hundred-dollar bill instead of a twenty. He said he did not notice that it was a one-hundred-dollar bill because the light outside my door was burned out. I could not believe that he had returned the money to me. I let him keep fifty dollars as a tip because, the way I looked at it, I was still ahead thirty dollars and I wanted to reward his honesty.
"As I went to sleep that night, I could not stop thinking about how I had almost lost all that money because of the inaccessible currency used here in America. I was also struck by the fact that the sighted delivery man could not tell the money apart either, because of the darkness outside. I knew that there had to be a better way, a design for American paper money that would protect both the delivery man and me from going through that kind of situation again."
Jonathan Simeone, blind, Attorney with the American Bar Association
"One night, I came home from work late and I decided to order a pizza. After a long day at the office I did not feel like cooking. After placing my order I took out my twenty-dollar bill and sat down to watch television while I waited for the pizza. Thirty minutes later, my pizza arrived. I went to the door and handed the delivery man my twenty and asked him for five dollars change. He handed me a bill and told me it was a five.
"Over an hour later, as I was watching a basketball game, I heard another knock on my door. I was surprised to hear the knock because it was almost 10 p.m. When I got to the door I asked who was outside. I was shocked when the voice on the other side replied that he was the pizza delivery man. As I was opening the door I began to wonder, 'Did I not pay him enough? Was my twenty really a five?'
"The feelings of embarrassment quickly turned to shock as the man explained to me that I had accidentally given him a one-hundred-dollar bill instead of a twenty. He said he did not notice that it was a one-hundred-dollar bill because the light outside my door was burned out. I could not believe that he had returned the money to me. I let him keep fifty dollars as a tip because, the way I looked at it, I was still ahead thirty dollars and I wanted to reward his honesty.
"As I went to sleep that night, I could not stop thinking about how I had almost lost all that money because of the inaccessible currency used here in America. I was also struck by the fact that the sighted delivery man could not tell the money apart either, because of the darkness outside. I knew that there had to be a better way, a design for American paper money that would protect both the delivery man and me from going through that kind of situation again."
Jonathan Simeone, blind, Attorney with the American Bar Association
Accessible Currency Is So Liberating
"I spent six months studying abroad in Scotland during college, and during that time I also visited England, Italy, Ireland, Switzerland and Sweden. In all of those countries the denominations of bills varied by size, and in Scotland and England, where I spent the most time, I got to know the currency so well that I could identify each bill just from its size. I still folded different types of bills differently in my wallet to make it easier to keep track of them, but for the first time in my life, I could tell for myself what the bills were before folding them so I didn't have to ask a sighted person for help.
"It was so liberating not to have to ask cashiers which bills were which when they gave me change. Now that I'm back in the U.S. and I do have to ask again, it bothers me more than it ever did before because now I know firsthand that it doesn't have to be this way."
Karla Gilbride, blind, Law Student at Georgetown University
"I spent six months studying abroad in Scotland during college, and during that time I also visited England, Italy, Ireland, Switzerland and Sweden. In all of those countries the denominations of bills varied by size, and in Scotland and England, where I spent the most time, I got to know the currency so well that I could identify each bill just from its size. I still folded different types of bills differently in my wallet to make it easier to keep track of them, but for the first time in my life, I could tell for myself what the bills were before folding them so I didn't have to ask a sighted person for help.
"It was so liberating not to have to ask cashiers which bills were which when they gave me change. Now that I'm back in the U.S. and I do have to ask again, it bothers me more than it ever did before because now I know firsthand that it doesn't have to be this way."
Karla Gilbride, blind, Law Student at Georgetown University
Don't Want To Be In The Way
"I've had many problems handling money when making purchases at the store. Once, after purchasing a snack for myself at a CVS, I went up to the counter to pay. I had all my money in my wallet, and each bill was folded a certain way. After handing the cashier a ten-dollar bill, the cashier gave me $7.30 back in change. There was a five-dollar bill and two one-dollar bills, as well as thirty cents in change.
"After clarifying with the cashier which bills were what, I opened the compartment in my wallet to put the money back in. However, my hands were full and I couldn't handle everything I was holding. I had my wallet, the thirty cents in change, and the bills, which I was trying to fold. After I started to fold the first bill, the wallet and the money slipped right out of my hand and fell onto the floor. Some of the money in the wallet fell out as well.
"I was really nervous, since I knew there were many other people waiting in line behind me. Not caring at this point which bills were what, I just grabbed everything on the floor and shoved it back into my wallet, because I knew that there were people waiting. Now all the money in my wallet was disorganized.
"When I got home, I knew that I wouldn't be able to use the money again or organize it until I could find someone to tell me what the different bills were."
Tyler Terrasi, blind, high school student
"I've had many problems handling money when making purchases at the store. Once, after purchasing a snack for myself at a CVS, I went up to the counter to pay. I had all my money in my wallet, and each bill was folded a certain way. After handing the cashier a ten-dollar bill, the cashier gave me $7.30 back in change. There was a five-dollar bill and two one-dollar bills, as well as thirty cents in change.
"After clarifying with the cashier which bills were what, I opened the compartment in my wallet to put the money back in. However, my hands were full and I couldn't handle everything I was holding. I had my wallet, the thirty cents in change, and the bills, which I was trying to fold. After I started to fold the first bill, the wallet and the money slipped right out of my hand and fell onto the floor. Some of the money in the wallet fell out as well.
"I was really nervous, since I knew there were many other people waiting in line behind me. Not caring at this point which bills were what, I just grabbed everything on the floor and shoved it back into my wallet, because I knew that there were people waiting. Now all the money in my wallet was disorganized.
"When I got home, I knew that I wouldn't be able to use the money again or organize it until I could find someone to tell me what the different bills were."
Tyler Terrasi, blind, high school student
A Surprised Cashier
"I was in a checkout line at my company's cafeteria. I had three one-dollar bills in one compartment and three twenty dollar bills in another part of my wallet. Ordinarily I prefer to use my debit card, but I had to fly out of town that evening and cash is necessary. I usually manage to fold my bills to differentiate between them, but I hadn't managed to do this yet.
"So the time came to pay for my $2.85 sandwich. I pulled three bills out of my wallet and handed them to the cashier. She exclaimed aloud '$60 for a three-dollar sandwich!' Oops. I quickly fixed this mistake. But I am fortunate that I surprised the cashier. A deceptive person could have easily handed me back coins as change for three one-dollar bills and I would never have realized the problem until I was headed to the airport."
Peter Smith, Boston, MA
"I was in a checkout line at my company's cafeteria. I had three one-dollar bills in one compartment and three twenty dollar bills in another part of my wallet. Ordinarily I prefer to use my debit card, but I had to fly out of town that evening and cash is necessary. I usually manage to fold my bills to differentiate between them, but I hadn't managed to do this yet.
"So the time came to pay for my $2.85 sandwich. I pulled three bills out of my wallet and handed them to the cashier. She exclaimed aloud '$60 for a three-dollar sandwich!' Oops. I quickly fixed this mistake. But I am fortunate that I surprised the cashier. A deceptive person could have easily handed me back coins as change for three one-dollar bills and I would never have realized the problem until I was headed to the airport."
Peter Smith, Boston, MA
He Never Apologized
"I take the train every week to South Station in downtown Boston, then on to the Red Line subway, or another commuter train. One day I stopped for coffee at one of the stands in one of the stations. Before I left, I put a $20 bill in my wallet. I bought the coffee and the man just handed my change back in one lump sum. With my white cane in one hand, my backpack in the other, I just took the change and crammed it in my already filled pockets. I sat down, gathered the change, got my 8x magnifier out and counted that he had only given me change for $10, not $20.
"I politely went back and told him the story. He never apologized, just handed me the other $10. I guess the moral of the story is to make sure that when you receive change back, have them count it dollar for dollar, not just one lump of change. Usually, I'm in such a hurry, I never take the time to count my change--don't even want to think about the money I've lost. Maybe it was just a mistake, but I don't think so, just by his attitude."
Beverley King, Alumni Committee, Carroll Center for the Blind, Newton, MA
"I take the train every week to South Station in downtown Boston, then on to the Red Line subway, or another commuter train. One day I stopped for coffee at one of the stands in one of the stations. Before I left, I put a $20 bill in my wallet. I bought the coffee and the man just handed my change back in one lump sum. With my white cane in one hand, my backpack in the other, I just took the change and crammed it in my already filled pockets. I sat down, gathered the change, got my 8x magnifier out and counted that he had only given me change for $10, not $20.
"I politely went back and told him the story. He never apologized, just handed me the other $10. I guess the moral of the story is to make sure that when you receive change back, have them count it dollar for dollar, not just one lump of change. Usually, I'm in such a hurry, I never take the time to count my change--don't even want to think about the money I've lost. Maybe it was just a mistake, but I don't think so, just by his attitude."
Beverley King, Alumni Committee, Carroll Center for the Blind, Newton, MA
Europe Is Easier
"The feeling of inadequacy, frustration and oftentimes, embarrassment occur so often for me at the store. I'm legally blind and extremely light sensitive, so when I'm using currency for a transaction, it's often a guess at using the right bill or depending upon the good will of the cashier to be honest with me. You can fold your bills all you like, but when you're getting currency back after a purchase, you're dependent on the cashier to count back the currency and you've got little or no time to fold and place in your wallet the cash back. I often can hear the impatience of other customers behind me in line and trust me, I hate this.
"Making numerous cash transactions in one day using our current method of currency is a real struggle for me. I'm just not sure what I've got now in my wallet and will often limit my shopping trip to one or two stores only...when the purchases are not available over the Internet.
"I travel to Europe frequently. Most countries there have implemented different currency sizes that allow everyone to quickly identify a bill. Shopping there is so much easier and you can actually look forward to going to the store by yourself and not dread it."
Bill Burns, legally blind, 46 years old
"The feeling of inadequacy, frustration and oftentimes, embarrassment occur so often for me at the store. I'm legally blind and extremely light sensitive, so when I'm using currency for a transaction, it's often a guess at using the right bill or depending upon the good will of the cashier to be honest with me. You can fold your bills all you like, but when you're getting currency back after a purchase, you're dependent on the cashier to count back the currency and you've got little or no time to fold and place in your wallet the cash back. I often can hear the impatience of other customers behind me in line and trust me, I hate this.
"Making numerous cash transactions in one day using our current method of currency is a real struggle for me. I'm just not sure what I've got now in my wallet and will often limit my shopping trip to one or two stores only...when the purchases are not available over the Internet.
"I travel to Europe frequently. Most countries there have implemented different currency sizes that allow everyone to quickly identify a bill. Shopping there is so much easier and you can actually look forward to going to the store by yourself and not dread it."
Bill Burns, legally blind, 46 years old
Am I Too Trusting?
"Sometimes I can fumble for a long time trying to find the large number on the back of a bill and then I have to hold it really close to my face to read it. Then of course when I have paid for something, I don't even bother to count my change because I am already in the way. Sometimes I just leave, and then sometimes later I find out that the bills I got back were not the correct ones. I guess it's just my fault for being so trusting of people."
K.F.H., visually impaired
"Sometimes I can fumble for a long time trying to find the large number on the back of a bill and then I have to hold it really close to my face to read it. Then of course when I have paid for something, I don't even bother to count my change because I am already in the way. Sometimes I just leave, and then sometimes later I find out that the bills I got back were not the correct ones. I guess it's just my fault for being so trusting of people."
K.F.H., visually impaired
Unnecessary Difficulties
"I am the mother of a legally blind son who is also extremely sensitive to light. He was formerly a bank executive for 25 years prior to his condition being diagnosed 3 years ago. So, you'd think he'd transition easily to a new way of handling currency: he has not. As I often drive him to stores not accessible by other means of transit, I can see how difficult it is for him when making purchases.
"He avoids check card & credit card purchases in public whenever possible because trying to sign off or input a Pin # can be problematic & often requires assistance from a clerk. He has learned all the techniques to lead an independent life, but it's hard for me to see the challenges he often faces when making currency transactions. Shopping for food, clothes, household items, personal grooming products, medicines, gifts...all for which, most of us take for granted, is a challenge for him. He dislikes the fact that he must ask a clerk to tell him the denomations of cash being returned to him in front of other customers. He usually folds his money & knows how much he has with him when we start shopping. By the end of the trip, he's made multiple transactions & is often confused with how much cash remains in his wallet. He hates to ask me how much he has left & we often go to a bank ATM to get more cash because he doesn't like to carry large sums with him. Personal finances are just that...personal. It's not always personal for a blind or visually impaired person.
"Since my son's vision loss, I have witnessed a remarkable man overcome so many odds with grace, dignity & good humor. The least we, the sighted community, should be able to do, is to make simple changes to our currency that will enable all blind & visually impaired persons a simpler, more dignified & safer way to handle money."
Patricia Burns, mother of a visually impaired son
"I am the mother of a legally blind son who is also extremely sensitive to light. He was formerly a bank executive for 25 years prior to his condition being diagnosed 3 years ago. So, you'd think he'd transition easily to a new way of handling currency: he has not. As I often drive him to stores not accessible by other means of transit, I can see how difficult it is for him when making purchases.
"He avoids check card & credit card purchases in public whenever possible because trying to sign off or input a Pin # can be problematic & often requires assistance from a clerk. He has learned all the techniques to lead an independent life, but it's hard for me to see the challenges he often faces when making currency transactions. Shopping for food, clothes, household items, personal grooming products, medicines, gifts...all for which, most of us take for granted, is a challenge for him. He dislikes the fact that he must ask a clerk to tell him the denomations of cash being returned to him in front of other customers. He usually folds his money & knows how much he has with him when we start shopping. By the end of the trip, he's made multiple transactions & is often confused with how much cash remains in his wallet. He hates to ask me how much he has left & we often go to a bank ATM to get more cash because he doesn't like to carry large sums with him. Personal finances are just that...personal. It's not always personal for a blind or visually impaired person.
"Since my son's vision loss, I have witnessed a remarkable man overcome so many odds with grace, dignity & good humor. The least we, the sighted community, should be able to do, is to make simple changes to our currency that will enable all blind & visually impaired persons a simpler, more dignified & safer way to handle money."
Patricia Burns, mother of a visually impaired son