In this video, Alice sits down with Mark to talk to him about methods that can be used in the identification of money for visually impaired people, including coins and banknotes in the UK. Alice talks through several methods including size and shape, tactile markings and technology.
Summary:
In this video titled “Coin and Banknote Identification,” Alice and Mark discuss money recognition for people with visual impairments. They begin by introducing the tactile features on UK banknotes, implemented by the Bank of England to aid individuals in identifying different denominations by touch. The five-pound note is smooth, the ten-pound note has two clusters of four raised dots in the top left corner (resembling a braille letter “g”), and the twenty-pound note has three such clusters.
They highlight the importance of independence and security in money identification and applaud the bank for acknowledging the needs of visually impaired individuals. While coins have distinct sizes, shapes, and textures, they explain that using technology can be helpful, particularly when dealing with multiple currencies.
Alice demonstrates the “Cash Reader” app, which allows users to identify different currencies, including British pounds, by pointing their phone’s camera at the banknotes. The app works offline after downloading the currency data. Mark mentions the “Scene AI” and “R-Cam Read” apps as well but points out that “Cash Reader” requires a subscription for full functionality.