Hi Vetri,
Thank you so much for taking the time to share those detailed workarounds for managing currency. It is interesting that you mention the technique of folding different denominations distinctly to keep them organized in a wallet. A friend from our community who is no longer with us, Nicolas Verma, actually shared that exact solution with me when we were once discussing various challenges we face. It is a method that certainly resonates with many of us. Your point about using currency identifier apps in controlled environments like home or the office before heading out is also very practical. However, it does highlight the broader issue of how we handle currency when we are on the go. When there were discussions on this mailing list regarding the shift toward plastic currency, I had similar concerns. It forces one to wonder how we will manage our currency if it becomes more challenging to distinguish, especially if we are expected to rely solely on applications. It often leads me to ask: have they truly considered our perspective? Is there anyone representing the community of Persons with Disabilities when such decisions are being made at the RBI? The principle of "Nothing about us, without us" remains vital. While I sometimes feel that debating these topics is becoming a thing of the past thanks to the rise of digital banking and accessible payment gateways like PayTM, Google Pay, and PhonePe, the accessibility of physical currency remains a fundamental necessity. I truly appreciate the time and effort you put into offering these suggestions. From: [email protected] <[email protected]> On Behalf Of [email protected] Sent: Saturday, June 13, 2026 6:20 PM To: [email protected] Subject: RE: [AI] Feedback regarding the practical utility of the MANI app for visually impaired users Hi Cayne, I absolutely agree with your observation. Although it is not a perfect solution, Here’s what I do to cope with the situation: Using the Money or similar apps in boisterous environment is certainly not a perfect solution, but by using them at home or office prior to encountering the outside world to organize denomination notes is possible. If your wallet has several componence, you can use different ones for different notes. E.G. 1 segment for 500, another 1 for 200 etc. This way paying the vender becomes somewhat easier. What if the shop keeper gives you back remaining change? That’s of course risky and I have not come across cheating on that so for to a great extent. Another solution is to purchase small currency reader and I am sure they are available in the market. Using them is somewhat easier than scanning them on your phone. The third easiest solution is to fold different notes distinctly. For example, Fold 500 3 fold, 200 2 fold etc and keep them in your wallet. I hope that it helps. Vetri. From: [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > On Behalf Of Mister Kayne Sent: Saturday, June 13, 2026 4:26 PM To: AccessIndia Group <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> > Subject: [AI] Feedback regarding the practical utility of the MANI app for visually impaired users To the Access India Group, I am writing to express my profound fascination with the "solution" provided by the Reserve Bank of India for currency identification: the MANI (Mobile Aided Note Identifier) app. One has to wonder, in the hallowed halls where this app was conceptualized, how many of the designers have ever actually tried to conduct a financial transaction in the wild—say, at a bustling metro station or a crowded vegetable market—while balancing a white cane in one hand, a wallet in the other, and keeping a phone steady enough to capture a perfect, well-lit, non-soiled image of a banknote. It is truly a marvel of armchair engineering. The assumption appears to be that a person with visual impairment has the luxury of standing perfectly still in a quiet, well-lit studio environment, carefully positioning a pristine, crisp banknote before their rear camera to wait for the software to "think." In the real world, however, we deal with reality: The Noise Factor: Try explaining to an impatient shopkeeper or a crowd of commuters pushing past you that you need a moment of absolute silence to hear the app’s audio announcement. It’s almost as if the designers imagined the entire population of India would pause their lives to accommodate a smartphone’s processing latency. The Multitasking Nightmare: Asking someone to juggle a cane, a phone, and a wallet in a crowded public space is a logistical absurdity. If I have to perform a complex, multi-step digital scan just to confirm I’m handing over the right denomination, I might as well just surrender my wallet and ask the shopkeeper to take whatever they feel like. The Soiled Note Problem: Let us not forget the irony that the app struggles with the very notes that actually circulate in our economy—the worn, crumpled, or slightly soiled ones—which, unsurprisingly, are the ones most often handed to us. One has to ask: who was consulted during the development of this tool? Was it actual users who navigate the chaos of Indian public transport daily, or was it a committee that thought a "vibration notification" was a sufficient substitute for a truly accessible, tactile-friendly currency design? Is this a solution, or is it merely a box-ticking exercise in "digital inclusion" that ignores the fundamental mechanics of daily life? While the intent may have been noble, the execution demonstrates a staggering disconnect from the lived experience of the people it is meant to serve. A truly accessible solution would require no apps, no cameras, and no "perfect" lighting conditions—just currency that is designed to be identified instantly by touch. You can view the details of this tool here: https://rbikehtahai.rbi.org.in/mani-app.html I am curious to hear your thoughts. Do you feel this is a solution that you concur with? If not, what do you believe needs to be done to address such negligence and ignorance when designing solutions for the community? Warm regards, Mister Kayne <https://www.blogger.com/profile/04580049257592982490> Author: The Somebody, Nobody, Anybody <https://www.mister-kayne.com/> & Everybody Blog! Mail: [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> Sent from Outlook® for Windows 11 -- Disclaimer: 1. Contents of the mails, factual, or otherwise, reflect the thinking of the person sending the mail and AI in no way relates itself to its veracity; 2. AI cannot be held liable for any commission/omission based on the mails sent through this mailing list.. 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