Hi, I don't have any issue with it. Mani app works fine for me. Using earphones/headphones in crowded environment is a good idea.
On Sat, Jun 13, 2026 at 4:25 PM Mister Kayne <[email protected]> wrote: > 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 & Everybody Blog! > <https://www.mister-kayne.com/> > > Mail: [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.. > > > Search for old postings at: > http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ > --- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "AccessIndia" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > To view this discussion visit > https://groups.google.com/a/accessindia.org.in/d/msgid/accessindia/00e601dcfb23%242ebcbb20%248c363160%24%40mister-kayne.com > <https://groups.google.com/a/accessindia.org.in/d/msgid/accessindia/00e601dcfb23%242ebcbb20%248c363160%24%40mister-kayne.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer> > . > -- Thanks/regards: Vaibhav Bhandari -- 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.. Search for old postings at: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "AccessIndia" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/a/accessindia.org.in/d/msgid/accessindia/CADDLUp3w4smO1VK8LB6gQ4-AozMKrn38mNWdy2c1xwsHkqruHQ%40mail.gmail.com.
