> > Hi Mr. cane, > > > I have read your email with great interest. First of all, I am glad that > we have platforms like Access India where members of the visually impaired > community can openly share their experiences and discuss challenges > encountered in daily life. >
> Regarding the MANI app, I completely agree with the concerns you have > highlighted. I am a regular user of the app myself, and while I acknowledge > that it has been helpful in certain situations, it also has several > significant limitations that affect its usefulness in real-world > environments. > Some of these limitations have already been discussed, such as > difficulties in noisy surroundings and the inability to reliably identify > worn, crumpled, or soiled currency notes. I would like to add a few more > observations based on my personal experience: > • The app does not recognize coins, which means it provides only a partial > solution for currency identification. > • Even in a quiet environment, the app can sometimes take a considerable > amount of time to identify a note. > • There have been instances where the app has incorrectly identified a > denomination, which can create confusion and potentially lead to financial > loss. > > While it is difficult for a customer to use the app in a busy marketplace, > I would like to highlight another important scenario: what about a > shopkeeper who is visually impaired? > A visually impaired shopkeeper may need to verify multiple notes received > from customers throughout the day. Is it realistic to expect customers to > wait while the shopkeeper opens the app and scans every note individually? > What happens when the transaction involves a large amount of money and > several notes of different denominations? In such situations, the practical > limitations of the app become even more apparent. > > I would also like to draw attention to the design of coins in India. In > many cases, even people without visual impairments find it difficult to > distinguish between certain denominations, particularly when coins are worn > through regular circulation. It is not uncommon to see sighted individuals > having to look closely at a coin or spend extra time identifying its value. > This highlights an important principle: accessibility benefits everyone, > not just persons with disabilities. Better currency design would assist not > only people who are blind or have low vision, but also elderly individuals, > people with age-related or minor vision loss, and even fully sighted > individuals who may be trying to identify currency in poor lighting > conditions, bright sunlight, or other challenging environments. > Accessibility should not be viewed as a special accommodation for a > particular group, but as a fundamental aspect of good design that benefits > society as a whole. > > For these reasons, I believe that technology-based solutions such as MANI > should be viewed only as supplementary aids and not as substitutes for > accessible currency design. > The real solution lies in designing currency notes and coins that can be > easily distinguished by touch. I am not specifically referring to Braille, > since a large proportion of visually impaired individuals are not Braille > readers. Instead, currency should incorporate clear and consistent tactile > features and distinct sizes that allow denominations to be identified > quickly and independently. > Although Indian currency notes currently vary in size, denominations such > as ₹10, ₹20, ₹50, and ₹100 have appeared in multiple designs and sizes over > the years, which can create confusion. A more consistent approach, with a > unique and standardized size and tactile pattern for each denomination, > would significantly improve accessibility and independence for persons with > visual impairments. > > Accessibility should not depend on a smartphone, a camera, adequate > lighting, processing time, or ideal environmental conditions. A person > should be able to identify currency instantly and confidently through touch > alone. Until that becomes a reality, solutions like MANI can only serve as > temporary workarounds rather than complete solutions. > > Thank you for initiating this important discussion. I hope that future > currency design and accessibility initiatives will involve meaningful > consultation with persons with visual impairments and focus on solutions > that work effectively in real-life situations. > > Kind regards, > > Renuka Gupta > Senior Accessibility Tester | CPACC > -- 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/CAHxE1gfQ-GB8CeOLqA5QE6Zixo7QQb6%3Djya0T2UJhKVbd6Z%3DGA%40mail.gmail.com.
