As an additional step to provide meaningful access to US Federal Reserve Notes, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) has announced the development of a free downloadable application (app) to assist the blind and visually impaired in denominating US currency. The app, called EyeNote™, is a mobile device app designed for Apple iPhone (3G, 3Gs, 4), and the 4th Generation iPod Touch and iPad2 platforms.
The app uses image recognition technology to determine a note’s denomination. The mobile device’s camera requires 51 percent of a note’s scanned image, front or back, to process. In a matter of seconds, EyeNote™ provides an audible or vibrating response, and can denominate all Federal Reserve notes issued since 1996.
EyeNote™ is available starting today through the Apple iTunes App Store. Free downloads will be available whenever new US currency designs are introduced.
The EyeNoteTM app is one of a variety of measures the government is working to deploy to assist the visually impaired community to denominate currency, as proposed in a recent Federal Register notice. These measures include implementing a Currency Reader Program whereby a United States resident, who is blind or visually impaired, may obtain a coupon that can be applied toward the purchase of a device to denominate United States currency; continuing to add large high contrast numerals and different background colors to redesigned currency; and, raised tactile features may be added to redesigned currency, which would provide users with a means of identifying each denomination via touch.
More information is available at www.eyenote.gov or through email at .
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