by Shirin Wheeler in Belgium
(Reprinted from the BBC online.)
For partially sighted and blind people, the introduction of the euro in 12 countries of the European Union at the end of the year is a potentially daunting prospect. There are seven notes and eight coins to get used to, and not much time to do it.
Without special training there have been worries that the EU’s 7.4 million visually impaired people could miss out on valuable information during the switch over. But organizations representing blind people in Europe say the new currency’s design should prove relatively easy to deal with. “As a blind person I want my currency to be clear and above all I need to feel sure of it. I think the euro is going to be a real improvement on what we’ve got now,” says Nicole Van Royen, who does not find Belgium’s national currency easy to deal with.
It is hard to distinguish between the notes and the minimal amount of relief put on them to help the visually impaired has long since worn away. Nicole will be happy next year to pay for her favorite cigars with a euro instead.
Primary school children at the Uccle School in Brussels, run by the Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind People, have been working with the training games and replica coins specially produced for visually impaired people around Europe. Faces set with concentration, small fingers trace round the coins picking out the different textures and ridging. “It’s not going to be a problem. It’s easy to feel and recognize the coins,” 11-year-old Kelly says jubilantly.
Blind groups have been pleased with the design of the coins. Wasim agrees: “They’ve got ridges and relief. Each one is different.” Getting the design right on the notes and coins has taken seven years of hard lobbying and negotiation between Europe’s blind groups and the currency designers. But there have been disappointments too — campaigners lost their battle for a hexagonal or multi-edged coin like the ones in Britain. It was fiercely opposed by the vending machine industry.
But even so, Europe’s blind associations say the euro will be a huge improvement on most national currencies. The notes have also been specially designed. In spite of big extra costs the European Central Bank agreed to print them in different sizes and to use bold colors and relief for the blind and partially sighted. “This is the first time that the authorities have consulted associations representing the blind before and not after the event. We really are very happy with the outcome,” says Jean-Pierre Lhoest, chair of the European Blind Union’s special euro group which negotiated with the ECB and the various national mints to get a good deal for the blind.
Millions of euros in funds have also been made available for training programs and in Belgium they are also hoping to issue every blind and partially sighted person a special vocal currency converter. But for Europe’s blind and sighted citizens the real test of these good intentions and the new money will start on New Year’s Day.