The United State Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) is providing currency readers, free of charge, to eligible blind and visually impaired individuals.The reader, called iBill® Currency Identifier, provides a convenient means for blind or visually impaired individuals to identify all Federal Reserve notes (U.S. currency) in circulation. It uses a single AAA battery, which is included, and denominates the note in one of three modes: a clear natural voice, a pattern of tones, or a pattern of vibrations for privacy. The vibration mode also assists people who are deaf and blind.
The U.S. Currency Reader Program is a component of the BEP’s initiative to provide meaningful access to Federal Reserve notes. Currency readers became widely available to all U.S. citizens, or persons legally residing in the U.S. who are blind or visually impaired, on January 2, 2015.
Additional information about the U.S. Currency Reader Program can be found on the Bureau of Engraving and Printing website, http://www.bep.gov/uscurrencyreaderpgm.html
Interested individuals can download the application from the BEP’s website at http://www.bep.gov/uscurrencyreaderform.html.
It must be filled out completely, signed by a competent authority that can certify eligibility, and returned to the mailing address provided on the form.
Also, please feel free to contact the library with any questions, 515-281-1323.
The bill reader is also available as an I-phone ap without certification of blindness.