Friday, June 22 2012

MEMBERS of the Trinidad and Tobago Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired welcomed the introduction of embossed bank notes, saying this will give the blind and visually impaired greater independence in managing their money.

The new $50 note, launched by the Central Bank on Wednesday in commemoration of this country celebrating this year, its 50th anniversary of Independence, will feature a series of raised bars at the top left and right sides of each note. The feature will also be introduced on the existing $1, $5, $10, $20 and $100 denominations in the future.

Claudette Paponette, President of the Trinidad and Tobago Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired told Newsday yesterday she thought the new features were excellent.

She said, as it is now, when a visually impaired person goes to the bank, they have to trust that they are receiving the correct amount. With the raised, embossed features, “It’s heartening to know that people are thinking of us (the visually impaired),” she said.

“There are many persons in this country who will appreciate these new features as we would be able to be much more independent especially when it comes to money.”

Workshop manager at the association Floyd Lalite also welcomed the change. He said that while a visually impaired man can feel the difference in coins, notes in the present form pose a challenge.

“That is great news. It will be a great thing to have embossed features on our local currency. At the moment, we have to ask someone we trust to identify money for us. We have to trust and hope but with these features, we will now know for sure,” Lalite said. “If they can add that feature to the rest of the notes sooner rather than later, that too would be wonderful.”