The Department of Education has created a new mobile application that assists blind or visually impaired people in identifying U.S. currency.
The IDEAL Currency Identifier was developed by IDEAL Group, IQ Engines, and the Wireless Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center at the Georgia Institute of Technology through a grant from the Department of Education’s National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, a component of the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services.
The app, which interacts with Google’s “Eyes-Free” applications, can be downloaded for free on more than 1,250 different wireless devices. The IDEAL Currency Identifier was developed by Apps4Android, Inc., a subsidiary of IDEAL Group that develops mobile applications. Android-based devices are produced by 48 manufacturers and distributed by 60 wireless service providers in 136 countries.
Treasurer of the United States Rosie Rios applauded Education’s role in the app’s development.
“Treasury is committed to providing meaningful access to U.S. currency and, by using technology, we can help hundreds of thousands of individuals who are blind or visually impaired,” she said. “Our collaboration with the Department of Education allowed us to be resourceful and, in turn, more individuals will have the means to independently denominate the U.S. currency they use in daily commerce.”
