The new five-dollar bill has a bump on each side of the long edges of the banknote so that blind and vision-impaired people can easily read the note like braille.
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The $5 is the first denomination in the new “Next Generation” banknote series, with the next to be updated the $10 next year.
This crisp, pink sheet of plastic is the first ever Australian note that can be read by the blind.
In an effort to stay ahead of counterfeiters and make their currency more inclusive for the vision-impaired the Australian treasury has introduced a new note.
Although the new $5 notes are being released this week, the RBA says consumers may only notice them gradually appearing at the shops, as banks distribute the new currency to retailers and other customers.
The raised tactile dots on the new note have been introduced to help vision impaired people.
“Although we’re moving to a cashless society, there’re many things you still use cash for – from pizza delivery to getting a coffee”.
But whenever an existing banknote gets a design overhaul, like the latest release of the new five dollar note, it’s sure to turn some heads and open some wallets.
Maguire says the feature will be a massive confidence boost for many who have struggled with earlier notes.
“We’ll have more confidence and will be able to deal with it immediately”, he says.
In addition to petitioning the Reserve Bank of Australia about the currency itself, McLeod approached the Commonwealth Bank, requesting the addition of a text-to-speech feature on the country’s electronic payment machines (known as Eftpos). Businesses should handle the counterfeit note as little as possible and make note of any descriptive information they can give to the police about the person who was using the fake note.
The Reserve Bank of Australia has just unveiled the new $5 design, which will be available for use from 1 September.
The vision-impared have also been considered with two tactile features to help identify the note.
“It really ramped up at that point”, Maguire says.
Much of the initiative was led by 15-year-old Connor McLeod from Sydney who was born blind.
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That said, GovNews chose to check out if local banks in North Sydney had yet received any new five dollar notes.
