Australian currency to be more available to the blind

A new $5 note will be released in Australia on September 1 and it comes with an awesome new feature.

For the first time, the Australian $5 will include a tactile element aimed at helping those of you who have low vision differentiate it from notes of other denominations.

The changes are part of a significant redesign of the country’s currency.

Read more: Could eye exercises be the answer to blindness?

The tweak could help around 360,000 Australians who struggle with vision loss.

Vision Australia lead policy advisor Bruce Maguire told the ABC the new tactile feature — two tiny, raised dots about the size of a sprinkle on a piece of fairy bread — will help every Australian, no matter where they are.

“As a blind person I think this change is one of the most significant — if not the most significant — inclusive actions I’ve seen in Australia in my lifetime because while there have been other inclusive actions, like audible pedestrian crossings, they’re not universal, they differ from state to state.,” Maguire says.

What do you think of this change? If you have low vision, how have you coped in the past?