In March, during our Josephine L. Taylor Leadership Institute, I was preparing a presentation demonstrating the built-in accessibility of Apple's iPhone and iPad devices when I heard about a new money identifier app: the LookTel Money Reader.
LookTel's Money Reader is a $1.99 app available from Apple's App Store, and it is by far the best currency identification tool I have ever used. It is certainly a tremendous bargain compared to the dedicated currency identification gadgets on the market priced in the $100-$300 range, and I have found it to be more accurate and much faster and easier to use. You simply wave your iPhone, iPod or iPad over the bill, with no need to flatten or straighten it out, and a voice quickly tells you the denomination. This app works on the iPhone 3G S or later, and it works on the iPad 2 and the iPod Touch (4th generation).
This app also caught the eye of representatives of the U.S. Treasury's Bureau of Engraving and Printing, who attended JLTLI. They are currently working on ideas for making U.S. currency accessible to people with vision loss, and an app like this could be one solution. Read more about their efforts.
Meanwhile, if you have an iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad and have purchased the app yourself, please share your experiences in the comments.
