TheCanadian currency tactile feature is a feature on theCanadian Journey andFrontier series ofCanadian banknotes to aid people who arevisually impaired to identify the notes. The feature indicates the banknote denomination in the upper left corner of the face side of the bill using a series of raised dots. It was suggested by Bruno Thériault, an administrator for theCanadian National Institute for the Blind,[1] and designed bySusan Lederman, a professor ofpsychology atQueen's University.[2][3]
Although similar in appearance tobraille, it differs because standard Braille was deemed too sensitive. The currency denomination must be recognized easily, thus the banknotes use full braille blocks (or cells) of 6 dots,⟨⠿⟩. The $5 bill has one cell, with the $10, $20, and $50 denominations each having one more cell than previous. The $100 bill has two cells arranged such that there is a space of two empty cells between them:⟨⠿⠀⠀⠿⟩.[3][4]
A very similar system of tactile raised dots is now being implemented in a new series of notes for theCosta Rican colón.[citation needed]
TheU.S. Treasury has announced that the new$10 note will also have a tactile feature.[5]
The tactile feature consists of symbols of six raised dots (two columns of three) separated by a smooth surface. The number and position of these six-dot symbols vary according to the denomination:[6]
As CNIB District Administrator, ....The Canadian Government is now able to print Canadian (paper) money with Braille writing due to a recommendation from Bruno in the 1990s.