A wallet with ‘eyes’: help for the visually challenged with currencies

National Association for the Blind — Tamil Nadu has launched an initiative to distribute Vision Wallets to visually impaired individuals with an event organised at its office in Chennai on March 13. The assistive device spells out the denomination of a currency note

Anyone with normal vision would need just a quarter of a glance to distinguish a ₹50 note from a ₹500 note. For a visually impaired individual, any effort in that direction would require dependence on others. The Tamil Nadu state branch of National Association for the Blind (NAB) is seeking to cut out that dependence by distributing “Vision Wallets” to visually impaired individuals. On March 13, at its office in Kodungaiyur, it distributed these Vision Wallets to 15 visually impaired women, to mark International Women’s Day. The 15 are part of a batch of 250 visually impaired individuals across Tamil Nadu to receive this assistive device. The Vision Wallets are sponsored by Synamedia India Pvt. Ltd., Tharamani; Reachem Laboratory Chemicals Pvt. Ltd.; and the Rotaract Clubs. Applications would open after this batch of 250 are served.

What is a Vision Wallet anyway? Developed by H Vision India Pvt. Ltd., the device allows users to instantly identify currency denominations and detect counterfeit notes without relying on a smartphone or internet connectivity. It resembles a conventional men’s wallet fitted with a compact electronic module. Embedded sensors detect the currency note and relay the denomination through audio output in Hindi and English. Specially designed grooves guide the note into position from any corner, enabling the sensors to read it accurately and announce the value almost instantly without internet connectivity.

The device came to NAB’s attention after one of the organisation’s secretaries encountered it at an assistive technology exhibition organised by Vellore Institute of Technology. Dipti Bhatia, CEO of NAB’s Tamil Nadu branch, says it was obvious to them that it offered a practical solution. “Many people think visually impaired persons can simply use smartphones or Google Pay,” she observes. “But not everyone owns a smartphone or is comfortable using one. Even existing apps require scanning and waiting, and sometimes the voice output is too soft or the scan fails. The wallet offers a simple and quick hands-on solution.”

At the event at NAB’s Chennai office on March 13, 2026 to distribute Vision Wallets to beneficiaries. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

The organisation received more than 250 applications from across the State. However, limited funding meant only a small number of wallets could be distributed in the first phase. Beneficiaries were selected based on income: those earning less than ₹2 lakh annually received the device free of cost; those earning between ₹2 lakh and ₹5 lakh paid a nominal contribution of ₹500; and those earning above ₹5 lakh are expected to purchase it independently. The device carries an approximate market price of ₹3,600. Priority was also given to students and individuals who frequently handle cash such as street vendors, small traders and others whose livelihoods depend on regular cash transactions.

The initiative was spearheaded by Vikas, honorary secretary of the NAB Tamil Nadu branch After testing it, he recognised its practicality immediately. “When I placed currency notes on the device, I found it to be very useful and practical,” he said. The initiative also hit an early setback when an NGO that had initially planned to supply the wallets withdrew from the programme, by which point hundreds had already applied. “We felt we could not abandon them because the wallet could significantly improve their independence,” said Vikas. The organisation turned to donors and supporters to sustain the project.