The Royal Mint wanted to introduce £1 and 20p coins in the early 1980’s and the Psychology Dept at Nottingham, where I was a student, was asked to help ensure the design of each coin reflected its value and would be usable by people with visual or tactile disabilities. In doing the research it became clear that everyone benefits from these universal design considerations since everyone likes to have a sense of which coin is which when reaching into a pocket or purse( for example). A well-sighted person may have no problem distinguishing two coins when looking at both of them, but identifying which one is in your hand without looking is a much more representative task.
Universal Design in 1980
