[nagdu] Fw: Did anyone watch the home makeover show yesterday?

cheryl echevarria cherylandmaxx at hotmail.com
Wed Dec 8 12:14:31 UTC 2010


I read this.

The biggest compliment you can pay me is to recommend my services!

Cheryl Echevarria 
http://Echevarriatravel.com<http://echevarriatravel.com/>
1-866-580-5574
Reservations at echevarriatravel.com<mailto:Reservations at echevarriatravel.com>

Affiliated as an Independent Contractor with Montrose Travel CST-1018299-10
Affiliated as an Independent Contractor with Absolute Cruise and Travel Inc.

join my yahoogroup 
echevarriatravel-subscribe at yahoogroups.com<mailto:echevarriatravel-subscribe at yahoogroups.com>
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Marion Gwizdala<mailto:blind411 at verizon.net> 
  To: NAGDU List<mailto:nagdu at nfbnet.org> 
  Sent: Wednesday, December 08, 2010 5:03 AM
  Subject: [nagdu] Fw: Did anyone watch the home makeover show yesterday?


  Dear All,
      Below is a message I am forwarding from Lorraine Rovig from our national 
  office.

  Fraternally yours,
  Marion
  >
  > To answer the questions on your listserv:
  > No strange floors or walls were built this time to help the couple so
  > they wouldn't get lost inside their own home. The guide dog named
  > Valentine got a heart-shaped bed and that is all that was said about the
  > dog.  The husband fainted once because of his diabetes so had to go to
  > the hospital and that affected their wedding because of timing and
  > reducing their funding, but that is all that was said about his
  > diabetes. Here below is a bit more info on the show aired yesterday
  > (Sunday).
  > Lorraine
  >
  > -----Original Message-----
  > From: Rovig, Lorraine
  > Sent: Monday, December 06, 2010 12:02 PM
  > To: 'NFB Talk Mailing List'
  > Subject: RE: [NFB-talk] Here We Go Again: Home Makeover - blind couple
  > in OH
  >
  > Here We Go Again: Home Makeover Extreme Edition - blind couple in OH
  >
  > Well, I watched it. It was pretty bad and it could have been worse. It
  > could have been a lot better too.
  >
  > Their original bathroom -- a sink fell off the wall once when Jasmine
  > washed her hands so they had no bathroom sink; the old toilet would
  > swivel left and right about 20 degrees either way if your toe pushed it.
  > Other parts of the old home and front porch were dangerous.  The part of
  > the old house facing the street appeared to be two-rooms wide, small
  > rooms, and I do not remember if it was two-story.  They were given a
  > two-story, large, modern home with all new appliances in the kitchen,
  > laundry room, every other room, and etcetera.
  >
  > This is an African-American family, the Andersons of Maple Heights, Ohio
  > (near Cleveland). I do not know if either one has a job; both appear to
  > be in their early 40s.  The mother, Jasmine, states she is visually
  > impaired. She uses a folding cane with a fat white tip that I think is a
  > marshmallow tip.  Husband, Andre, pronounced the French way, is totally
  > blind and uses a guide dog named Valentine. The show gave the dog a
  > heart-shaped bed.
  >
  > Jasmine gave a tiny monologue stating she lost enough sight to be
  > visually impaired and was depressed for awhile but then she became
  > "courageous" like she is now. They never charge for their [untrained]
  > counseling and encouragement of other people with disabilities. They
  > give lots of speeches to educate the community how to make life easier
  > for blind people and people with other disabilities.
  >
  > The couple told us they are in danger every time they cross a street and
  > the camera mike was held close to loud trucks and cars as vehicles
  > zoomed by on a city street. Jasmine said she was hit in the shoulder by
  > a moving car one time. Ty Pennington, the shows' big-hearted hero,
  > furniture-designer and designer of his own line of linens and other
  > goods for the home, excellent carpenter and TV show leader, went on
  > about how dangerous it is for blind people every day when they are
  > outside the home. He got installed for the Andersons a fancy talking
  > device at the single crossing nearest to their home at their bus stop.
  > Jasmine told us "we're not the only blind people living here, you know"
  > and, she said, this will help people with other disabilities that live
  > in their neighborhood too.
  >
  > The show gave her a CCTV rigged to a lady's dressing table so she can
  > see to put on her make-up and not have to ask her son if she did it
  > okay. She got choked up that she can see her nails now and can paint
  > them as she could not see to do before, and for the first time she
  > exclaims, as we watch her look at it, she can see the beautiful ring her
  > husband gave her.
  >
  > In the old house, Jasmine shoved up the sleeves on her dress to show Ty
  > and us the many burns on her arms that she got from using her
  > conventional electric 4-burner stove and oven.  The show gave her
  > "induction heating" which does not give out any heat except to a metal
  > pot placed on the burner, and she got a wall oven so her oven is at a
  > better height for her to use. The house got a talking temperature gauge.
  > On the plus side, unlike in a previous episode of "help" for a newly
  > blind man and his family, this time no odd floors or walls were built so
  > the blind wouldn't get lost in their own home.  Also on the plus side,
  > except for the induction oven, normal if fancy Sears's appliances were
  > placed in the home for the kitchen and the baths.
  >
  > Both Andre and Jasmine got computers that I think had JAWS installed on
  > them. They got a home theatre room with one "Sound Dome" over both their
  > heads that directs the sound directly only to them, and lets them hear
  > the SAP channel along with the show. They have two very helpful,
  > respectful sons (one may be age 12 and the other is a young teenager).
  > Ty stated the older son got a vacation from verbalizing what is on
  > screen plus he got the SAP thing with words running below the screen
  > when folks talked (which he needed but I missed the part that said why
  > he did). The younger son is sure he wants to grow up to be an eye doctor
  > so he can cure blindness, beginning with his mother's visual impairment.
  >
  > Both Jasmine and Andre got brand new, fat-bodied, folding canes that
  > have built-in sensors to inform them of obstacles by their head and at
  > their feet, and, said Ty, "these aren't even on the market yet." Andre
  > expressed their gratitude.
  >
  > They got a huge main room that runs from a living room grouping through
  > an empty space of floor to a dining room grouping to a kitchen with no
  > barriers or changes in floor, so they do not have to worry anymore about
  > running into posts or walls, as they did run into in their cramped
  > original home.  I noticed they are both bulky overweight people and the
  > original house doorways were older and appeared smallish, plus a post
  > was inconveniently placed, especially for any overweight people trying
  > to get past it to the bedrooms and bathroom.
  >
  > The mortgage company paid off and tore up their mortgage; the local
  > branch of the state college gave them 2 college scholarships for the
  > boys; Sears gave the four of them enough clothes and shoes to fill some
  > of their new closets; the local basketball team called The Cavaliers,
  > gave the teen-aged son a closet-full of their clothes plus 3-shelves of
  > their basketballs with its metal rack. The building company gave them
  > $50,000 to a fund to handle their home maintenance.
  >
  > Braille got a "shout out" as the modern lingo has it. Ty added palm-size
  > wooden "dots" to their bed's headboard to spell out in grade one, "Love
  > is Blind."  Large print got a "shout out" too, with their top bed quilt
  > decorated with "Love is Blind" sewn on as stuffed, raised-up
  > hand-writing.
  >
  > (For me, I keep wondering how they and other Ty Pennington-show
  > homeowners can afford their new taxes on their giant gifts of money,
  > goods, and a huge new home.)
  >
  > The Andersons were so very grateful for all they received from Ty and
  > Sears Company and ABC. Tears all around.
  >
  > You can view the entire episode on the Anderson Family via computer,
  > here:
  > http://abc.go.com/shows/extreme-makeover-home-edition<http://abc.go.com/shows/extreme-makeover-home-edition>
  > Anderson Family
  >  | Full Episode
  > A visually impaired couple devoted to helping the community receives a
  > home makeover, complete with technologies that help people with
  > disabilities; EXTREME MAKEOVER: HOME EDITION - "Anderson Family" - Andre
  > and Jasmine Anderson have never allowed their visual impairment to slow
  > them down, but rather have faced it head on, and established the
  > Disability Awareness Center in Maple Heights, Ohio, to help others who
  > are struggling with sight loss. The couple and their sons learned they
  > would be recipients of a home makeover while aboard the public bus that
  > they ride every day. The "EM: HE" team surprised them on the bus and
  > revealed plans to give them a new "smart" home, equipped with
  > technologies that support people with disabilities. This episode of
  > "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" airs SUNDAY, DECEMBER 5 (8:00-9:00
  > p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network. (ABC/MIKE CROUCH) ANDERSON
  > FAMILY HOME - AFTER - BEDROOM
  >
  > -----Original Message-----
  > From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org<mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org> [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
  > Behalf Of Cindy Ray
  > Sent: Monday, December 06, 2010 2:39 PM
  > To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
  > Subject: Re: [nagdu] Did anyone watch the home makeover show
  > yesterday.thefamily has a guide dog and are diabetics,but they didn't go
  > into any of that at all.
  >
  > Their goal isn't to educate; their goal is to 1) make themselves and the
  >
  > people who sponsor/donate look good and 2) solicit pity for those who
  > are so
  > unfortunate, like you and me!!!
  >
  > ----- Original Message ----- 
  > From: "Terra Syslo" <tlsyslo at yahoo.com<mailto:tlsyslo at yahoo.com>>
  > To: "'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'"
  > <nagdu at nfbnet.org<mailto:nagdu at nfbnet.org>>
  > Sent: Monday, December 06, 2010 1:34 PM
  > Subject: Re: [nagdu] Did anyone watch the home makeover show yesterday.
  > thefamily has a guide dog and are diabetics,but they didn't go into any
  > of
  > that at all.
  >
  >
  > I was appalled at that show. I couldn't even get much past the first 15
  > minutes. They made it sound like such a terrible thing that the woman
  > had
  > burns on her arms from trying to cook. And when they started off the
  > show
  > they said the couple lived with their two kids and their guide dog. Last
  > time I checked, you aren't really supposed to be sharing a guide dog. If
  > the
  > media is going to portray blind people for the rest of the world to see,
  > then at least get a more positive representation.
  >
  > -----Original Message-----
  > From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org<mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org> [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
  > Behalf
  > Of Wayne Merritt
  > Sent: Monday, December 06, 2010 11:01 AM
  > To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
  > Subject: Re: [nagdu] Did anyone watch the home makeover show yesterday.
  > the
  > family has a guide dog and are diabetics, but they didn't go into any of
  > that at all.
  >
  > Also, did anyone catch the fact that it's dangerous as a blind person
  > to live in a home and not know where anything was? This was brought up
  > by the parents and the show designers. I suppose I should feel
  > somewhat safe since I live in a 700 square foot apartment, but what if
  > I move up in homes to a condo or heaven forbid,a larger house?
  >
  > Wayne
  >
  > On 12/6/10, cheryl echevarria <cherylandmaxx at hotmail.com<mailto:cherylandmaxx at hotmail.com>> wrote:
  >> Good morning all:
  >>
  >> This was the second time that ABC Extreme Home Make Over did a  home
  > make
  >> over for a blind family.
  >>
  >> The got some stuff right, but again I have some questions, some about
  > the
  >> family, and some about what ABC did?
  >>
  >> Question about the Anderson family.  Now these are questions I may
  > right
  > to
  >> the show about, but mostly they are pondering in my head to share with
  > all.
  >>
  >> The Anderson Family
  >>
  >> 1.  They are from what I understand and family who gives support to
  > other
  >> people with disabilities.  One of my questions is are they members of
  > either
  >> the NFB or another organization, trained in all of this from being in
  > the
  >> field, or just decided to do it all by themselves.
  >>
  >> 2.  They never went into there diabetes, since both of them are
  > diabetic,
  >> like do they use anything like the prodigy voice or the solo meter to
  > test
  >> the blood, the team never asked that either.
  >>
  >> 3. The husband has a guide dog, but at one point when they were
  > talking to
  >> the family, my husband said that the dog was in harness and digging a
  > whole
  >> in the ground. WHAT is that about?
  >>
  >> 4.  If they are having problems with the traffic lights, then why
  > didn't
  >> they just contact the town or the legislative body in there area and
  > get
  > it
  >> fixed.  If they are a company or business out there helping other
  > blind
  > and
  >> disabled people shouldn't they be doing this for themselves first
  > before
  >> helping others to do it.
  >>
  >> ABC:  This the 2nd time in 8 Seasons that they have focused or help
  > and
  >> blind family, and still haven't gotten it correctly.
  >>
  >> 1.  The technology.  They didn't say where they got the technology,
  > the
  >> didn't go to NFB or the other organization for advice, they just went
  > to
  > the
  >> technology stores that have technology for the blind.
  >>
  >> 2. And Electric Cane, now come on, do we if we were taught properly to
  > use
  >> our canes, do we need a cane that vibrates when we are near something.
  > They
  >> are diabetic, they can have neuropathy and not be able to tell if they
  > are
  >> vibrating, etc.
  >>
  >> 3. The stove they got, yes she got burned many times, again diabetic,
  > they
  >> got them the counter tops and wall oven, but they didn't label it or
  > at
  >> least put raised dots on the stove/oven.
  >>
  >>
  >> To many other issues there.
  >>
  >> I don't know if the NFB members ever wrote the first time to ABC and
  > got
  >> responses on these issues.
  >>
  >> But I plan on starting a writing campaign.  Let me know if you are
  >> interested.
  >> The biggest compliment you can pay me is to recommend my services!
  >>
  >> Cheryl Echevarria
  >> http://Echevarriatravel.com<http://echevarriatravel.com/<http://echevarriatravel.com%3chttp//echevarriatravel.com/>>
  >> 1-866-580-5574
  >>
  > Reservations at echevarriatravel.com<mailto:Reservations at echevarriatravel.c<mailto:Reservations at echevarriatravel.com%3Cmailto:Reservations at echevarriatravel.c>
  > om>
  >>
  >> Affiliated as an Independent Contractor with Montrose Travel
  > CST-1018299-10
  >> Affiliated as an Independent Contractor with Absolute Cruise and
  > Travel
  > Inc.
  >>
  >> join my yahoogroup
  >>
  > echevarriatravel-subscribe at yahoogroups.com<mailto:echevarriatravel-subsc<mailto:echevarriatravel-subscribe at yahoogroups.com%3Cmailto:echevarriatravel-subsc>
  > ribe
  > @yahoogroups.com>
  >> _______________________________________________
  >> nagdu mailing list
  >> nagdu at nfbnet.org<mailto:nagdu at nfbnet.org>
  >> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org<http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org>
  >> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
  > nagdu:
  >>
  > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/wcmerritt%40gmail<http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/wcmerritt%40gmail>
  > .com
  >>
  >
  >
  > -- 
  > Follow me on Twitter at:
  > www.twitter.com/wcmerritt<http://www.twitter.com/wcmerritt>
  > My websites:
  > www.wayneism.com<http://www.wayneism.com/>
  > www.whitecaneday.org<http://www.whitecaneday.org/>
  >
  > _______________________________________________
  > nagdu mailing list
  > nagdu at nfbnet.org<mailto:nagdu at nfbnet.org>
  > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org<http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org>
  > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
  > nagdu:
  > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/tlsyslo%40yahoo.c<http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/tlsyslo%40yahoo.c>
  > om
  >
  >
  > _______________________________________________
  > nagdu mailing list
  > nagdu at nfbnet.org<mailto:nagdu at nfbnet.org>
  > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org<http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org>
  > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
  > nagdu:
  > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/cindyray%40gmail<http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/cindyray%40gmail>.
  > com
  >
  >
  >
  >
  > _______________________________________________
  > nagdu mailing list
  > nagdu at nfbnet.org<mailto:nagdu at nfbnet.org>
  > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org<http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org>
  > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
  > nagdu:
  > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/lrovig%40nfb.org<http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/lrovig%40nfb.org>
  >
  > _______________________________________________
  > nagdu mailing list
  > nagdu at nfbnet.org<mailto:nagdu at nfbnet.org>
  > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org<http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org>
  > To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
  > nagdu:
  > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/blind411%40verizon.net<http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/blind411%40verizon.net> 


  _______________________________________________
  nagdu mailing list
  nagdu at nfbnet.org<mailto:nagdu at nfbnet.org>
  http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org<http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org>
  To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for nagdu:
  http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/cherylandmaxx%40hotmail.com<http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/cherylandmaxx%40hotmail.com>



More information about the NAGDU mailing list