[nfb-talk] [NFB-talk] Here We Go Again: Home Makeover-blindcouple in OH

Mon Dec 6 20:13:46 UTC 2010

I hate the stupid things.

Gloria Whipple
Corresponding Secretary
Inland Empire chapter
nfb of WA

cell number: 509-475-4993

-----Original Message-----
From: nfb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nfb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Constance Canode
Sent: Monday, December 06, 2010 12:10 PM
To: NFB Talk Mailing List
Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] [NFB-talk] Here We Go Again: Home
Makeover-blindcouple in OH

As a good cane traveler and experienced in travel all over the 
country, I find the audible signals distracting when you are trying 
to listen to traffic, especially if the are louder than the norm.

Connie Canode
At 01:58 PM 12/6/2010, you wrote:
>Yeah, a driver can still make a mistake and the audible signal won't 
>protect you. But audible walk signals aren't to keep drivers from 
>making mistakes. They're to keep blind people from making mistakes. 
>And they're really good for that.
>
>----- Original Message ----- From: "Joe Orozco" <jsorozco at gmail.com>
>To: "'NFB Talk Mailing List'" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
>Sent: Monday, December 06, 2010 12:51 PM
>Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] [NFB-talk] Here We Go Again: Home 
>Makeover-blindcouple in OH
>
>
>>If there's a light, it's not difficult.  A car is just as likely to hit
you
>>in a lighted intersection with or without an audible signal.  If the
>>crossing is done without stop signs or some other type of traffic control,
>>then I agree something is required, but I think audible signals should be
>>enhancers if used, not requirements.
>>
>>Joe
>>
>>"Hard work spotlights the character of people: some turn up their sleeves,
>>some turn up their noses, and some don't turn up at all."--Sam Ewing
>>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: John Heim [mailto:john at johnheim.net]
>>Sent: Monday, December 06, 2010 1:32 PM
>>To: jsorozco at gmail.com; NFB Talk Mailing List
>>Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] [NFB-talk] Here We Go Again: Home
>>Makeover -blindcouple in OH
>>
>>She didn't say it was too much of a challenge to cross the street. She
>>demonstrated how difficult it is.  Sometimes, it is difficult.
>>There are
>>intersections where having an accessible pedestrian signal makes it way
>>easier and way safer for a blind person to cross. Its impossible to say
>>whether an accessible pedestrian signal was really necessary on
>>that corner
>>but I see no reason to doubt it. I say when in doubt, put the signal in.
>>
>>----- Original Message ----- From: "Joe Orozco" <jsorozco at gmail.com>
>>To: "'NFB Talk Mailing List'" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
>>Sent: Monday, December 06, 2010 11:18 AM
>>Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] [NFB-talk] Here We Go Again: Home
>>Makeover -blindcouple in OH
>>
>>
>>>You know, if they were willing to give me all them there
>>gifts, I'll be
>>>glad
>>>to accept them and simultaneously correct their misconceptions of
>>>blindness.
>>>A win/win!  LOL  I'm just curious to hear what it is they
>>counsel people
>>>about empowerment if the street intersection is too much of a
>>challenge?
>>>
>>>Joe
>>>
>>>"Hard work spotlights the character of people: some turn up
>>their sleeves,
>>>some turn up their noses, and some don't turn up at all."--Sam Ewing
>>>
>>>-----Original Message-----
>>>From: nfb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org
>>>[mailto:nfb-talk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Rovig, Lorraine
>>>Sent: Monday, December 06, 2010 12:02 PM
>>>To: NFB Talk Mailing List
>>>Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] [NFB-talk] Here We Go Again: Home
>>>Makeover - blindcouple 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 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, so the two wouldn't get lost, nothing odd was built
>>>into the kitchen or the walls and floors.  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
>>>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
>>>
>>>
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>>>
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>>
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