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

[Constance Canode]

I have a friend, a blind woman, who has replaced her toilet and did 
it by herself.  I also know a blind guy who does plumbing, electrical 
work and building.  Just because you don't choose to do it, John, and 
neitr do I, doesn't mean that a blind person can't do it.  I see no 
point in stereotyping everyone into one category.

Connie Canode
At 01:12 PM 12/6/2010, you wrote:
>One thing that really bothers me about the conversation on this list 
>is that people are complaining about ABC depicting this couple as 
>helpless.  But can anyone on this list replace a toilet or a 
>bathroom sink? I've done things like replace garbage disposals, 
>light fixtures, and electrical outlets. But I don't think I'd try 
>replacing a toilet. I might replace a sink though. Assuming the 
>standard hookups are already there, you can do that.  But I'm not 
>sure that even most sighted people would try that either.
>
>I guess the question is whether ABC's depiction of blind people was 
>inaccurate. Are these people more helpess than a typical blind couple?
>
>The one thing that puzzled me was the problem the woman had with 
>cans of food. I don't know what's in our kitchen cupboard but that's 
>because my wife does the cooking and shopping. When I did my own 
>cooking and shopping, I put magnetic braille labels on the cans. 
>But, I suppose, its nicer to have the bar code scanner. The woman 
>might have played up the problem in order to make it look good. I 
>mean, ABC isn't going to want to show the woman dealing with her 
>canned food with braille and then give her a scanner anyway.
>
>When you think about it, if you've got a TV show about giving people 
>new shirts, you have to make their old shirts look crummy. It would 
>be lame to give someone a new shirt if the person already has a 
>closet full of really nice shirts. In fact, aren't all gifts kind of 
>an insult? Say you buy somebody a shirt. Does that say their old 
>shirts are crummy? Couldn't you always say, "Well, if you didn't 
>think I needed a new shirt, why did you give me a new shirt? "
>
>----- Original Message ----- From: "Cindy Handel" <cindy425 at verizon.net>
>To: "NFB Talk Mailing List" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
>Sent: Monday, December 06, 2010 11:16 AM
>Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] [NFB-talk] Here We Go Again: Home Makeover - 
>blindcouple in OH
>
>
>>Oh My!  This is just terrible.  It's not the first one Extreme Home Makeover
>>has done about blind people.  I hope something can be done so it's the last.
>>It's so destructive.
>>
>>Cindy
>>----- Original Message ----- From: "Rovig, Lorraine" <LRovig at nfb.org>
>>To: "NFB Talk Mailing List" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
>>Sent: Monday, December 06, 2010 12:01 PM
>>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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