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

Mon Dec 6 20:45:41 UTC 2010

Well, you are unusual.

You don't have to take my word for it, of course.  The Access Board web site 
has quite a bit of information on the research on audible walk signals. 
Audible walk signals make blind people safer. That is not debatable.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Constance Canode" <satin-bear at sbcglobal.net>
To: "NFB Talk Mailing List" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, December 06, 2010 2:09 PM
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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>>
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