<html><head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=us-ascii">
<meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)">
<!--[if !mso]><style>v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
.shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
</style><![endif]--><style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
h2
{mso-style-priority:9;
mso-style-link:"Heading 2 Char";
mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
font-size:18.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
font-weight:bold;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:#0563C1;
text-decoration:underline;}
span.Heading2Char
{mso-style-name:"Heading 2 Char";
mso-style-priority:9;
mso-style-link:"Heading 2";
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
font-weight:bold;}
span.EmailStyle19
{mso-style-type:personal-compose;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:windowtext;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1027" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]-->
</head><body lang="EN-US" link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72" style="word-wrap:break-word">
<div class="WordSection1">
<h2><span style="font-size:30.0pt;color:black">See below for an article that appeared in the July 2021 Braille Monitor regarding the Feeling Through movie. You will find the direct link below for the audio described version on YouTube.
<o:p></o:p></span></h2>
<h2><span style="font-size:30.0pt;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></h2>
<h2><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qM_7_BofpPQ">Feeling Through (with audio description) - YouTube</a><span style="font-size:30.0pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></h2>
<h2><span style="font-size:30.0pt;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></h2>
<h2><span style="font-size:30.0pt;color:black">From Braille Monitor, July 2021<o:p></o:p></span></h2>
<h2><span style="font-size:30.0pt;color:black">Feeling Through<o:p></o:p></span></h2>
<p style="font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px">
<strong><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black">by Lisa Bryant</span></strong><span style="font-size:13.5pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px">
<!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shapetype id="_x0000_t75" coordsize="21600,21600" o:spt="75" o:preferrelative="t" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" filled="f" stroked="f">
<v:stroke joinstyle="miter" />
<v:formulas>
<v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0" />
<v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0" />
<v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @1" />
<v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2" />
<v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth" />
<v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight" />
<v:f eqn="sum @0 0 1" />
<v:f eqn="prod @6 1 2" />
<v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth" />
<v:f eqn="sum @8 21600 0" />
<v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight" />
<v:f eqn="sum @10 21600 0" />
</v:formulas>
<v:path o:extrusionok="f" gradientshapeok="t" o:connecttype="rect" />
<o:lock v:ext="edit" aspectratio="t" />
</v:shapetype><v:shape id="Picture_x0020_1" o:spid="_x0000_s1026" type="#_x0000_t75" alt="Lisa Bryant" style='position:absolute;margin-left:164.8pt;margin-top:0;width:3in;height:287.25pt;z-index:251658240;visibility:visible;mso-wrap-style:square;mso-width-percent:0;mso-height-percent:0;mso-wrap-distance-left:0;mso-wrap-distance-top:0;mso-wrap-distance-right:0;mso-wrap-distance-bottom:0;mso-position-horizontal:right;mso-position-horizontal-relative:text;mso-position-vertical:absolute;mso-position-vertical-relative:line;mso-width-percent:0;mso-height-percent:0;mso-width-relative:page;mso-height-relative:page' o:allowoverlap="f">
<v:imagedata src="cid:image001.jpg@01D7C8EC.0518FE00" o:title="Lisa Bryant" />
<w:wrap type="square" anchory="line"/>
</v:shape><![endif]--><![if !vml]><img width="288" height="383" style="width:3.0in;height:3.9895in" src="cid:image001.jpg@01D7C8EC.0518FE00" align="right" alt="Lisa Bryant" v:shapes="Picture_x0020_1"><![endif]><strong><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black">From
the Editor: For almost two years now, we have been involved in an effort to “Let Us Play Us.” The idea is simple: when a blind person is portrayed, whether on Broadway, on television, or on the big screen, we want blind people considered for these roles. It
is not surprising that people with other disabilities want the same. Here is an interview conducted by our own Lisa Bryant, a member of the Keystone chapter of the National Federation of the Blind of Pennsylvania. Lisa is a freelance writer, and when she heard
about this movie, she decided to see if she could get an interview for the </span></strong><em><b><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black">Braille Monitor</span></b></em><strong><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black">.
She asked, they said yes, and here is our outstanding article:</span></strong><span style="font-size:13.5pt;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px">
<strong><span style="font-size:13.5pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:black">“I welcome the industry to invite more of us to the table. Let’s take this and build upon it.”</span></strong><span style="font-size:13.5pt;color:black"><br>
—Robert Tarango, deafblind actor in<em><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> Feeling Through</span></em><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px">
<span style="font-size:13.5pt;color:black"><a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0056241/"><em><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:blue">The Miracle Worker</span></em></a> is undoubtedly the most famous movie featuring a deafblind character.
Based on the autobiography of <a href="https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Story-of-My-Life/Helen-Keller/Enriched-Classics/9781416500322">Helen Keller</a>, who was deafblind, the film also tells the story of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_Sullivan">Anne
Sullivan</a>, Keller’s blind teacher. In the film, Sullivan is the only person able to reach Keller—transforming her from a wild, frustrated young girl, misunderstood, and even feared by her own family, to a tender and in her way, communicative Helen.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px">
<span style="font-size:13.5pt;color:black">That was in 1962. The film received multiple Oscar nominations with its two lead actresses winning for their roles. Patti Duke, a sighted and hearing actress played Keller, while Anne Bancroft, also sighted, played
the role of Sullivan.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px">
<span style="font-size:13.5pt;color:black">At this year’s Oscars, <a href="https://www.feelingthrough.com/"><em><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:blue">Feeling Through</span></em></a>, a short film by <a href="https://www.feelingthrough.com/workshops-demos">Doug
Roland</a><strong><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> </span></strong>was nominated for its portrayal of a deafblind character. But, unlike more than fifty years ago, <em><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Feeling Through</span></em> casts <a href="https://www.feelingthrough.com/new-page-3">Robert
Tarango</a>, who is deafblind in real life as Artie, the deafblind character in the film.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px">
<span style="font-size:13.5pt;color:black">Based on a true encounter Roland had one night in New York City, the eighteen-minute short tells of a chance meeting between Tereek, (played by <a href="https://www.feelingthrough.com/new-page-3">Steven Prescod</a>),
a young man wondering where he will sleep that night, and Artie who is making his way home from a date. To help Artie, Tereek learns on the fly how to communicate with him; mainly using the <a href="https://www.alldeaf.com/threads/what-is-print-on-palm-pop-and-why-i-use-it.73694/">print
on palm</a> method.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px">
<span style="font-size:13.5pt;color:black">“I knew I wanted to cast an actor who was deafblind,” said Roland who contacted the <a href="https://www.helenkeller.org/hknc">Helen Keller National Center (HKNC)</a><strong><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"> </span></strong>in
the very beginning of the project. He added that it was important that he make the film alongside the community it portrayed.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px">
<span style="font-size:13.5pt;color:black">Roland worked closely with Christopher Woodfill, associate director of HKNC, who is also deafblind. According to Roland, Woodfill provided a host of potential “Arties” from a nationwide pool of actors.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px">
<span style="font-size:13.5pt;color:black">Yet, after several in-person and remote auditions, the role of Artie remained open. That is until interpreter Erin Quinn suggested Tarango who worked in the kitchen of the center. Although Tarango had no professional
acting experience, Roland said he knew almost instantly that they had found their Artie.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px">
<span style="font-size:13.5pt;color:black">For Tarango, it was a day he will never forget. “I was working in the kitchen as an aide, just doing what I do every day,” said Tarango. That is until his boss summoned him to a meeting in another building on the center’s
campus. “I thought I was in trouble,” said Tarango, never imagining he would become the first deafblind actor cast in an Oscar-nominated film.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px">
<span style="font-size:13.5pt;color:black">But when Roland first approached Sue Ruzenski, Ed.D. and CEO of <a href="https://www.helenkeller.org/">Helen Keller Services</a>, the parent company of HKNC, she was initially cautious, wondering if the team’s efforts
were sincere and if they really did “get it.” “I first thought here is a completely different field coming through. What are their understandings, and will they be respectful?” said Ruzenski. “They could have their own agenda, and it might not be aligned with
our community,” she added. It seemed like a risk.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px">
<span style="font-size:13.5pt;color:black">However, once the two teams met, Ruzenski, who is also co-producer of the film, was assured it was a risk worth taking. “Doug was a listener and a learner from the start,” Ruzenski said; adding that Roland was intentional
in keeping her and HKNC included at every turn.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px">
<span style="font-size:13.5pt;color:black">As co-producer, Ruzenski assisted with a variety of resources from fundraising to accommodations such as both voicing and signing interpreters. For Roland, providing these and other accommodations never felt burdensome
but instead gave even more value to making the film.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px">
<span style="font-size:13.5pt;color:black">“It feels like the wrong approach to look at working with people with disabilities as an extra cost or an extra challenge,” Roland said. Adding that, “Anytime we work with people who are different from us, we learn
more about our world and ourselves.” He also said there was the ripple effect of providing a transformative teaching moment for the film crew. Perhaps more important than providing accommodations is a genuine and respectful treatment or in this case portrayal
of persons with disabilities.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px">
<span style="font-size:13.5pt;color:black">In <em><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Feeling Through</span></em>, Artie seems to quickly trust Tereek, in one scene handing Tereek his wallet to pay for a juice. Perhaps not surprisingly, Tereek helps
himself to a ten-dollar tip (you will have to watch the short for the conclusion to this scene).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px">
<span style="font-size:13.5pt;color:black">During one watch party, viewers were mostly pleased with the film’s treatment of a deafblind actor. But some questioned that scene as unrealistic.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px">
<span style="font-size:13.5pt;color:black">Marsha Drenth is a longtime Federationist and president of the Pennsylvania Association of the Deafblind. She said it was great to have a film giving attention to deafblindness and reaching Oscar-level recognition.
“But I don’t think any deafblind person would just hand over their wallet.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px">
<span style="font-size:13.5pt;color:black">In addressing the criticism, Roland notes that when there are too few stories or examples of a certain group, the one more publicized story becomes representative of an entire community—“which is what we shouldn’t
do,” he said. Roland also urges viewers to look at the full context of the film rather than isolating the one scene.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px">
<span style="font-size:13.5pt;color:black">As for future projects, Roland, Ruzenski, and the HKNC team are collaborating on developing a curriculum for high school and college-aged students. One goal of the curriculum is to break down fears and hesitancy in
communicating with a deafblind person. Ruzenski plans to involve deafblind staff at HKNC in developing the program.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px">
<span style="font-size:13.5pt;color:black">As for Tarango, who was born deaf, being in the film was fulfillment of an acting career he thought was deferred when he later lost his vision as an adult. He has not so subtly hinted at wanting to do a <em><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Feeling
Through</span></em> part two, and he hopes to have been an inspiration to others in his community. “Look at what I just did! You can do it too!” said Tarango.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px">
<span style="font-size:13.5pt;color:black">To hear her full interview on <em><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Blind Abilities</span></em> with both Robert Tarango and Doug Roland go to: <a href="https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/blindabilities/FeelingThrough.mp3">https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/blindabilities/FeelingThrough.mp3</a>,
and to watch <em><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif">Feeling Through</span></em> with audio description go to: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qM_7_BofpPQ">Feeling Through (with audio description) - YouTube</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px">
<span style="font-size:13.5pt;color:black">Deafblind Awareness Week is June 27-July 3. For more information go to <a href="https://www.helenkeller.org/hknc/dbaw">HKNC: Deafblind Awareness Week 2021 (helenkeller.org)</a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="font-variant-ligatures: normal;font-variant-caps: normal;orphans: 2;widows: 2;-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px;text-decoration-thickness: initial;text-decoration-style: initial;text-decoration-color: initial;word-spacing:0px">
<span style="font-size:13.5pt;color:black">Lisa Bryant is a freelance writer living in Philadelphia. She is an active member of the Keystone Chapter.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size:13.5pt;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
</div>
</body></html>