[Nfbsatx] [blindkid] Blind/Low Vision Inclusive Technology - "ExtremeMakeover: Home Edition" on Sunday, December 5

Fri Dec 3 18:41:19 UTC 2010

I don't know about you, but I plan to watch this show because it might just make me aware of a new idea of adaptability that I would have never dreamed of.  I hope it won't be as you say peat, because that, for sure, will be a waist of time.  I will admit, regardless of what the show is about, I'm glad they are not living in a crumbleing home anymore.  I also find it appalling to see just what the sighted world thinks we need in the form of accessibility.  Here's a story for you that is a good example of the sighted people thinking they know what a blind person may need, however, in this case as well as many others, my teacher would have done better to listen to what I needed.  after all, I was the one they were adapting the printer for!  I remember one time in my high school days, I had to make a keypad of a printer accessible, and I could have put the regular bump dots on it of different sizes, but my teacher felt they were all two small.  So, she took
 it on her self to get large thick peaces of fome and applyed them to the printer buttons.  Not only did it look funny because of the many colors of the fome, but they were unbelieveably huge and in the way.  The bump dots would have been much better and that would be all I needed in this type of adaptability.  Let us hope, we just might learn something new if this show is viewed and we won't have to see a repeat of the "pity Game."  I will admit though, I love watching the show because it is so inspiring and emotional.  I hope, I'm not the only person who will watch this show, you never know what you will find.  We blind viewers just might be surprised, or peat will be right.  In that case maybe we could write to them about our concerns.  You never know what the world will bring.  I guess we have to "Watch, and learn."

Cindy Garcia,
Music Major, vocal performer

On Fri Dec 3rd, 2010 9:25 AM CST Peter Donahue wrote:

>Good morning everyone,
>
>    We've been through this before haven't we? Every time we've heard what a 
>great show the Extreme Make-Over Home Edition will be whenever it features 
>blind people. We watch the program only to discover that it's the same old 
>junk about the blind portrayed by the media. It's junk like this that causes 
>apartment managers to believe that blind tenants seeking to rent from them 
>be accompanied by an apartment locator when in the view of the prospective 
>blind renter such services are not needed. This happened to Mary and myself 
>last spring when we toured different properties looking for a new place to 
>live. The manager of one apartment complex was more interested in 
>advertising the services of her co-worker whose boyfriend was an apartment 
>locator than showing us what they had to offer.
>
>    It was after some persistence on our part that we finally got a tour of 
>one of their units. We told the manager that we in fact used a locator 
>called HP Pavilion Apartment Hunters and another service called Dell 
>Apartment Finding Inc. These services are no further than our living room 
>and guest bedroom and on our laps when needed. They're on call 24/7 and will 
>allow you to search for apartments at any time. Hence we could look at 
>rental property on our schedule not that of apartment locators of the human 
>kind.
>
>    Realizing that this complex was looking straight down the barrel of a 
>possible disability discrimination complaint they offered us a unit but it 
>was smaller than what we needed. In the end we declined this offer but at 
>least we accomplished our mission.
>
>    We now live in a 1300 SQFT townhome on San Antonio's Northeast side. 
>Unlike our experience with the complex described above the management here 
>were surprised that we found them online and were relieved that they 
>wouldn't need to pay an apartment location fee.
>
>        I'm relaying this story as it's the kind of thing that can happen to 
>blind people looking to lease or perhaps even buy a place to live. As long 
>as Extreme Make-over Home Edition portrays us as helpless individuals who 
>can only live independently if their home is equipped with this or that 
>gadgett, or umpteen textured surfaces and the rest of it. I hope we can find 
>a way to put a stop to how ABC portrays blind people on the Extreme 
>Make-over Home Edition program. All the best.
>
>Peter Donahue
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
>From: "Kim Cunningham" <kim at gulfimagesphoto.com>
>To: "Blindkid" <blindkid at nfbnet.org>
>Sent: Friday, December 03, 2010 8:14 AM
>Subject: [blindkid] Blind/Low Vision Inclusive Technology - 
>"ExtremeMakeover: Home Edition" on Sunday, December 5
>
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>WGBH's Media Access Group Encourages Tuning into ABC'S "Extreme
>Makeover: Home Edition" on Sunday, December 5 (8-9pm, EST)
>
>The Media Access Group at WGBH encourages all those interested in inclusive 
>technology for people who are blind or have low vision to tune into "Extreme 
>Makeover: Home Edition" this Sunday evening, December 5.
>While we can't provide any specific information on what will be seen and 
>heard (it would spoil the surprise!), the episode promises to create much 
>greater awareness of the services and products now available for people who 
>have limited or no sight.
>
>Here is the information the production company has released in advance about 
>this episode:
>
>The "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" team has selected the Anderson Family 
>in Cleveland, Ohio. The family of four answered the call to action when they 
>inspired the community to heighten their awareness of the obstacles facing 
>the disabled in their community. Diving headlong into their work, Andre and 
>Jasmine have dedicated their time to supporting and counseling the disabled 
>by connecting them with resources to help them live and lead more 
>independent lives. The Andersons have proven to be the definitive role 
>models as they themselves lost their sight 4 years ago.
>
>Empowered by their own obstacles, Andre and Jasmine have never let anything 
>slow them down. Together they have teamed to complete grad school, run a 
>center for people with disabilities, created a support group, and all while 
>balancing life at home with their 2 boys (one of whom is hearing impaired). 
>Despite having lost their sight after their sons, Jasison and Jahzion were 
>born, Andre and Jasmine have rallied back and have embraced their reality. 
>While they continue to empower their community, the family has hit a rough 
>patch. Their home is falling apart around them and it has become complicated 
>and hazardous for them to live in especially in the face of how their needs 
>continue to grow.
>
>On September 29th the Andersons will have some changes in sight when Ty 
>Pennington, designers Michael Maloney, Tracy Huston, and Xzibit deliver a 
>"Smart House" in just 7 days. Local builders Marous Brothers Construction 
>and community volunteers will rebuild the structure and give them the key to 
>live above and beyond their wildest dreams. The Andersons will vacation in 
>Crested Butte, Colorado.
>
>About "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition"
>The Emmy-award winning reality program "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,"
>now in its 8th season, is produced by Endemol USA, a division of Endemol 
>Holding. It's executive-produced Brady Connell and George Verschoor. David 
>Goldberg is Chairman, Endemol North America. The show airs Sundays from 
>8:00-9:00 p.m., ET on ABC.
>
>About the Media Access Group at WGBH
>The Media Access Group at WGBH, which includes a Services division and a 
>research and development division--the Carl and Ruth Shapiro Family National 
>Center for Accessible Media--has pioneered and delivered captioned and 
>described media for nearly four decades to people in their homes, 
>classrooms, at work and in the community. And the Media Access Group 
>continues to develop new solutions to access challenges as technology, and 
>the way we all consume media, evolve. Members of the group's collective 
>staff represent the leading experts in their fields and their success is 
>exemplified by a history of accomplishments and continuous growth, the 
>integration of innovative products and services into society at large, and 
>the enthusiastic support of the audiences served, including 36 million 
>people who are deaf, hard of hearing, blind or have low vision. More 
>information about the Media Access Group at WGBH can be found at: 
>http://access.wgbh.org.
>
>Contact:
>Mary Watkins
>mary_watkins at wgbh.org
>617 300-3700
>
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