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

Mon Dec 6 22:21:34 UTC 2010

I know how wonderful your cooking skills are, Cindy.  I dream of your 
delicious cake frosting...smile, among other things.

Connie
At 03:54 PM 12/6/2010, you wrote:
>Well, I'm not saying the bar code reader wouldn't be helpful.  I'm just
>saying I have done without one and don't really see a need for one, for me.
>Now, maybe, if someone gave me one, I'd find that it's such a useful tool
>that I couldn't live without it.  But, the point I wanted to make is, there
>are other ways to do things and these people have apparently not learned
>about them, yet and just want to allow technology to save them from
>themselves.
>
>Cindy
>----- 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 3:33 PM
>Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] [NFB-talk] Here We Go Again: Home
>Makeover -blindcouple in OH
>
>
>I agree with you Cindy, except for the bar code reader.  I really
>love mine, but I bought and paid for it myself, no help from anyone else.
>
>Connie Canode
>At 01:25 PM 12/6/2010, you wrote:
> >John,
> >
> >I have never tried to replace a toilet or sink and don't think I'd ever
> >try.
> >This isn't because I'm blind, but because I don't know how to do it and
> >have
> >no desire to learn.  But, when I know there is a problem with my toilet or
> >sink, I know how to call the plumber and they know how to repair the
> >problem.  So, although my house is more than 58 years old, it is in good
> >repair and I have never had a sink fall off the wall or a toilet which
> >turns
> >from side to side.
> >
> >Yes, you're right; if someone is going to give me a lot of new technology,
> >I
> >have to demonstrate that I need it.  The problem is, although some of it
> >would be nice, and even though I appreciate the technology I already have,
> >I
> >don't *need* every piece of technology that comes along.  I don't need a
> >bar
> >code reader to read the cans in my cupboard, and I certainly don't *need* a
> >high tech cane which tells me where obstacles are, in front of me.  My long
> >straight fiberglass cane does just fine and has ever since I started using
> >a
> >cane, more than 40 years ago.
> >
> >I wonder how much of this stuff would have been necessary if the couple had
> >received proper training in blindness skills?  If they don't have these
> >skills, what impressions are they passing along to the people they are
> >counseling?
> >
> >I didn't see the show, last night, and haven't had the time to watch it,
> >yet.  But, from Ms. Rovig's description, this couple does need help, but
> >not
> >the kind they received.
> >
> >Cindy
> >----- Original Message -----
> >From: "John Heim" <john at johnheim.net>
> >To: "NFB Talk Mailing List" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
> >Sent: Monday, December 06, 2010 2:12 PM
> >Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] [NFB-talk] Here We Go Again: Home
> >Makeover -blindcouple in OH
> >
> >
> >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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> > >
> > >
> > >
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> >
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