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

Mike Freeman k7uij at panix.com
Tue Dec 14 04:52:13 UTC 2010


Or if they're softer than the norm also.

Mike

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <ckrugman at sbcglobal.net>
To: "NFB Talk Mailing List" <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, December 13, 2010 7:21 PM
Subject: Re: [nfb-talk] [NFB-talk] Here We Go Again: 
HomeMakeover-blindcouple in OH


>I agree and will sometimes avoid intersections where they are located or 
>else just ignore them and follow the traffic as I originally was trained to 
>do at a time before there was such a thing as audible traffic signals.
> Chuck
> ----- 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 12:09 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
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>_______________________________________________
>>>>>nfb-talk mailing list
>>>>>nfb-talk at nfbnet.org
>>>>>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfb-talk_nfbnet.org
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>_______________________________________________
>>>>>nfb-talk mailing list
>>>>>nfb-talk at nfbnet.org
>>>>>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfb-talk_nfbnet.org
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>_______________________________________________
>>>>nfb-talk mailing list
>>>>nfb-talk at nfbnet.org
>>>>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfb-talk_nfbnet.org
>>>
>>>
>>>_______________________________________________
>>>nfb-talk mailing list
>>>nfb-talk at nfbnet.org
>>>http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfb-talk_nfbnet.org
>>
>>
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> nfb-talk mailing list
>> nfb-talk at nfbnet.org
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfb-talk_nfbnet.org
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> nfb-talk mailing list
> nfb-talk at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfb-talk_nfbnet.org 





More information about the nFB-Talk mailing list