[Blindtlk] [nabs-l] Extreme Makeover (thoughts?)

[Peter Donahue]

Good evening everyone,

 This evening's Extreme Home Makeover Program was far from a textbook
example of what we in the NFB would like to have seen in this documentary,
but it was much improved over the last program in which they built a home
for a blind man and his family in Florida. While much of the nonsense about
textured doorknobs and different surfaces in each room of the house and
stuff were gone the program still heavily portrayed blindness and deafness
as the problems rather than the social attitudes held by the public about
these conditions. They also missed some wonderful opportunities to introduce
this family to successful blind individuals in New Jersey, and in Florida
who could have taught them basic blindness skills, and served as mentors and
roll models for them; especially their children. I'm thinking that we could
have given them some basic skills prior to their leaving for Disneyworld,
and perhaps having some of our Florida folks host them there and assist them
during their visit. It's too bad the producers of Extreme Home Makeover
didn't watch Three Wishes last fall when it was aired on NBC. Sadly that
program didn't last, but it was a wonderful show as we began watching it
regularly after the program featuring Nicole Rasmussen and what our folks in
Utah did for her. It was great hearing her speak during the national
convention, but I wish she could have been given more time on the program to
say a little more about her background, how her and Brandon met, what work
Brandon did, stuff which probably couldn't be packed in to the Three Wishes
Program, but what would have interested those of us hearing her speak in
Dallas this summer, but back to Extreme Home Makeover.

    While I appreciate the multi-milionair's willingness to purchase hearing
aids and eye glasses for needy children in Central America it's too bad he
couldn't have made a donation to our Imagination Fund, or helped fund our
work in other ways. And sadly the NFB was not mentioned at all though at one
point I thought I heard a voice that sounded like Joe Ruffalo. I thought the
KNFB Reader was to be featured in this program too, but the closest thing
they came to mentioning it was that the family now has a system that scans
printed pages and converts the text to speech. That's where it began and
ended.

    Oh yes the deaf sun. I'm glad they bought him a computer that converts
spoken words in to sign language, but what happens when the power goes out
or the computer goes down? Perhaps some lessons in sign language using
methods taught to deaf-blind persons would have been in order for those
occasions.

I hope our New Jersey affiliate will be able to contact this family and
encourage them to join our organization, and to help them get additional
training in blindness skills, and perhaps sponsor them to attend the 2007
National Convention, If any of the kids have an interest in STEM Careers
assist them in applying to attend the NFB Youth Slam. Perhaps there are some
blind Oragamiists among us who can show the daughter in to Oragami that
total blindness need not stop her from partaking of this art form. I hope
more good can still come out of this program and these folks will become
more independent in other ways besides having a new place to call home.

    There's a storm brewing up so I better get off of this rig. Take care
all and
have a great evening. Hopefully it's not raining where you are.

Peter Donahue