Long Day, Good Day!
Well, it's been a long day but a good day. We are making ready for our Leadership Training Seminar here in Washington, sponsored by the Washington Council of the blind
I have an active role this year, so lots of logistics need tending.
I want to ask my livejournal friends to add blindcast to their friends list so that I can assumedly stop posting to both lists. Nickie, I got your phone message today but it is not likely we can talk until well into next week.
I'm hoping to get another podcast up soon, so please don't give up on me. I think my next one will be to feature some blind musicians. By the way, if you are blind and a musician and you have an mp3 you'd like to share, please feel free to send it along. Send several if you like. I am assisting somewhat with rebuilding the ACB Radio Cafe collection, all blind musicians 24/7
Our house is probably 2/3 complete and boy oh boy will I be glad when it's done. I will do a podcast of it when it is all done and try to draw pictures for folks about the cool things we put into the place. We are trying to make a place in which a guy in a wheelchair and a lady with a guide dog can grow old gracefully together! We'll see!
I'm really hacked with my local ABC affiliate, KOMO TV here in Seattle. As most of you know, Blind Justice is an ABC series aired weekly which provides, via the SAP channel, audio descriptions of things taking place during the show. Well, KOMO won't turn it on 24/7 because they say they get complaints from sighted people who misprogram their VCR's to the SAP instead of the main channel. Direct TV, my satellite carrier, won't pick up the SAP feed even though KOMO turns it on for Blind Justice because they say technically it is a nightmare to pick up a feed and drop it. All other networks here in Seattle, including PBS, stream SAP 24/7, but KOMO will not budge. If anybody would be interested in helping me draw attention to this, I'd be delighted to post the General Manager's e-mail at KOMO TV. We have so few choices in narrated TV; for this burocracy to remove one of those very few choices is shocking! Will the day ever arrive when non mainstream people, such as people who are blind or otherwise disabled, won't have to fight for the smallest things that are so readily and fully available to mainstream people? I do get tired at times, but I never give up!
Enough for now. Thank all of you for reading! And again, you LJ folk, please go ahead and add blindcast to your friends page.
I want to thank Jeff Bishop and Nickie Coby for helping me get things set up here. Jeff is a genius and a very special friend. Miss Nickie, well there are no words to describe this miracle person who came into my life when she was 8, and who I'll soon be watching walk across the stage with her guide dog at her senior graduation in Minnesota. She is truly a blessing and a miracle in my life! Anyway, these two fabulous friends are helping me comprehend all this rss and ipod and blog and all that good stuff! I don't thank either of them often enough. Jeff brings joy to me every day, just by a quick hello either in MSN or on the phone or e-mail. Nickie is a light in my spirit!
Deepest Peace to you all!
To subscribe to my podcasts with your podcast aggrigator, point to
http://feeds.feedburner.com/marlainabyear
http://feeds.feedburner.com/marlainabyear
4 Comments:
Here's an interesting point to ponder with respect to the deactivation of the SAP feed. Why should we blind people be punished for the lack of attention to detail on the part of the sighted? I mean, if the sighted screw up their VCR's, so what? And how is that our problem?
Oh, yes, do provide the general manager's name and e-mail address so we can give him an earful!
It's not a problem to wait to next week. I just wanted to get back to you as soon as I could, but I'm not in a huge rush.
As for the leadership seminar, have fun with that! I know planning stuff isn't always fun, but I know you and you always have a blast!
Good luck with the SAP stuff!
Geez, if it's not one thing it's another, eh? I was thinking the same thing Darrell commented: If people who can read their VCR's menus are still unable to program their VCRs, how is this your fault? Some days I think that evolution is just a tad too slow.... Oops, did I say that? (grin)
Anyway... I did some poking around and I found Audio Description International. Their description: "ADI, Audio Description International, supports and advocates increased use of Audio Description (AD) in a variety of media around the world. The members of AD International are both professional and amateur Audio Describers, AD consumers, and those interested in promoting the use of AD."
They have a number of committees, one of which is the Advocacy and Legislation Committee, chaired by Kim Charlson. Were it me, I'd give her a holler. You might be able to get ADI to help your advocacy efforts.
Just a thought. Take care!
Post a Comment
<< Home