Tuesday, May 26, 2009

American Deaf-Blind Association Need Your Help!!!

 We must root for the American Deaf-Blind individuals according to the legislative proposal in recognizance of the necessity of Special Services Provider (SSP) - tactile and close-by interpreters and visual equipments. 

Just read the enclosure below from the Center for Disability Rights (CDR) - 
 
Urge Your Senator to Recognize Service Support Providers as a Needed Service for the Deaf-Blind Community!
 
The American Association of the Deaf-Blind (AADB) needs your help! We are asking you to call your Senators in Congress to recognize the concept of Support Service Providers (SSPs) as a needed service for the deaf-blind community. SSPs relay visual and environmental information, act as sighted guides and facilitate communication for people who are deaf-blind, using the deaf-blind person's preferred language and communication mode. SSPs enable deaf-blind persons to access their communities and connect with other people, reducing communication barriers that otherwise would result in social isolation, incapability to live independently, and inability to participate as citizens within mainstream society.
 
Click on the Take Action link in this Alert and enter your ZIP code. This will take you to a pre-written letter to your senator. Feel free to personalize the letter.

ASLize yours,
Robert L. Mason (RLM)
RLMDEAF blog

Deaf Captioned Film Listers Often Overlook ....

Many deaf people would be surely love to view the captioned Hollywood blockbuster film(s) on the IMAX giant "40 stories tall" movie screen, BUT the Deaf Captioned Film Listers (Finders) often overlook the captioned film being shown at museums or art houses or embassies showing major Hollywood films.

After reading today's New York Times newspaper about the "Night at the Museum" film being shown at the Smithsonian Institution's Johnson IMAX theatre (Natural History of Museum, Washington, DC). I called to the Johnson IMAX theatre general manager to inquire whether the "Night at Museum" film is captioned shown at the theatre or not. The manager said "Yes" I notified the manager and theatre staff that not many deaf people realize about the Hollywood blockbuster film being shown captioned (Rear Window Captioning - RWC) at that IMAX theatre.

Same thing with the "Star Trek" film being shown with RWC at the Airbus Theatre at the Steve F. Udvar Hazy Lockheed Museum (annexation of Air and Space Museum) in Chantilly, VA near the Dulles Airport. 

CaptionFish (http://www.captionfish.com/) and Fomdi (http://www.fomdi.com/) often overlook captioned films being shown at museums, art houses, embassies and other places. That also include subtitled films shown at art houses, too.

Deaf people could tap into either CaptionFish and Fomdi, captioned film ISP finder to find out where and what time for any captioned films being shown. Real perfect for deaf traveler or deaf family traveling across the USA. 

The general manager of Samuel C. Johnson theatre promised that he will find the way to let the DC-area deaf community know about any Hollywood films being shown with captions at either museums. Will he do that?

Please check out your IMAX theatres including museums to see if any Hollywood films being shown with captions.

I rather view any films with open captions or yellow subtitles at theatre, not RWC. Embassies are not only present in Washington, DC, but also in NYC or California. I always look up "Diplomat" publication to find out whether subtitled films being shown at various DC embassies.

Many films shown at embassies cost nothing. Any of you could take your date to the embassy for film viewing without paying anything. That would definitely impress your date that he or she is taken to the embassy and have intellectual conversations.

Embassies often screen their own home country's prestigious films which are not available for home viewing market. So you could have your chance to view the rare films being seen.

ASLize yours,
Robert L. Mason (RLM)                 BONUS MATERIAL BELOW -
RLMDEAF blog

The National Air and Space Museum is currently displaying the model of the original "Star Trek" spaceship from the television production. Just click on the enclosed link for more info.