THE
BULLETIN
of the
San Mateo County Council of
the Blind
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President's Message
by Frank Welte
While not quite ten years old, our San Mateo County Council
of the Blind is already growing up, and we're bigger, stronger, and more visible
than we've ever been. As you
know, we played host to the spring convention of the California Council of
the Blind, and a number of our members featured prominently throughout the
convention activities. I especially
want to thank Jean Ackerman, Dave Mauk, Phil and Sally Kutner, Bill and Ellie
Hobson, Pui and Wai Chan, Margie Donovan, David Hunter, Terry Stoker, Jeff
Taylor, Grace Chen, and Judy Yokoo for their effort in a variety of capacities
as convention volunteers. You all did the chapter proud. I'm glad that so many chapter members attended the convention.
I met 20 of you over the course of that weekend, and I'm sure there
are more that I just didn't happen to meet amid all the activity. Now that
you've seen one, you know why I talk so much about conventions of the blind.
As
we approach the milestone of our tenth anniversary this fall, it is a good
time to take the time to consider how we can celebrate our past achievements
and plan for an exciting future. That's just what we'll do during our next
meeting on Saturday, June 1 at 11:30 AM at the Bank of America in downtown
San Mateo. At that time we'll make plans for our
August picnic and our tenth anniversary celebration which we hope to have
later in the fall. This will
be a great opportunity to discuss the many activities of our busy and growing
group.
We're
not just about business. Remember that we are getting together for bowling
at the AMF Redwood Lanes at 2580 El Camino Real in Redwood City on the fourth
Saturday of each month at 2:00 PM. If folks are interested, I could lead a
group up to San Francisco to take in a described movie at the Metreon theatre.
Also, Please contact me if you plan to attend either of these recreational
activities, so I'll be able to plan accordingly.
You can call me at 508-8329 or you can send e-mail to [email protected].
Ready to Make a Difference?
Mike Collins [email protected]
Recruitment is ongoing. Calif. has opportunities to get
involved in the developing policy impacting over six million with disabilities
and the rest who live here. Governor Davis appoints members to commissions,
councils, and boards weekly, as terms expire. Many are to councils that can
benefit from the inclusion of the disabled. Some have statutory requirements
to include us.
State Independent Living Council (SILC) seeks qualified
members. This impacts other disability-related boards including, State Rehab
Appeals Board, State Rehab Council, Commission on Aging, State Council on
Developmental Disabilities, State Council on Developmental Disabilities, Governor's
Committee on Employment of Disabled Persons, Organization of Area Boards on
Developmental Disabilities, etc.
Besides specific disability-related bodies, vacancies are
in healthcare, transportation, law, environmental issues, water resources,
forestry, children's or cultural issues, good government, public safety, aging
issues, licensing, natural resources, consumer protection, oversight of specific
professions, volunteerism, employment, energy, recreation, wildlife, education,
recreation, or status of women.
The application can be reached via the SILC website at
www.calsilc.org. Click on Application for SILC Membership, and it opens up
as a Microsoft Word or PDF document.
You have a choice of filling out the application on the computer (don't
forget to re-format it) or you may print it out and use a typewriter or pen.
It's not possible to submit the completed document via the Internet. Print,
complete and sign. Send to the Governor's office.
Call them for the time of obligation, workload, pay (if
any), statutory needs and types of members sought. Send us a copy of your
application. We track the progress and discuss your status with Governor's
staff at our periodic meetings.
If you apply, send a copy of your application to:
Mike Collins, SILC 1600 K St., Ste 100 Sacramento, CA 95814.
If you have questions, call 916-445-0142. Check SILC news and calendar items
at: www.calsilc.org?
Learning by Doing
and Doing by Learning
Change is inevitable. Every moment changes occur, and so
do we. We can be a leader of the pack, go along with the flow or be shoved
as we go through life. Are you the last one to get a telephone, TV or computer.
In a short while the telephone, TV and computer will be one piece of equipment.
You will see the person to whom you are speaking on the phone. You will be
able to program in any program that has been played previously on TV. Imagine
hearing a show at your leisure rather than at the scheduled times.
By being proactive it means that you are part of the policy
making process. Your thoughts, feelings and needs are taken into account when
decisions are made. By far the most important is to vote. Your choices of
candidates and your stance on propositions are part of the collective decision
making process.
A person can change another one's thoughts, but one needs
a group to affect another group and it takes a country to affect another country.
Cooperation is the basis of success. By working with like-minded people changes
can be made. As visually impaired individuals, we can make change happened
by banding together and have our combined voice heard. When a person or organization
hears the name of Frank Welte and then he hears president of The San Mateo
County Council of the Blind, the power of our combined membership has much
greater weight. The average voter can easily affect at least one family member
or close friend. When a politician thinks that we can muster almost100 votes
at the voting booths or pack a public forum, the reception is more likely
to be positive.
As the
title states, "Learning by Doing and Doing by Learning" we must
know the facts are and be prepared to act upon them. By reading/ hearing &
attending conventions, seminars, institutes & conferences we arm ourselves
with data we need for action. The Dong part of the title refers to the use
you put to the newly-gained knowledge.
Recently
some of us attended the state convention of the CCB with all of its inspiring
sessions and discussions. Then came the wonderful Low Vision seminar at Stanford
Medical center. All of this occurred in a period of a week. As we look back
at all this information and inspirational talks, there was not only much information
to be learned, but also the idea of actions to be taken.
Automated Bus Stop Calling.
Frank Welte <[email protected]>
During my last couple junkets up to San Francisco I had
the privilege of riding on a bus with an automated stop calling system. From
my seat just behind the driver I could hear the announcements clearly. The
system called out street names and connecting bus routes in a clear male,
non-synthesized voice. Actually,
the street names were a little muffled, but perhaps I wasn't paying close
attention. In both cases I rode on a short, five-minute trip from the Metreon
Theatre to the Caltrain station, so I cannot say if this stop-calling technology
is being used widely throughout the city as yet.
I do not know what kind of technology is controlling the
system. perhaps it is GPS? Anyhow, those of you who are transportation advocates
might want to invite your local transit officials to seriously consider the
new stop calling system in San Francisco. This has been a festering problem.
If my first impression is correct, the long-awaited solution to the universal
bus stop calling problem has arrived, and it's in the city by the bay. I am
interested to know if any of our other members have had the same experience.
N. California Movie Coalition
Frank Welte (650) 508-8329
[email protected]
Hello to the N. California Movie Coalition. The Rear Window
Captioning and DVS Systems at Metreon are running. We'll outreach mostly via e-mail. The
management has selected the largest auditorium in the complex for the installation.
The Metreon is the biggest and one of the busiest theater complexes
in the country. While the auditorium selection and the
busy nature of the complex are great (most of the CC/DVS films at this point
are "major" releases. This means that films are switched from auditorium
to auditorium.
It will be a challenge to learn showtime info. They are
encouraging the use of a guest services phone line, answered by a real person,
for film and showtime information (patrons who are deaf or hard of hearing
will need to use a relay service).
Loews Metreon Guest Services office number is 415 369-6201.
The phone is answered by Michael 10-5 Mondays thru Fridays. Calls after then
and weekends will also be answered by a person. The equipped auditorium is #13. The Metreon
staff will play accessible films in #13 when they are available.
Send an e-mail with a note, Sign Me Up for Movie Updates,
to [email protected],. You'll be added to the list.
www.mopix.org
(Movie Access Web site)
--
Mary Watkins, Outreach Dir.
Media Access Group at WGBH
access.wgbh.org
125 Western Avenue, Boston, MA 02134 617
300-3700 v/fax
617 300-2489 TTY
Star Wars with Descriptions is
Great!
Frank Welte <[email protected]>
For
the second Thursday in a row I took in a described movie at the Lowes theatre
at the Metreon entertainment complex in San Francisco. Last week it was Spider-man. Today, I was on hand for the 10:00 AM
showing of Star Wars Episode 2: The Attack of the Clones. Both movies amply demonstrate the value
of audio description. They are
full of action which doesn't come close to being conveyed through the standard
dialogue and sound effects.
I
have a little more to say about audio description, but first, here's my review
of "Star Wars". The
action takes place ten years after the events of "The Phantom Menace".
A growing rebellion threatens to split the galactic republic in two. Pressure is mounting for the senate to form a grand army of
the republic and to give Prime Minister Palpatine emergency powers to stop
the rebellion. Queen Amadala
has traded in her crown for a seat in the galactic senate. On her return to the galactic capitol
to attend a crucial vote she survives an assassination attempt. Jeddi warrior, Obiwan Kanobi and his somewhat
rebellious young apprentice, Anakim Skywalker, are assigned to guard the senator
and find out who is threatening her life.
From
this beginning the story leads viewers on a nearly non-stop roller coaster
ride of death defying acrobatics, hair-breadth escapes, fancy flying, explosions,
and perhaps more hand to hand combat involving more light saber-wielding Jeddi
fighters than we've seen in all the previous Star Wars movies combined. If we could arrange for a screening of
the film, sans description, at this summer's NFB convention I suspect much
of the controversy over this technology would be largely resolved. All this action takes place in the context
of a budding romance between Amadala and Skywalker political intrigue, and
the rising power of the dark side of the Force. We also see the character flaws and some of the experiences
that will lead to Skywalker's fall, probably in the next episode. The story goes a long way toward unifying
the epic saga begun in "The Phantom Menace" and the original trilogy
of "Star Wars" films.
If
you liked the previous Star Wars movies you'll love Attack of the Clones.
Fortunately, some of the more egregious elements of "Phantom Menace"
which made that film a disappointment for many are kept to a minimum in this
sequal. (Can you say interminable
pod racing scene and Jarjar Bix?) Actually, Mr. Floppy Ears does make a few
brief appearances this time around, and he limits his bungling to one incident
with tragic implications for the entire galaxy.
If
you didn't like previous episodes in this story, you won't like this one either.
As far as I know, nobody has yet received an Academy Award nomination
for acting in one of these things, and this film is no exception. If we're
ever going to see an Oscar for acting from Star Wars we might hope to see
it in the next film. If properly written, directed, and acted
the doomed character of Anakim Skywalker has the potential to reach Shakespearian
proportions if his internal torments and conflicts with friends and foes alike
play out as expected. Frankly,
I doubt George Lucas can pull that off, but the anticipation leaves me breathlessly
waiting for episode 3, which won't be until 2005 if Lucas follows previous
practice.
On
the whole my first two experiences with described first-run pictures has been
good. It is easy to get to the
Metreon theatre from my home midway down the San Francisco Peninsula. In fact I found out today that the Samtrans
KX express bus which picks up just three blocks from here actually stops right
in front of the Metreon. The
Powell Street BART station is just a block from the theatre, so people can
get there easily from a large portion of the Bay Area. Although the Metreon is a big building
I have found the staff there most helpful in getting me to the right places.
Once you enter the Metreon through the entrance at the southeast corner
of 4th and Mission streets, proceed forward until you pass the
theatre box office on your right. You'll
have to maneuver through a rope maze to get to the ticket windows, but I found
people helpful in getting me through the ticket line.
After you get your ticket go across the hall to the elevators, and
go to the third floor. Then proceed
straight ahead past some escalators toward the customer service desk where
you'll pick-up your headset. You'll
probably have to veer slightly to your left to find the desk.
After you get your headset go to the right.
You will pass through a door which leads to the movie screens. After you go through the door you will give your movie ticket
to a ticket taker. Now turn left,
and proceed down the hall to screen 13, which will be on your left. As I mentioned earlier, I had no trouble
getting theatre staff to help me find where I wanted to go.
The
headset is sturdy and well-made. It
is a little heavy, but I found it reasonably comfortable to wear throughout
a movie. The left and right earphone
each has its own volume control, and the on-off switch is next to the
volume control for the right ear. The regular sound track plays in the left ear, and the description
plays in the right ear.
I
have encountered two problems in going to described- shows at the Metreon.
First, the theatre has 15 screens plus an IMAX theatre. Only one screen, number 13, is equipped
for description. Because films
can be move from screen to screen you must call the theatre's guest services
desk at (415) 369-6201, on the day you wish to attend the theatre to confirm
that a described film is playing. In
the case of Star Wars, which is playing on no less than four screens today,
you need to call to find out the times when it is showing in screen 13.
Second,
I have had problems with the audio description for both films I have seen
so far. Last week, the first
set of headphones I was given didn't have adequate volume on the description. After enduring this problem for the first
20 minutes of the show I got a replacement headset which worked flawlessly.
Today my headset worked perfectly for the first two thirds of the movie. Then, the description mostly went away,
cutting in at seemingly random intervals through the remainder of the film.
In the first case, the problem was clearly with the headphones, but
I'm not sure what caused the problem today.
I reported both incidents to theatre staff at the customer service
desk. If you have problems with your headset,
immediately get up and get a replacement.
I'm
not one who goes to a lot of movies, but thanks to audio description I just
might be spending a lot more time in the theatre. If some of you Bay Area folks would like to take in a described
film, but the idea of going to the theatre alone bothers you, you might like
to give me a call. I just might
be persuaded to sit through two or three more showings of Star Wars, especially
if you're buying the popcorn.
The Bulletin
San
Mateo Council of the Blind
Phil
Kutner: Editor
1128
Tanglewood Way,
San
Mateo, CA 94403