Archive for May, 2010

From Profound to Profane: Superfest Shines a Spotlight on 13 Remarkable Films June 4 and 5

Superfest Film Festival, Celebrating Disability Culture June 4 and 5

Superfest International Disability Film Festival

Gaia Arts Center – Berkeley

June 4 and 5, 2010 (Friday and Saturday)

From Profound to Profane: Superfest Shines a Spotlight on 13 Remarkable Films

When a boy’s fluttering eyelashes are finally recognized as communication, 16 years of silent isolation end and a soulful poet’s life takes flight in “Like A Butterfly” (Poland, Best of Festival), a lyrical, intimate portrait that’s a testament to the profound resilience of the human spirit; the adrenalin rush as the athlete pushes the limits, the awesome beauty of the snowy landscapes, the thrill as the snowboarder soars higher, the tricks, defying gravity, and then, “Wipe Out” (Canada, Merit) – three compelling stories about life after your head hits the icy hard-pack; unflinching and raw, at times unhinged, “The Last American Freak Show” (UK, Merit) turns a voyeuristic lens on a low-rent troupe of self-defined freaks and outsiders as they hit the road in a revival of a marginalized “art form” that many believe should have been “bagged and tagged” long ago.

The 30^th Superfest International Disability Film Festival event includes afternoon screenings of 13 award-winning films, a lively “Q & A” with attending filmmakers, a meet-and-greet at the filmmakers’ reception and an awards ceremony with live entertainment. The festival is presented by Culture! Disability! Talent! (CDT), a grassroots non-profit dedicated to promoting quality, authentic films that represent the rich diversity of the world’s disability community.

Public screenings of the award-winning films will take place on Friday, June 4, 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and Saturday, June 5, 12:00 to 5:00 p.m., at the Gaia Arts Center, 2120 Allston (one block from the downtown Berkeley BART station) in Berkeley, California. Tickets are $5–$20/day (sliding scale) and will be sold only at the door. Please refrain from wearing perfume and other scented products. A “Meet the Makers” reception will take place on Saturday, June 5, 6:00 to 7:00 p.m., followed by an awards ceremony with live entertainment from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. The reception and awards ceremony are free and open to the public.

Access Accommodations Available

The venue is wheelchair accessible. Braille and large print screening schedules are available. All films will be audio described and most are captioned; check screening schedule. Film introductions, as well as the reception and awards event, will be ASL interpreted.

For additional access information, or to get a copy of the SUPERFEST 2010 screening schedule, visit: http://www.culturedisabilitytalent.org/superfest/index.html, email info@culturedisabilitytalent.org or call the CDT voice mailbox at 510-845-5576.

Northern California Entertainment and Recreation Listing May 28

If you do not receive this listing in your inbox every Friday, join the distribution list by emailing bberenson@lighthouse-sf.org.

This listing is compiled by the Vision Loss Resource Center at the LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired. It is compiled weekly as a service to the blind and visually impaired community of Northern California. If you have a meeting or event information that would be appropriate for inclusion in this list, please email info@lighthouse-sf.org. This list will be updated every Friday. Information for each Friday’s listing must be submitted by the Wednesday prior to publication.

Download the document.

norcal-entertainment-and-rec- listing 5.28

This week’s highlights:

LightHouse Technology Seminar, Apple Products and Accessibility. June 11   1:00pm – 3:00 pm.

LightHouse hosts The Feldenkrais Method Awareness Through Movement. June 19  2:00pm-3:00pm

Applications for Two Intern Positions at the Palo Alto VA, Deadline June 3.

VA Blind Rehab Paid Internships–Palo Alto, CA

Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration

Job Title: Blind Rehabilitation Specialist (Intern)

Department: Department Of Veterans Affairs

Agency: Veterans Affairs, Veterans Health Administration

Job Announcement Number: 10-292AB

Application material/forms can be obtained from http://www.palo-alto.med.va.gov/Careers.asp

For additional information contact:  Apollo Baldias, HR Specialist, at (650) 858-3951

Key Stakeholders Agree on Measures to Protect Blind Pedestrians from Silent Cars, Urge Passage as Part of Motor Vehicle Safety Act

NFB Press Release

CONTACT:

Chris Danielsen

Director of Public Relations

National Federation of the Blind

(410) 659-9314, ext. 2330

(410) 262-1281 (cell)

cdanielsen@nfb.org

Key Stakeholders Agree on Measures to Protect Blind Pedestrians from Silent Cars, Urge Passage as Part of Motor Vehicle Safety Act

Baltimore, Maryland (May 19, 2010): The National Federation of the Blind (NFB), the American Council of the Blind (ACB), the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers (AAM) and the Association of International Automobile Manufacturers (AIAM) announced today that they have agreed on proposed legislative language that will protect blind pedestrians and others from the danger posed by silent vehicle technology. The four organizations are urging Congress to adopt and pass the language as part of the Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 2010­, which is currently pending in both houses of Congress. The proposed language would require the Department of Transportation to promulgate a motor vehicle safety standard requiring automobiles to emit a minimum level of sound to alert the blind and other pedestrians.

Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind, said:

“The National Federation of the Blind commends the automobile industry for its leadership on this issue and for its genuine concern for the safety of blind Americans, cyclists, runners, small children and other pedestrians. We look forward to working with the parties to this agreement, the United States Congress and the Department of Transportation to ensure that America’s streets remain safe, both for those who drive and for those who do not.”

“Good policy is a collaborative effort, and this is a good approach for pedestrians and automakers,” said Dave McCurdy, President and CEO of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers. Because blind pedestrians cannot locate and evaluate traffic using their vision, they must listen to traffic to discern its speed, direction and other attributes in order to travel safely and independently. Other people, including pedestrians who are not blind, cyclists, runners, seniors and small children, also benefit from hearing the sound of vehicle engines. New vehicles that employ hybrid or electric engine technology can be silent, rendering them extremely dangerous in situations where vehicles and pedestrians come into proximity with each other.

A recent report released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) stated that hybrid and electric vehicles are nearly twice as likely to be involved in accidents with pedestrians as vehicles with internal combustion engines.

Meaningful Access to United States Currency for Blind and Visually Impaired Persons

May 20, 2010 (FIND, Inc. via COMTEX) – SUMMARY: The Department of the Treasury (Treasury) and the Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP) are issuing this Notice pursuant to the ruling in American Council of the Blind v. Paulson that ordered Treasury to provide meaningful access to U.S. currency to people who are blind and visually impaired pursuant to section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended. BEP seeks to develop a solution that fully complies with the Court’s order and provides people who are blind and visually impaired meaningful access to U.S. currency, while also giving appropriate consideration to the interests of domestic and international users of currency, U.S. businesses, and cash handling and cash-intensive industries. The purposes of this Federal Register Notice are to inform the public of the features that BEP intends to propose to the Secretary of the Treasury to accommodate people who are blind and visually impaired in denominating U.S. currency, and to solicit public comment on the proposed accommodations.

DATES: Submit comments on or before August 18, 2010.

To read the complete article, go to: http://it.tmcnet.com/news/2010/05/20/4799927.htm

Achieving the Promise of the Americans with Disabilities Act in the Digital Age – Current Issues, Challenges, and Opportunities

The LightHouse is pleased to read the following exemplary statement on the evolving status of our digital access rights and aspirations.

Achieving the Promise of the Americans with Disabilities Act in the Digital Age – Current Issues, Challenges, and Opportunities

Statement to the House by noted disability rights lawyer Daniel Goldstein.

Excerpt:

In today’s increasingly online society, limiting the ADA (or any civil rights law) to only those businesses that operate in physical facilities would undermine the fundamental goals of civil rights.  Given that one of the essential purposes of Title III is to eliminate discrimination against people with disabilities in the basic, day-to-day activities that are a fundamental part of living and functioning in a community, it is hard to imagine that coverage would depend on whether a covered entity offers its services and goods in a physical location, door-to-door, by phone, or online.  In an age where hundreds of millions of Americans are increasingly using the internet every day to shop for groceries, plan their travel, conduct business, do their banking, attend college classes, and socialize with friends and family, it is undeniable that these websites are an indispensable part of basic, day-to-day life in the community.

Download the file to read the entire address.

Congressional statement on access in the digital age

Northern California Entertainment and Recreation Listing May 21

If you do not receive this listing in your inbox every Friday, join the distribution list by emailing bberenson@lighthouse-sf.org. This listing is compiled by the Vision Loss Resource Center at the LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired. It is compiled weekly as a service to the blind and visually impaired community of Northern California. If you have a meeting or event information that would be appropriate for inclusion in this list, please email info@lighthouse-sf.org. This list will be updated every Friday. Information for each Friday’s listing must be submitted by the Wednesday prior to publication.

This week’s highlights:

Mega Self-Defense for the Visually Impaired, May 22   3:00pm-6:00pm at the LightHouse

Visually Impaired Person Technology User Conference (VIP TUC) sponsored by Vista Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired, May 22   12:00pm-5:00pm

Webinar for Blind Job Seekers and Rehab Providers, The Hadley School for the Blind. May 28.

Seminars@Hadley Presents: What Research Tells Us About Obstacles for Blind Job Seekers & How They Overcome Them
Date: Friday, May 28
Time: 11:00 AM CDT, 16:00 GMT

Consumers, rehabilitation providers and employers each have distinct but overlapping opinions, perceptions, and experiences concerning success and best practices in employment of persons who are blind/visually impaired. An overview of major barriers to employment will be explored, along with strategies recommended for overcoming those barriers.

This hour-long seminar will be presented by Dr. Adele Crudden and Ms. B. J. Lejeune, both with Mississippi State University Rehabilitation Research & Training Center, and moderated by Billy Brookshire, Hadley’s consultant in Texas. Additional time will be provided for questions and answers.

As always, listening to the seminar remains free of charge. There is a US $25 fee associated with completing the seminar for credit (1 CE hour). Professionals interested in receiving continuing education credit will be required to successfully complete a quiz and brief survey before a certificate is issued. (ACVREP approval pending)
To register for this seminar, please follow this link.

Blinded Veterans Association Peer Mentor Program

Every generation of blinded Veterans faces different challenges. When the Blinded Veterans Association (BVA) was formed in 1945, it was easy for a group of blinded Veterans to reach out to each other–they were all being treated at the same Army hospital in Avon Old Farms, CT. Nearly 100 blinded Veterans at that facility came together to form BVA in the closing days of World War II.  Now, Veterans returning from operations overseas are usually sent back to their home states to recuperate with their families. They have access to…

Read the entire blog post at Dsaibility.gov. http://blog.govdelivery.com/usodep/2010/05/blinded-veterans-helping-blinded-veterans-operation-peer-support.html.

For info on finding a BVA in your area call the LightHouse at 1-800-400-8933.

Capitol Action Day on May 26, 2010

Now is your chance as a blind or visually impaired person to gather with others concerned about local public policy. Attend the 7th Annual Disability Capitol Action Day. This is a great opportunity to meet likeminded people and speak out about issues such as current budget cutbacks to disability services or accessibility concerns you may have as a blind or visually impaired pedestrian.

Go to Capitol Action Day on May 26, 2010, in Sacramento, CA!

The friendly folks at the Independent Living Resource Center in San Francisco have limited seats on a group bus for those interested in attending the event. Call ILRC at 415-543-6222 for more information.

Meanwhile, check out the event website: www.disabilityactioncoalition.org

Details: Disability Capitol Action Day is one of the largest cross-disability events in our country. This year, on May 26th, 2010, the Disability Action Coalition hosts the 7th annual Disability Capitol Action Day in alliance with the California In-Home Supportive Services Consumer Alliance (CICA). CICA will offer a free advocacy training session on May 25, 2010, at the Sacramento Library. Registration for the event and training can be found at www.disabilityactioncoalition.org.

Join in solidarity on May 26 to recognize the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, our civil rights act, on the west lawn of the Capitol. Despite the ongoing state budget threat to our rights and independence, we can join forces and educate the Legislature on what Californians with disabilities need in order to remain in their own homes and in the community.