Mission: Install DVS audio description services in at least one theater in Little Rock!

Most of you know by now what it audio description for the blind is, but you may not know that it can be very hard to get others, specifically movie theaters, to understand the need for this service. I recently asked our local theater to install DVS MoPix systems for my daughter and the many other blind population of the Little Rock area. However, I never heard back from the local staff manager on my first attempt. I then wrote their corporate office and to my surprise, got an answer! 

Here is the first email I wrote to the local theater address after never getting thru to a manager on the phone.

Dear Chenal 9 Imax Theatre,
My family and I frequently attend your theater to see all the latest movies, however my daughter Madilyn, age 6, is completely blind and is unable to get the full experience at your facility. Could you please install the MoPix DVS system to enable blind movie goers to enjoy your theater as much as my husband and I do. We would be more than happy to help raise awareness of the cause and even raise funds to get the technology installed in Little Rock. With the Arkansas School for the Blind also located in Little Rock, as well as World Services for the Blind and Lighthouse for the Blind, all in Little Rock, I'm sure we could make this happen.
I would love to talk more about the possibility with you. You can also check out WGBH MoPix online at http://ncam.wgbh.org/mopix/ to learn more about it, including costs, etc. Thank you for your kind consideration.
Sincerely,
Hillary Welch Kleck(contact info removed for privacy)
Arkansas NAPVI, President
Sensory Sun Educational Technologies, Ownerhttp://sensorysun.blogspot.com *******

After no reply I sent added this to the beginning of the first message and emailed to their corporate headquarters:

----- Original Message -----From: Hillary KleckSent: 12/19/11 11:10 PMSubject: Described Audio Services
I recently contacted the theatre directly, but was disappointed to never hear anything in reply. I hope by contacting Corporate , I will get an enthusiastic reply! THanks!(copy of first message)

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Here was their response. I've highlighted the statements that I thought were 'interesting':

From: <DTMOVIES email address>
Date: Wed, Dec 28, 2011 at 10:12 PM
Subject: RE: Described Audio Services
To: Hillary Kleck

Dear Hillary,

Thank you for your emails to our website concerning the MoPix DVS system.  I apologize for the delay in response to your inquiry.

We very much appreciate your patronage at our Chenal location, and your interest in securing MoPix DVS for the theatre.  As someone with hearing disability due to childhood illness, I well understand the challenges and frustration of navigating a world that doesn't always accommodate impairments.  Your letter shows great dedication and commitment toward addressing the needs of not only your daughter, but to others with sight impairments and I admire your willingness to be a much needed advocate.  The new technologies that have been developed are exciting!  With the latest hearing devices for my ears and units at the theatres, it's only been in the past six months that I actually experienced a true audio experience at a movie, after a forty year career in theatres.

Upon being provided your letter for response, I checked out the website you provided.  Our company is currently involved in a major undertaking to update all of our theatres to digital, as well as working our way through several theatre sales.  While we do understand the need to address the movie going experience of all of our customers, especially those who would benefit from impairment assistance technology, we aren't currently in a position to devote the time and resources needed to investigate the systems available and how the equipment we have in place, and are working to put into place, will coordinate with the various systems.  We would ask your patience as we work through this, as we have "all hands on deck" to work through our current projects.  I am providing your letter, contact information and website information to the head of our projection so that he also has it in hand as we move forward with future technology improvements.

Thank you for bringing this issue to the forefront and for your offer to be a resource of information and assistance to us.  Best wishes to you and your family for good health and happiness in 2012 -

Sincerely,
(name removed for privacy)
Dickinson Theatres

To facilitate a prompt response and the tracking of this comment, please reply using the link provided below. (link removed for privacy)

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As you can probably tell, I am more than disappointed in their response. I have contacted a variety of people regarding the "digital" issue to find out more details. The other theater in our area, US Breckenridge 12 by Regal Cinemas, to follow up on a lead that they already had the system installed. However, after speaking with a manager that sounded as though he had more important things to do than talk with me about it, they too are "trying to figure out what to do since they switched to digital."

Is it just me or does the fact that it is digital sound like it could only be good for the idea of advanced technology such as DVS? I'm a bit confused and more than frustrated, but I'll continue the mission, hoping to bring others in our area on board, as well as inspire uprisings in different cities as well! I would love to know if you are on the same mission, or need a little help with your requests. Everyone can join the CAUSE here http://www.causes.com/causes/645314-require-audio-description-for-the-blind-on-movies-and-at-theaters and advocate by emailing theater chains to tell them it is only fair for ALL to enjoy movies, not just the sighted. Closed caption services for the hearing impaired are fighting for their rights, too! Learn more on how to advocate on the MoPix website http://ncam.wgbh.org/mopix/#advocate.

Thank you! Follow our blog to keep updated on our mission!

The Price of Accessibility

We are in the age of technology- constantly transforming and improving, while trying to balance complexity, affordability and performance. What keeps the common technology somewhat affordable? Well, there are many things taken into consideration, but demand and competition probably drive down prices most. So how does a relatively small population, such as visually impaired children and adults, gain access to the accessible technology they need to function as their sighted peers? The answer, most don't.

How many blind children are introduced to a computer that is fully accessible to them at the same age of their sighted peers (which is now 4-5 years old)? Not many. Why? My experience is that many adults feel the need is not there- at least not enough to spend almost $3000 on a braille style keyboard with refreshable braille- a strip of movable braille dots that present the text on screen in braille to the user to feel. Or not enough that every home of a child with visual impairments can own their own braille embossing printer or PIAF, a device that creates raised line drawings using special paper, acting much like a copier. I must express my strong opinion that the NEED IS THERE! So how much do you think it would cost for my family, or any family with a blind child, to purchase the accessible "equivalent" technology many sighted families use in their own homes every day? I present to you the large numbers and a comparison...

SIGHTED- Price $                                    BLIND-  Price $ 

Inkjet Printer (All-in-One)  62.00                 Braille Embossing Printer     5995.00

Monitor   169.00                                         Speakers & Headphones         48.00

Keyboard & Mouse       29.00                    Refreshable Braille Keyboard       2795.00

                                                                   

TOTAL: It costs a visually impaired person on average
$8838.00 total -and $8578.00 more than a sighted person!!

Please note that this is strictly my personal experience and products (and therefore their prices) are based on what I found would be best for my daughter. There are other products and other options, however I want my daughter to have what will be most beneficial to her!

If you would like to learn more about technology for the visually impaired, please contact us at Sensory Sun! If you would like to donate directly to our mission of purchasing the items above for my daughter, please donate using the PayPal button below. All donations are appreciated, however please be aware that we are not a recognized 501(c)3 non-profit organization, so your donations are not tax deductible. For investor information with Sensory Sun Educational Technologies, a registered small business, please contact us by email at bviresearch@gmail.com!

Fighting for an Equal Education

How much would you pay to know your child is receiving the BEST education? And I mean including everything? Literacy, technology, physical fitness, math, science, social, college and career placement, etc. We all know by now that products for children with special needs are priced way above those of the 'average' child's needs. And in my case specifically, it is the blind child's need vs. the sighted child's needs. Now I've had six years experience with my daughter and adapting for her blindness and I understand the unfamiliarity of those whom are just now working with her. But when it comes to her education and therapy, their unfamiliarity or ignorance should not stand in the way of giving my daughter the education she needs- the education I know she deserves.

Technology is advancing faster than any of us can really keep up with in today's world. And that isn't a bad thing,  but rather something everyone should take full advantage of no matter what your situation. Yes, price can be a factor to what degree of technology you can afford, but most can afford something. Technology is being learned at an early age for most kids - consider the handheld computer learning/gaming devices, regular computers, most toys for children above age 3 are electronic! And most of them have input/output methods that are mostly visual.

So how is my daughter going to learn technology when her sighted peers are learning? She shouldn't have to already be behind them in learning for someone to speak up and say, hey let's give her a braille display to use with the computer so she can actually learn the braille letters more efficiently. You wouldn't teach a sighted child his alphabet only by letting him hear a CD, so why would you not give a blind child braille EVERYWHERE a sighted child is seeing the printed letters? And many people may think that this probably isn't an issue, but I promise you I am not the only mother of a blind child having to fight to get the school to emerge her in braille because they "don't think she is ready." Are you serious? Do you not give a sighted child books and learning ABC blocks and all those other millions of toys for children ages infant and up to be emerged into literacy?

Do you home school and take it on yourself so you know what your child is learning every day? But then it is hard enough to socialize a blind child with his peers. And with a child whose primary method of communication is strictly audio and loves to socialize. It doesn't seem fair to take that away by confining him to his home with somewhat limited means of socialization. The answer for me so far, has been to fight. Don't let the ignorance and laziness of the people in power of our children's education dictate what and how your child learns or doesn't learn. Sometimes it feels hopeless. People are lazy and in positions they should not be for a variety of reasons - laziness, ego trips. But who is ever going to know if someone doesn't point it out? Your child deserves the advocacy and so do all the other children in the same position. And the children who aren't even born yet but will deal with the same obstacles. It is up to society to change appropriately. It shouldn't be the old familiar "well that's the way we've always done it" mentality. That will never allow the ones who need it the most, to ever get where they should be. Change isn't usually easy and great things are worth fighting for.

I would pay every penny I could get my hands on.