WEBVTT 00:00.499 --> 00:03.082 (upbeat music) 00:25.180 --> 00:26.430 - My name is Noah Malone. 00:26.430 --> 00:28.340 I attend Indiana State University 00:28.340 --> 00:30.340 and I'm a student athlete. 00:30.340 --> 00:34.190 I try not to think about myself being vision impaired 00:34.190 --> 00:35.910 every time I step on the track, 00:35.910 --> 00:36.743 because then sometimes 00:36.743 --> 00:39.030 I can bring stress, 00:39.030 --> 00:40.430 because then a lot more 00:42.440 --> 00:43.727 issues come into mind like, 00:43.727 --> 00:45.800 "Oh, what if I run out of my lane? 00:45.800 --> 00:47.030 What if I do this and that?" 00:47.030 --> 00:49.670 So I try to just have an open mind 00:49.670 --> 00:51.973 and then, just run the race. 00:55.380 --> 00:57.713 So it was the first day of eighth grade, 00:58.610 --> 01:00.680 probably about five years ago at this point. 01:00.680 --> 01:03.090 And I was just sitting in the classroom 01:03.090 --> 01:05.460 and I just happened to look up at the whiteboard 01:05.460 --> 01:07.340 and I couldn't really notice what the teacher 01:07.340 --> 01:08.400 was writing on the board. 01:08.400 --> 01:10.690 So I just texted my mom and 01:10.690 --> 01:12.577 we thought it was just a normal, 01:12.577 --> 01:14.700 "Oh, we're just going to go and get some eyeglasses." 01:14.700 --> 01:16.460 But it was a lot more than that. 01:16.460 --> 01:17.293 A couple of days later, 01:17.293 --> 01:21.530 we went to kind of like a local ophthalmologist 01:21.530 --> 01:23.530 and we found out I have a eye condition 01:23.530 --> 01:26.780 called Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy. 01:26.780 --> 01:28.690 And what that means is it strips away most 01:28.690 --> 01:30.160 of my central vision 01:30.160 --> 01:32.510 and leaves me with my peripheral vision. 01:32.510 --> 01:34.160 It was shocking and kind of scary, 01:34.160 --> 01:36.380 cause I didn't know how bad it was going to get. 01:36.380 --> 01:38.510 It did get a lot worse 01:39.670 --> 01:41.300 as the year went on. 01:41.300 --> 01:44.060 So I kinda just took it how it was 01:44.060 --> 01:45.540 and just hoped for the best, pretty much, 01:45.540 --> 01:47.400 that's really all I could do. 01:47.400 --> 01:49.853 Honestly, going to the Indiana School for the Blind, 01:50.870 --> 01:52.630 freshman through junior year, 01:52.630 --> 01:55.220 half and half with him was in Southeastern, 01:55.220 --> 01:57.120 they really taught me how to be an advocate, 01:57.120 --> 01:58.680 especially, you know, 01:58.680 --> 02:01.330 transitioning into the adult world 02:01.330 --> 02:03.340 and being independent for yourself. 02:03.340 --> 02:05.240 I really had to learn how to 02:06.220 --> 02:07.347 say what I needed. 02:09.056 --> 02:12.389 (water fountain sounds) 02:14.290 --> 02:16.520 The classroom was probably the biggest setting where I had 02:16.520 --> 02:18.960 to have adjustments made 02:18.960 --> 02:20.270 in order to be successful. 02:20.270 --> 02:22.570 This campus is pretty accessible 02:22.570 --> 02:25.470 for the low vision, I feel like. 02:25.470 --> 02:27.540 We have a really, really good disability 02:28.730 --> 02:29.840 service office 02:30.780 --> 02:33.150 that has helped me a lot so far. 02:33.150 --> 02:35.503 A lot of adjustments had to be made. 02:35.503 --> 02:36.820 As of now I use every, 02:36.820 --> 02:39.680 I use a laptop and an iPad. 02:39.680 --> 02:42.550 So all my schoolwork and assignments have to be 02:42.550 --> 02:44.010 either emailed to me, 02:44.010 --> 02:45.570 or I just have to go 02:45.570 --> 02:48.630 get it transferred into a document on my iPad. 02:48.630 --> 02:51.720 So I can either listen to a long reading 02:51.720 --> 02:52.580 on a textbook 02:53.854 --> 02:55.330 or zoom in on something that 02:55.330 --> 02:57.350 I wouldn't be able to zoom in on if it was just paper. 02:57.350 --> 03:00.830 So far, I had to get the physical textbooks, 03:00.830 --> 03:02.630 bring them to the disability office, 03:03.550 --> 03:05.200 five minutes from my dorm. 03:05.200 --> 03:08.490 And then they had to scan the whole thing 03:08.490 --> 03:10.800 and then make probably about, 03:10.800 --> 03:12.450 I mean, it depends how big the textbook is, 03:12.450 --> 03:15.420 but probably 10 PDFs 03:15.420 --> 03:17.193 and email all those to me. 03:20.010 --> 03:23.360 My transition has been pretty smooth so far. 03:23.360 --> 03:27.000 I mean, due to COVID we've been having online classes. 03:27.000 --> 03:29.920 All my classes are pretty much hybrid. 03:29.920 --> 03:33.030 So some are online, some days 03:33.030 --> 03:34.880 and then somewhere in person, other days. 03:34.880 --> 03:36.450 It's definitely different. 03:36.450 --> 03:38.680 I've never really experienced anything like that, 03:38.680 --> 03:40.480 but it is nice because the learning environment 03:40.480 --> 03:41.510 is much smaller. 03:41.510 --> 03:44.020 There's only about 10 kids in the class 03:44.020 --> 03:45.620 instead of probably 30. 03:45.620 --> 03:48.307 So I do like it when it comes to that. 03:48.307 --> 03:53.307 - 35, 36, seven, eight, nine, 40, 41. 03:55.680 --> 03:57.480 position:0% line:0% size:90% - Noah initially caught our interest 03:58.440 --> 04:00.535 position:0% line:0% size:90% because of his performances on the track. 04:00.535 --> 04:02.623 But as I started to recruit him, 04:03.700 --> 04:07.190 his personality really fit with what we're looking for 04:07.190 --> 04:08.360 here on the team. 04:08.360 --> 04:10.573 He's a hard worker, he's a good student, 04:11.960 --> 04:14.193 but just a great kid, great guy. 04:16.950 --> 04:19.100 - So when I'm just running on the track, 04:19.100 --> 04:20.690 I can see the lines vaguely. 04:20.690 --> 04:22.770 Some tracks are easier than others, 04:22.770 --> 04:24.730 but I can see the lines. 04:24.730 --> 04:27.030 Usually I can see the finish line. 04:27.030 --> 04:28.690 Some finish lines are a little bit different 04:28.690 --> 04:30.340 just based off 04:30.340 --> 04:32.090 kind of like how the track is made. 04:36.270 --> 04:37.160 Back in eighth grade 04:37.160 --> 04:39.283 and a little bit of ninth grade, 04:40.140 --> 04:42.830 if there was like a hurdle or a set of blocks on the track, 04:42.830 --> 04:44.680 I stepped on him a couple of times, 04:44.680 --> 04:46.070 cause I didn't see them. 04:46.070 --> 04:49.090 And not even stepped on them, I like ran over them. 04:49.090 --> 04:51.520 And I like had a couple of fractured ankles. 04:51.520 --> 04:54.660 So those were a couple incidents where 04:55.653 --> 04:58.960 it was kind of scary because I didn't know 04:58.960 --> 05:00.000 if something was in front of me. 05:00.000 --> 05:01.763 I was kinda running anxiously. 05:03.610 --> 05:05.491 - Just the fact that he has 05:05.491 --> 05:07.662 obstacles to overcome, 05:07.662 --> 05:09.890 it doesn't deter him from 05:09.890 --> 05:11.860 striving to reach his goals and working hard 05:11.860 --> 05:13.400 to achieve them. 05:15.200 --> 05:17.170 - Being a track athlete in high school 05:17.170 --> 05:18.940 was a really good experience. 05:18.940 --> 05:21.880 I got to become state champion in the 200 last year, 05:21.880 --> 05:23.260 as a junior, 05:23.260 --> 05:25.480 and runner up in the 100 as a junior. 05:25.480 --> 05:27.630 And then freshman year and sophomore year, 05:27.630 --> 05:30.160 I also placed some state five times 05:30.160 --> 05:32.050 throughout the two years. 05:32.050 --> 05:34.190 And then being with the Paralympics is a very, 05:34.190 --> 05:35.560 very great experience. 05:35.560 --> 05:38.690 We get to travel the world and advocate for ourselves 05:38.690 --> 05:43.560 and just kind of let people know what the Paralympic 05:43.560 --> 05:44.930 movement is, 05:44.930 --> 05:47.380 and also compete at the same time, which is good. 05:49.750 --> 05:51.950 - I'm really looking forward to working with Noah this year 05:51.950 --> 05:55.320 and through the rest of his time at Indiana State, 05:55.320 --> 05:56.770 and hopefully beyond. 05:56.770 --> 05:58.910 He is a very talented young man 05:58.910 --> 06:02.759 who I think can do a lot of great things for our program, 06:02.759 --> 06:03.730 and our university, 06:03.730 --> 06:06.490 position:0% line:0% size:90% but also for Paralympic athletes 06:06.490 --> 06:08.693 position:0% line:0% size:90% everywhere and the sport of track and field. 06:12.387 --> 06:14.970 (upbeat music) 06:27.426 --> 06:30.093 (wind whirring) 06:33.070 --> 06:35.330 - I am a hurricane Katrina survivor. 06:35.330 --> 06:39.020 So hurricane Katrina hit my hometown 06:39.020 --> 06:40.160 and my college closed. 06:40.160 --> 06:41.650 I mean, everything shut down. 06:41.650 --> 06:46.290 And I had been texting with my friends who live here 06:46.290 --> 06:49.030 that I had had no power. 06:49.030 --> 06:51.360 position:0% line:0% size:90% My gas in my car was getting low 06:51.360 --> 06:52.620 position:0% line:0% size:90% and I was running out of supplies, 06:52.620 --> 06:54.207 and my best friend said, 06:54.207 --> 06:55.380 "Well, we're going to come get you." 06:55.380 --> 06:58.950 And I was like, "Are you sure? 06:58.950 --> 07:00.660 I mean, it could be dangerous." 07:00.660 --> 07:02.670 They picked me up and they drove me back here to 07:02.670 --> 07:05.750 Indianapolis and I've been here ever since. 07:05.750 --> 07:08.890 And so that's how I graduated from IUPUI, 07:08.890 --> 07:13.163 because I had to stop attending school in Louisiana. 07:15.750 --> 07:18.330 My parents went out on a date one evening 07:18.330 --> 07:21.240 and I was with my grandmother 07:21.240 --> 07:24.300 and she took me into the other room and laid me 07:24.300 --> 07:27.270 down for bedtime. 07:27.270 --> 07:31.253 And my grandmother had two big dogs at the time. 07:32.210 --> 07:34.160 And for some reason that evening, 07:34.160 --> 07:36.590 the dogs started to bark very loudly. 07:36.590 --> 07:41.483 And my grandmother thought that I would start crying. 07:42.640 --> 07:45.120 So she went in the room to check on me 07:46.580 --> 07:48.250 and I was fast asleep 07:50.070 --> 07:53.300 and she kind of suspected that something might be up, 07:53.300 --> 07:55.000 that I might have a hearing issue. 07:56.428 --> 08:01.428 So my parents took me to an audiologist in New Orleans 08:02.090 --> 08:05.903 and they did what they call brainstem test. 08:07.870 --> 08:11.080 And basically that test looks at the nerve, 08:11.080 --> 08:13.530 the nerve connection to the brain, 08:13.530 --> 08:17.783 to see if the brain is responding to sound. 08:18.650 --> 08:21.420 My brain wasn't responding to noise or sound. 08:21.420 --> 08:26.420 So I was diagnosed as profoundly deaf or severely deaf. 08:28.940 --> 08:31.823 I have been advocating for myself my entire life. 08:32.740 --> 08:33.690 I've faced, 08:33.690 --> 08:35.223 I face barriers every day. 08:36.830 --> 08:39.580 I advocate for myself if I need 08:40.450 --> 08:43.603 to communicate with somebody in a specific way. 08:45.760 --> 08:48.520 My parents decided since I, you know, 08:48.520 --> 08:50.120 I wasn't able to speak, 08:50.120 --> 08:53.390 they wanted me to be able to have good reading and writing 08:53.390 --> 08:55.040 skills in English, 08:55.040 --> 08:59.290 because the world is hearing centered. 08:59.290 --> 09:02.780 And that is how I became the person I am today, 09:02.780 --> 09:06.050 that I'm able to communicate independently 09:06.050 --> 09:08.083 and maneuver in the world. 09:10.450 --> 09:13.970 If I need communication access for an event or 09:15.620 --> 09:17.330 any kind of activity, 09:17.330 --> 09:19.710 I need to request an interpreter. 09:19.710 --> 09:21.110 And I need to, you know, 09:21.110 --> 09:24.820 sometimes explain about the American with Disabilities Act. 09:24.820 --> 09:28.120 And that's what allows me to have access 09:28.120 --> 09:30.340 to programs and services 09:30.340 --> 09:32.730 that are being provided to the public. 09:32.730 --> 09:36.020 The biggest project that we're working on is 09:40.690 --> 09:44.070 we're planning a digital outreach 09:44.070 --> 09:45.373 for early voting. 09:46.850 --> 09:50.060 So we are trying to spread the word 09:50.060 --> 09:51.470 to the disability community 09:51.470 --> 09:53.980 about their options of voting early. 09:53.980 --> 09:57.650 You can vote in person or by mail early. 09:57.650 --> 10:02.650 position:0% line:0% size:90% - We don't do advocacy because we make giant paychecks. 10:02.740 --> 10:05.220 position:0% line:0% size:90% Everybody that works at Indiana Disability Rights is 10:05.220 --> 10:07.450 extremely passionate about the work we do. 10:07.450 --> 10:09.243 So we hire passionate people. 10:10.450 --> 10:12.920 Catherine showed us from the very beginning, 10:12.920 --> 10:14.920 she was extremely passionate about voting issues, 10:14.920 --> 10:18.763 voting rights and disability rights and advocacy in general. 10:20.820 --> 10:23.440 - An individual's vote is the core of everything 10:23.440 --> 10:25.060 that we have, 10:25.060 --> 10:26.923 our way of life here in America, 10:28.220 --> 10:30.633 especially for the disability community, 10:31.660 --> 10:35.280 because we are reliant on programs and services 10:35.280 --> 10:37.120 that help us 10:38.040 --> 10:40.870 have more independence, 10:40.870 --> 10:44.490 that we are able to have employment access, 10:44.490 --> 10:46.890 access to education, 10:46.890 --> 10:49.400 equal access to housing, 10:49.400 --> 10:50.870 to healthcare. 10:50.870 --> 10:53.630 - Having somebody who comes in with lived experience 10:54.820 --> 10:59.480 is so fundamental to the work we do. 10:59.480 --> 11:02.740 And it's so fundamental for making us better. 11:02.740 --> 11:04.710 There are things that Catherine's going to catch 11:04.710 --> 11:06.550 that I'll never catch. 11:06.550 --> 11:08.790 There are things that she's going to bring to the table that 11:08.790 --> 11:11.220 are solutions that I'm never going to think of. 11:11.220 --> 11:12.930 And that's just because we're different people 11:12.930 --> 11:14.323 with different experiences. 11:16.250 --> 11:21.250 - I provide information on voting training and we do discuss 11:21.820 --> 11:25.170 from registering to vote, to how to vote, 11:25.170 --> 11:27.180 to how to make an informed choice, 11:27.180 --> 11:30.623 how to screen candidates and screen information. 11:32.190 --> 11:36.910 Your vote is one kind of form of self-advocacy 11:36.910 --> 11:38.427 where you're able to say, 11:38.427 --> 11:40.800 "I want to have an equal opportunity. 11:40.800 --> 11:42.390 I want to have equal education. 11:42.390 --> 11:45.550 I want to have equal communication access." 11:45.550 --> 11:49.700 So your vote is a simple way for you to say who you want, 11:49.700 --> 11:51.490 you know, whoever you choose, 11:51.490 --> 11:54.230 but it's just a simple way for you to advocate for yourself 11:54.230 --> 11:56.180 and what you want from your leadership. 11:58.730 --> 12:03.300 If people do not vote, services and programs may be cut. 12:03.300 --> 12:05.553 So there's a risk of, for not voting. 12:08.466 --> 12:11.049 (upbeat music) 12:19.040 --> 12:22.120 - There was a time when I had to call my mother, 12:22.120 --> 12:25.777 and I told her, I said, "I lost my sight." 12:28.889 --> 12:30.883 And she immediately says to me, 12:32.197 --> 12:36.140 "Well, son, you've lost your sight. 12:36.140 --> 12:37.153 That's God's plan. 12:38.520 --> 12:41.720 I didn't raise you to be a weakling. 12:41.720 --> 12:46.190 So what are you going to do about it?" 12:46.190 --> 12:48.020 position:0% line:0% size:90% My name is Lee Martin. 12:48.020 --> 12:50.700 position:0% line:0% size:90% I'm a member of the National Federation of the Blind, 12:50.700 --> 12:52.960 and yes, I am blind. 12:52.960 --> 12:55.270 - [Announcer] The National Federation of the Blind- 12:55.270 --> 12:57.460 NEWSLINE Indiana, 12:57.460 --> 12:59.240 Monthly Report, 12:59.240 --> 13:01.690 position:0% line:0% size:90% with your host, Lee Martin 13:01.690 --> 13:04.593 position:0% line:0% size:90% and cohost Florence Myers McSwine. 13:06.299 --> 13:08.450 position:0% line:0% size:90% - You want to know about Lee Martin? 13:08.450 --> 13:10.440 position:0% line:0% size:90% I have been working with Lee with the National Federation 13:10.440 --> 13:12.800 of the Blind-NEWSLINE Indiana show 13:12.800 --> 13:14.790 for a little over three years. 13:14.790 --> 13:17.410 Lee is a very innovative man. 13:17.410 --> 13:19.210 - Florence said that about me? 13:19.210 --> 13:23.320 - And he just knows how to make things work. 13:23.320 --> 13:26.790 - What's really nice is what we do together. 13:26.790 --> 13:29.150 position:0% line:0% size:90% We want to welcome our guest back to 13:29.150 --> 13:33.730 position:0% line:0% size:90% the National Federation of the Blind-NEWSLINE Indiana show, 13:33.730 --> 13:34.830 position:0% line:0% size:90% Ms. Rhonda Chapman. 13:34.830 --> 13:38.160 position:0% line:0% size:90% Thank you for coming on again and sharing your reality 13:38.160 --> 13:41.163 position:0% line:0% size:90% with us, your road to independence. 13:42.130 --> 13:45.250 Independence is what I've been blessed with. 13:45.250 --> 13:49.460 And I'd like to share that independence with others. 13:49.460 --> 13:53.820 - I work out at a gym that I kept seeing this blind fellow 13:53.820 --> 13:56.330 come into with his cane 13:56.330 --> 13:59.340 and he would walk back into the locker room and 14:00.610 --> 14:03.450 go about his business of exercise and cleaning up 14:03.450 --> 14:05.993 afterwards and go on home. 14:07.007 --> 14:08.810 And his independence was amazing to me. 14:08.810 --> 14:11.310 And then I saw him back in front of his locker room 14:11.310 --> 14:13.620 and he was shining his shoes. 14:13.620 --> 14:16.250 And I thought, this is a guy that I've got to, 14:16.250 --> 14:17.650 I've got to meet. 14:17.650 --> 14:19.800 And so I went up to him and said, 14:19.800 --> 14:23.070 I introduced myself and said, "You're blind." 14:23.070 --> 14:24.400 He says, "Yes, I am." 14:24.400 --> 14:26.750 Says, "And you're shining your shoes, why, 14:26.750 --> 14:28.923 why are you shining your shoes?" 14:28.923 --> 14:32.657 And he says, he looked up at me and he said like, 14:32.657 --> 14:34.757 "Well, I want to look good." 14:36.060 --> 14:37.850 That's just Lee Martin. 14:37.850 --> 14:39.900 His shoes have to look good, 14:39.900 --> 14:41.483 even though he can't see them. 14:42.590 --> 14:44.850 - Lee wasn't born blind. 14:44.850 --> 14:47.080 He lost his sight in his mid-forties 14:47.080 --> 14:48.880 due to a condition called phlebitis. 14:50.020 --> 14:54.130 - In June of 1999, I was 46 years old 14:54.130 --> 14:56.610 and I lived a fairly productive life 14:56.610 --> 14:58.440 up until that point. 14:58.440 --> 15:01.427 And while working at DaimlerChrysler, 15:02.330 --> 15:03.170 I lost my sight 15:04.790 --> 15:07.080 and then I lost my job 15:09.130 --> 15:12.200 position:0% line:0% size:90% and it wasn't fair. 15:12.200 --> 15:14.183 position:0% line:0% size:90% So it took DaimlerChrysler to court. 15:15.850 --> 15:18.080 - One of the toughest things about being blind 15:18.080 --> 15:20.863 is the ability to get employment. 15:21.700 --> 15:26.700 The unemployment rate for people that are blind is over 75%. 15:27.010 --> 15:29.040 - The legal case against DaimlerChrysler 15:30.640 --> 15:33.253 position:0% line:0% size:90% received national exposure. 15:35.610 --> 15:38.020 It opened my eyes 15:38.020 --> 15:41.340 position:0% line:0% size:90% and I got involved with the National Federation of the Blind 15:42.410 --> 15:46.050 position:0% line:0% size:90% to help others achieve independence. 15:46.050 --> 15:48.040 And one of the ways that I do that 15:48.040 --> 15:49.760 is through a program, 15:49.760 --> 15:51.440 the NFB-NEWSLINE. 15:51.440 --> 15:53.940 position:0% line:0% size:90% - [Man] Hoosiers can hear Indiana magazines, circulars, 15:53.940 --> 15:57.350 position:0% line:0% size:90% national magazines and information from across the globe. 15:57.350 --> 16:01.890 Learn more by calling 855-963-6476, 16:01.890 --> 16:03.397 or visit nfbnewsline-in.org. 16:06.070 --> 16:07.570 - It gives them an opportunity 16:08.730 --> 16:10.880 to have all this information 16:11.740 --> 16:15.350 right there at their fingertips. 16:15.350 --> 16:17.180 - [Computer] What would you like to do? 16:17.180 --> 16:19.390 - Read the New York Times. 16:19.390 --> 16:21.010 - [Computer] Reading the New York Times, 16:21.010 --> 16:23.930 dated September 25th, 2020. 16:23.930 --> 16:25.210 - A person that's 16:26.701 --> 16:28.520 that's informed, 16:28.520 --> 16:30.810 they make informed decisions. 16:30.810 --> 16:34.230 And this service helps allow that. 16:34.230 --> 16:37.303 - There are so many things that Lee is so passionate about. 16:38.200 --> 16:39.503 - Education of our youth, 16:40.730 --> 16:43.810 as well as education for our adults. 16:43.810 --> 16:46.310 - The right of blind and visually impaired citizens 16:46.310 --> 16:49.560 to vote is guaranteed by the United States Constitution. 16:49.560 --> 16:51.613 - And when it comes to voting, 16:55.920 --> 16:59.910 blind people would love to vote independently 17:00.820 --> 17:04.020 and the technology has to be developed for that. 17:04.020 --> 17:07.890 Now, as far as the employment with the blind, 17:07.890 --> 17:10.993 we're not asking for any more or any less, 17:11.950 --> 17:13.293 but just a fair shot. 17:14.360 --> 17:16.230 And that fair shot comes with 17:18.300 --> 17:19.720 creating the opportunities, 17:19.720 --> 17:21.440 the proper training that we need, 17:21.440 --> 17:23.880 the proper technologies that well need 17:23.880 --> 17:26.730 so that we can work independently. 17:26.730 --> 17:29.650 - This is Studio B at WHMB TV 40. 17:29.650 --> 17:32.310 And this is where we normally would produce 17:32.310 --> 17:35.133 the National Federation of the Blind-NEWSLINE show. 17:36.350 --> 17:40.625 - We want to welcome you back with Pastor Melendi. 17:40.625 --> 17:43.020 - [Announcer] And of course, now, since COVID hit, 17:43.020 --> 17:45.320 now we have to do things a little differently. 17:46.180 --> 17:48.480 - We want to welcome you to the National Federation 17:48.480 --> 17:50.793 of the Blind-NEWSLINE Indiana show. 17:51.730 --> 17:56.620 - Does Lee Martin let any dust settle on him? 17:56.620 --> 17:57.620 No way. 17:57.620 --> 17:59.820 - As busy as Lee is, 17:59.820 --> 18:01.440 he takes time to have fun 18:02.730 --> 18:05.010 and he knows how to dance, 18:05.010 --> 18:07.680 and he knows how to celebrate life 18:07.680 --> 18:09.560 in a wonderful way. 18:09.560 --> 18:13.330 - The bottom line about Lee Martin is he is a joyful, 18:13.330 --> 18:17.503 encouraging and professional activist. 18:19.820 --> 18:21.633 - There's an old Chinese proverb, 18:22.937 --> 18:26.150 "Be not afraid 18:26.150 --> 18:27.233 of moving slowly, 18:28.410 --> 18:31.157 but be afraid of standing still." 18:32.249 --> 18:33.249 I kind of like that. 18:37.745 --> 18:40.328 (upbeat music) 18:52.420 --> 18:54.310 - I was always the new kid. 18:54.310 --> 18:56.380 I was the new kid everywhere that I went, 18:56.380 --> 18:59.480 moving so much in combination with 18:59.480 --> 19:02.380 position:0% line:0% size:90% having a visual disability that already requires you 19:02.380 --> 19:03.490 position:0% line:0% size:90% to explain it to people, 19:03.490 --> 19:05.370 position:0% line:0% size:90% because they don't understand what it is. 19:05.370 --> 19:07.080 It was kind of a perfect storm. 19:07.080 --> 19:08.400 My name is Andrew Neylon, 19:08.400 --> 19:10.020 and I am a graduate student at 19:10.020 --> 19:12.240 the University of Texas at Austin. 19:12.240 --> 19:14.610 I have low vision. 19:14.610 --> 19:17.930 I'm legally blind, as well as completely colorblind. 19:17.930 --> 19:19.750 - Starting with kindergarten, 19:19.750 --> 19:22.760 sometimes there was a lot of difficulty explaining to a 19:22.760 --> 19:27.320 teacher what it was that Andrew saw, 19:27.320 --> 19:30.710 position:0% line:0% size:90% what vision was in Andrew's world. 19:30.710 --> 19:34.000 Six feet out, everything's kind of a blurry world for him. 19:34.000 --> 19:37.940 When Andrew was just a baby, they told us then, you know, 19:37.940 --> 19:39.780 that Andrew wouldn't be able to drive 19:39.780 --> 19:40.630 or any of those things. 19:40.630 --> 19:43.600 And I remember being absolutely crushed for him 19:43.600 --> 19:46.130 to be able to have the sense of independence, 19:46.130 --> 19:47.943 but also the ability to get around. 19:49.460 --> 19:52.340 - When Andrew got into high school, 19:52.340 --> 19:56.080 I was his orientation and mobility instructor, 19:56.080 --> 20:00.040 and that's someone who works with a student on being 20:00.040 --> 20:02.510 independent and moving around their community 20:02.510 --> 20:03.900 or their neighborhood. 20:03.900 --> 20:06.110 - So it was a lot of like, at that time, 20:06.110 --> 20:08.420 learning how to route basically, 20:08.420 --> 20:09.637 how to figure out like, 20:09.637 --> 20:12.210 "Okay, I want to go to this store to get something," 20:12.210 --> 20:14.277 that maybe it was like a treat for me, 20:14.277 --> 20:16.210 "And then I'm going to work my way back 20:16.210 --> 20:17.690 with the bus system or something." 20:17.690 --> 20:18.900 - Obviously there was instruction, 20:18.900 --> 20:21.300 but there was a lot of walking in between instruction. 20:21.300 --> 20:25.250 And I got to know his tastes in music and movies 20:25.250 --> 20:27.990 and just the depth of his intellect. 20:27.990 --> 20:31.270 And I just got to know him really well. 20:31.270 --> 20:35.350 - Andrew's mobility trainer found this contest that was 20:35.350 --> 20:40.120 being sponsored by the braille org and 20:40.120 --> 20:41.840 one of the film companies. 20:41.840 --> 20:44.010 And they were, I think, 20:44.010 --> 20:48.187 trying to get children to express what they see, you know, 20:48.187 --> 20:50.067 "This is how I see." 20:51.480 --> 20:53.283 - The first film that I made, which was called 20:53.283 --> 20:54.460 "The Viewmaster," 20:54.460 --> 20:55.755 it basically, 20:55.755 --> 20:57.330 it relies on this metaphor of this idea of like, 20:57.330 --> 20:59.200 when you look through a Viewmaster, 20:59.200 --> 21:02.240 you click and you see different images. 21:02.240 --> 21:05.810 I remembered this experience of kind of looking through it 21:05.810 --> 21:08.250 and talking with other kids about what I had seen 21:08.250 --> 21:11.370 and what I saw maybe differing from what they saw, 21:11.370 --> 21:13.610 but kind of this idea of going along with it, 21:13.610 --> 21:15.927 because I didn't really know how to say like, 21:15.927 --> 21:17.220 "Well, I can't see that, you know, 21:17.220 --> 21:19.140 I don't see that the same way that you do." 21:19.140 --> 21:21.410 While that seemed like the best way to go through life 21:21.410 --> 21:23.697 when I was in kindergarten or first grade, 21:23.697 --> 21:26.870 as an adult, or like an emerging adult, you know, 21:26.870 --> 21:29.670 I sort of am aware enough of my disability at this point to 21:29.670 --> 21:32.273 recognize that you have a different perspective and, 21:32.273 --> 21:34.410 sort of making the effort to understand that, 21:34.410 --> 21:36.540 rather than just sort of hiding it away 21:36.540 --> 21:38.160 to be part of the group. 21:38.160 --> 21:41.620 - I think we worked together editing and we did some kind of 21:41.620 --> 21:44.700 visual effects to emphasize the visual 21:44.700 --> 21:47.030 aspect of the theme. 21:47.030 --> 21:49.400 I was confident that he could win 21:49.400 --> 21:52.300 just because of Andrew's talent. 21:52.300 --> 21:57.240 - Andrew got a call from a producer to say that he had won 21:57.240 --> 22:00.970 and that they were flying him out to Los Angeles 22:00.970 --> 22:03.800 to get a check 22:03.800 --> 22:05.870 and his award, 22:05.870 --> 22:06.930 which was pretty cool. 22:06.930 --> 22:10.070 I was really, really proud of Andrew in that moment. 22:10.070 --> 22:12.450 - The beauty of perception is that a rainbow, 22:12.450 --> 22:13.970 isn't a rainbow, 22:13.970 --> 22:17.790 it's a gray mass, a symbol of hope, the work of God, 22:17.790 --> 22:22.080 a color spectrum, or even just a unicorn bridge, 22:22.080 --> 22:24.130 but most importantly, 22:24.130 --> 22:26.763 it is perceived through the heart of its beholder. 22:27.740 --> 22:29.530 When I applied to grad school, you know, 22:29.530 --> 22:32.800 I included that piece as sort of part of my body of work, 22:32.800 --> 22:36.360 because I do think it speaks to who I am as a person 22:36.360 --> 22:37.513 in a really strong way. 22:40.053 --> 22:41.810 In my day-to-day life right now, 22:41.810 --> 22:44.730 is I'm living with my mom and her husband 22:44.730 --> 22:46.420 in Indianapolis. 22:46.420 --> 22:47.550 I'm in grad school. 22:47.550 --> 22:48.830 I'm studying film. 22:48.830 --> 22:51.900 So I have maybe, I don't know, 22:51.900 --> 22:54.683 20 plus hours of Zoom every week doing school. 22:57.140 --> 23:00.580 I think one of the big things that influenced me through 23:00.580 --> 23:02.570 working with Beth that I still use today, 23:02.570 --> 23:07.130 is knowing that there are people around me 23:07.130 --> 23:08.430 that I can ask for help. 23:08.430 --> 23:10.460 I mean, that's really big. 23:10.460 --> 23:13.310 I'm having to talk to a person who's doing color correction, 23:13.310 --> 23:15.510 who is of course used to working with somebody who has 23:15.510 --> 23:16.860 opinions about the color 23:16.860 --> 23:18.177 and having to go, like, 23:18.177 --> 23:20.130 "Do you agree that it might not look right?" 23:20.130 --> 23:23.860 And so kind of moving to the next echelon 23:23.860 --> 23:26.120 of having those conversations with professionals 23:26.120 --> 23:27.837 and kind of learning, like, 23:27.837 --> 23:30.420 "How do I dialogue with someone about how to, 23:30.420 --> 23:32.390 how to make a professional product?" 23:32.390 --> 23:35.137 and around that I'm not 100% comfortable in. 23:35.137 --> 23:36.650 And that was really rewarding to me. 23:36.650 --> 23:38.970 And it did feel like kind of a full circle in some ways 23:38.970 --> 23:41.290 for what I'd experienced before. 23:41.290 --> 23:42.217 Beth said to me, like, 23:42.217 --> 23:44.610 "I have a student right now, who's interested in filmmaking. 23:44.610 --> 23:45.870 Can I have them contact you? 23:45.870 --> 23:47.850 And I always say yes to those things. 23:47.850 --> 23:48.683 It's always weird to me, 23:48.683 --> 23:50.420 because I feel like I'm still 23:50.420 --> 23:53.330 learning how to express myself and deal with it, 23:53.330 --> 23:54.163 and things of that nature. 23:54.163 --> 23:55.990 I don't think of myself as like, you know, 23:55.990 --> 23:57.910 this person others would look too, 23:57.910 --> 24:00.010 but again, when there are so few people that are able 24:00.010 --> 24:00.843 to do it, 24:00.843 --> 24:02.317 it is important to be that person. 24:02.317 --> 24:04.960 And I think just learning more about the range of human 24:04.960 --> 24:07.800 experience makes you more empathetic and understanding. 24:07.800 --> 24:09.950 And it's just part of where I think we're headed as a 24:09.950 --> 24:12.150 culture in terms of understanding diversity. 24:16.461 --> 24:19.044 (upbeat music)