1 00:00:00,499 --> 00:00:03,082 (upbeat music) 2 00:00:25,180 --> 00:00:26,430 - My name is Noah Malone. 3 00:00:26,430 --> 00:00:28,340 I attend Indiana State University 4 00:00:28,340 --> 00:00:30,340 and I'm a student athlete. 5 00:00:30,340 --> 00:00:34,190 I try not to think about myself being vision impaired 6 00:00:34,190 --> 00:00:35,910 every time I step on the track, 7 00:00:35,910 --> 00:00:36,743 because then sometimes 8 00:00:36,743 --> 00:00:39,030 I can bring stress, 9 00:00:39,030 --> 00:00:40,430 because then a lot more 10 00:00:42,440 --> 00:00:43,727 issues come into mind like, 11 00:00:43,727 --> 00:00:45,800 "Oh, what if I run out of my lane? 12 00:00:45,800 --> 00:00:47,030 What if I do this and that?" 13 00:00:47,030 --> 00:00:49,670 So I try to just have an open mind 14 00:00:49,670 --> 00:00:51,973 and then, just run the race. 15 00:00:55,380 --> 00:00:57,713 So it was the first day of eighth grade, 16 00:00:58,610 --> 00:01:00,680 probably about five years ago at this point. 17 00:01:00,680 --> 00:01:03,090 And I was just sitting in the classroom 18 00:01:03,090 --> 00:01:05,460 and I just happened to look up at the whiteboard 19 00:01:05,460 --> 00:01:07,340 and I couldn't really notice what the teacher 20 00:01:07,340 --> 00:01:08,400 was writing on the board. 21 00:01:08,400 --> 00:01:10,690 So I just texted my mom and 22 00:01:10,690 --> 00:01:12,577 we thought it was just a normal, 23 00:01:12,577 --> 00:01:14,700 "Oh, we're just going to go and get some eyeglasses." 24 00:01:14,700 --> 00:01:16,460 But it was a lot more than that. 25 00:01:16,460 --> 00:01:17,293 A couple of days later, 26 00:01:17,293 --> 00:01:21,530 we went to kind of like a local ophthalmologist 27 00:01:21,530 --> 00:01:23,530 and we found out I have a eye condition 28 00:01:23,530 --> 00:01:26,780 called Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy. 29 00:01:26,780 --> 00:01:28,690 And what that means is it strips away most 30 00:01:28,690 --> 00:01:30,160 of my central vision 31 00:01:30,160 --> 00:01:32,510 and leaves me with my peripheral vision. 32 00:01:32,510 --> 00:01:34,160 It was shocking and kind of scary, 33 00:01:34,160 --> 00:01:36,380 cause I didn't know how bad it was going to get. 34 00:01:36,380 --> 00:01:38,510 It did get a lot worse 35 00:01:39,670 --> 00:01:41,300 as the year went on. 36 00:01:41,300 --> 00:01:44,060 So I kinda just took it how it was 37 00:01:44,060 --> 00:01:45,540 and just hoped for the best, pretty much, 38 00:01:45,540 --> 00:01:47,400 that's really all I could do. 39 00:01:47,400 --> 00:01:49,853 Honestly, going to the Indiana School for the Blind, 40 00:01:50,870 --> 00:01:52,630 freshman through junior year, 41 00:01:52,630 --> 00:01:55,220 half and half with him was in Southeastern, 42 00:01:55,220 --> 00:01:57,120 they really taught me how to be an advocate, 43 00:01:57,120 --> 00:01:58,680 especially, you know, 44 00:01:58,680 --> 00:02:01,330 transitioning into the adult world 45 00:02:01,330 --> 00:02:03,340 and being independent for yourself. 46 00:02:03,340 --> 00:02:05,240 I really had to learn how to 47 00:02:06,220 --> 00:02:07,347 say what I needed. 48 00:02:09,056 --> 00:02:12,389 (water fountain sounds) 49 00:02:14,290 --> 00:02:16,520 The classroom was probably the biggest setting where I had 50 00:02:16,520 --> 00:02:18,960 to have adjustments made 51 00:02:18,960 --> 00:02:20,270 in order to be successful. 52 00:02:20,270 --> 00:02:22,570 This campus is pretty accessible 53 00:02:22,570 --> 00:02:25,470 for the low vision, I feel like. 54 00:02:25,470 --> 00:02:27,540 We have a really, really good disability 55 00:02:28,730 --> 00:02:29,840 service office 56 00:02:30,780 --> 00:02:33,150 that has helped me a lot so far. 57 00:02:33,150 --> 00:02:35,503 A lot of adjustments had to be made. 58 00:02:35,503 --> 00:02:36,820 As of now I use every, 59 00:02:36,820 --> 00:02:39,680 I use a laptop and an iPad. 60 00:02:39,680 --> 00:02:42,550 So all my schoolwork and assignments have to be 61 00:02:42,550 --> 00:02:44,010 either emailed to me, 62 00:02:44,010 --> 00:02:45,570 or I just have to go 63 00:02:45,570 --> 00:02:48,630 get it transferred into a document on my iPad. 64 00:02:48,630 --> 00:02:51,720 So I can either listen to a long reading 65 00:02:51,720 --> 00:02:52,580 on a textbook 66 00:02:53,854 --> 00:02:55,330 or zoom in on something that 67 00:02:55,330 --> 00:02:57,350 I wouldn't be able to zoom in on if it was just paper. 68 00:02:57,350 --> 00:03:00,830 So far, I had to get the physical textbooks, 69 00:03:00,830 --> 00:03:02,630 bring them to the disability office, 70 00:03:03,550 --> 00:03:05,200 five minutes from my dorm. 71 00:03:05,200 --> 00:03:08,490 And then they had to scan the whole thing 72 00:03:08,490 --> 00:03:10,800 and then make probably about, 73 00:03:10,800 --> 00:03:12,450 I mean, it depends how big the textbook is, 74 00:03:12,450 --> 00:03:15,420 but probably 10 PDFs 75 00:03:15,420 --> 00:03:17,193 and email all those to me. 76 00:03:20,010 --> 00:03:23,360 My transition has been pretty smooth so far. 77 00:03:23,360 --> 00:03:27,000 I mean, due to COVID we've been having online classes. 78 00:03:27,000 --> 00:03:29,920 All my classes are pretty much hybrid. 79 00:03:29,920 --> 00:03:33,030 So some are online, some days 80 00:03:33,030 --> 00:03:34,880 and then somewhere in person, other days. 81 00:03:34,880 --> 00:03:36,450 It's definitely different. 82 00:03:36,450 --> 00:03:38,680 I've never really experienced anything like that, 83 00:03:38,680 --> 00:03:40,480 but it is nice because the learning environment 84 00:03:40,480 --> 00:03:41,510 is much smaller. 85 00:03:41,510 --> 00:03:44,020 There's only about 10 kids in the class 86 00:03:44,020 --> 00:03:45,620 instead of probably 30. 87 00:03:45,620 --> 00:03:48,307 So I do like it when it comes to that. 88 00:03:48,307 --> 00:03:53,307 - 35, 36, seven, eight, nine, 40, 41. 89 00:03:55,680 --> 00:03:57,480 - Noah initially caught our interest 90 00:03:58,440 --> 00:04:00,535 because of his performances on the track. 91 00:04:00,535 --> 00:04:02,623 But as I started to recruit him, 92 00:04:03,700 --> 00:04:07,190 his personality really fit with what we're looking for 93 00:04:07,190 --> 00:04:08,360 here on the team. 94 00:04:08,360 --> 00:04:10,573 He's a hard worker, he's a good student, 95 00:04:11,960 --> 00:04:14,193 but just a great kid, great guy. 96 00:04:16,950 --> 00:04:19,100 - So when I'm just running on the track, 97 00:04:19,100 --> 00:04:20,690 I can see the lines vaguely. 98 00:04:20,690 --> 00:04:22,770 Some tracks are easier than others, 99 00:04:22,770 --> 00:04:24,730 but I can see the lines. 100 00:04:24,730 --> 00:04:27,030 Usually I can see the finish line. 101 00:04:27,030 --> 00:04:28,690 Some finish lines are a little bit different 102 00:04:28,690 --> 00:04:30,340 just based off 103 00:04:30,340 --> 00:04:32,090 kind of like how the track is made. 104 00:04:36,270 --> 00:04:37,160 Back in eighth grade 105 00:04:37,160 --> 00:04:39,283 and a little bit of ninth grade, 106 00:04:40,140 --> 00:04:42,830 if there was like a hurdle or a set of blocks on the track, 107 00:04:42,830 --> 00:04:44,680 I stepped on him a couple of times, 108 00:04:44,680 --> 00:04:46,070 cause I didn't see them. 109 00:04:46,070 --> 00:04:49,090 And not even stepped on them, I like ran over them. 110 00:04:49,090 --> 00:04:51,520 And I like had a couple of fractured ankles. 111 00:04:51,520 --> 00:04:54,660 So those were a couple incidents where 112 00:04:55,653 --> 00:04:58,960 it was kind of scary because I didn't know 113 00:04:58,960 --> 00:05:00,000 if something was in front of me. 114 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:01,763 I was kinda running anxiously. 115 00:05:03,610 --> 00:05:05,491 - Just the fact that he has 116 00:05:05,491 --> 00:05:07,662 obstacles to overcome, 117 00:05:07,662 --> 00:05:09,890 it doesn't deter him from 118 00:05:09,890 --> 00:05:11,860 striving to reach his goals and working hard 119 00:05:11,860 --> 00:05:13,400 to achieve them. 120 00:05:15,200 --> 00:05:17,170 - Being a track athlete in high school 121 00:05:17,170 --> 00:05:18,940 was a really good experience. 122 00:05:18,940 --> 00:05:21,880 I got to become state champion in the 200 last year, 123 00:05:21,880 --> 00:05:23,260 as a junior, 124 00:05:23,260 --> 00:05:25,480 and runner up in the 100 as a junior. 125 00:05:25,480 --> 00:05:27,630 And then freshman year and sophomore year, 126 00:05:27,630 --> 00:05:30,160 I also placed some state five times 127 00:05:30,160 --> 00:05:32,050 throughout the two years. 128 00:05:32,050 --> 00:05:34,190 And then being with the Paralympics is a very, 129 00:05:34,190 --> 00:05:35,560 very great experience. 130 00:05:35,560 --> 00:05:38,690 We get to travel the world and advocate for ourselves 131 00:05:38,690 --> 00:05:43,560 and just kind of let people know what the Paralympic 132 00:05:43,560 --> 00:05:44,930 movement is, 133 00:05:44,930 --> 00:05:47,380 and also compete at the same time, which is good. 134 00:05:49,750 --> 00:05:51,950 - I'm really looking forward to working with Noah this year 135 00:05:51,950 --> 00:05:55,320 and through the rest of his time at Indiana State, 136 00:05:55,320 --> 00:05:56,770 and hopefully beyond. 137 00:05:56,770 --> 00:05:58,910 He is a very talented young man 138 00:05:58,910 --> 00:06:02,759 who I think can do a lot of great things for our program, 139 00:06:02,759 --> 00:06:03,730 and our university, 140 00:06:03,730 --> 00:06:06,490 but also for Paralympic athletes 141 00:06:06,490 --> 00:06:08,693 everywhere and the sport of track and field. 142 00:06:12,387 --> 00:06:14,970 (upbeat music) 143 00:06:27,426 --> 00:06:30,093 (wind whirring) 144 00:06:33,070 --> 00:06:35,330 - I am a hurricane Katrina survivor. 145 00:06:35,330 --> 00:06:39,020 So hurricane Katrina hit my hometown 146 00:06:39,020 --> 00:06:40,160 and my college closed. 147 00:06:40,160 --> 00:06:41,650 I mean, everything shut down. 148 00:06:41,650 --> 00:06:46,290 And I had been texting with my friends who live here 149 00:06:46,290 --> 00:06:49,030 that I had had no power. 150 00:06:49,030 --> 00:06:51,360 My gas in my car was getting low 151 00:06:51,360 --> 00:06:52,620 and I was running out of supplies, 152 00:06:52,620 --> 00:06:54,207 and my best friend said, 153 00:06:54,207 --> 00:06:55,380 "Well, we're going to come get you." 154 00:06:55,380 --> 00:06:58,950 And I was like, "Are you sure? 155 00:06:58,950 --> 00:07:00,660 I mean, it could be dangerous." 156 00:07:00,660 --> 00:07:02,670 They picked me up and they drove me back here to 157 00:07:02,670 --> 00:07:05,750 Indianapolis and I've been here ever since. 158 00:07:05,750 --> 00:07:08,890 And so that's how I graduated from IUPUI, 159 00:07:08,890 --> 00:07:13,163 because I had to stop attending school in Louisiana. 160 00:07:15,750 --> 00:07:18,330 My parents went out on a date one evening 161 00:07:18,330 --> 00:07:21,240 and I was with my grandmother 162 00:07:21,240 --> 00:07:24,300 and she took me into the other room and laid me 163 00:07:24,300 --> 00:07:27,270 down for bedtime. 164 00:07:27,270 --> 00:07:31,253 And my grandmother had two big dogs at the time. 165 00:07:32,210 --> 00:07:34,160 And for some reason that evening, 166 00:07:34,160 --> 00:07:36,590 the dogs started to bark very loudly. 167 00:07:36,590 --> 00:07:41,483 And my grandmother thought that I would start crying. 168 00:07:42,640 --> 00:07:45,120 So she went in the room to check on me 169 00:07:46,580 --> 00:07:48,250 and I was fast asleep 170 00:07:50,070 --> 00:07:53,300 and she kind of suspected that something might be up, 171 00:07:53,300 --> 00:07:55,000 that I might have a hearing issue. 172 00:07:56,428 --> 00:08:01,428 So my parents took me to an audiologist in New Orleans 173 00:08:02,090 --> 00:08:05,903 and they did what they call brainstem test. 174 00:08:07,870 --> 00:08:11,080 And basically that test looks at the nerve, 175 00:08:11,080 --> 00:08:13,530 the nerve connection to the brain, 176 00:08:13,530 --> 00:08:17,783 to see if the brain is responding to sound. 177 00:08:18,650 --> 00:08:21,420 My brain wasn't responding to noise or sound. 178 00:08:21,420 --> 00:08:26,420 So I was diagnosed as profoundly deaf or severely deaf. 179 00:08:28,940 --> 00:08:31,823 I have been advocating for myself my entire life. 180 00:08:32,740 --> 00:08:33,690 I've faced, 181 00:08:33,690 --> 00:08:35,223 I face barriers every day. 182 00:08:36,830 --> 00:08:39,580 I advocate for myself if I need 183 00:08:40,450 --> 00:08:43,603 to communicate with somebody in a specific way. 184 00:08:45,760 --> 00:08:48,520 My parents decided since I, you know, 185 00:08:48,520 --> 00:08:50,120 I wasn't able to speak, 186 00:08:50,120 --> 00:08:53,390 they wanted me to be able to have good reading and writing 187 00:08:53,390 --> 00:08:55,040 skills in English, 188 00:08:55,040 --> 00:08:59,290 because the world is hearing centered. 189 00:08:59,290 --> 00:09:02,780 And that is how I became the person I am today, 190 00:09:02,780 --> 00:09:06,050 that I'm able to communicate independently 191 00:09:06,050 --> 00:09:08,083 and maneuver in the world. 192 00:09:10,450 --> 00:09:13,970 If I need communication access for an event or 193 00:09:15,620 --> 00:09:17,330 any kind of activity, 194 00:09:17,330 --> 00:09:19,710 I need to request an interpreter. 195 00:09:19,710 --> 00:09:21,110 And I need to, you know, 196 00:09:21,110 --> 00:09:24,820 sometimes explain about the American with Disabilities Act. 197 00:09:24,820 --> 00:09:28,120 And that's what allows me to have access 198 00:09:28,120 --> 00:09:30,340 to programs and services 199 00:09:30,340 --> 00:09:32,730 that are being provided to the public. 200 00:09:32,730 --> 00:09:36,020 The biggest project that we're working on is 201 00:09:40,690 --> 00:09:44,070 we're planning a digital outreach 202 00:09:44,070 --> 00:09:45,373 for early voting. 203 00:09:46,850 --> 00:09:50,060 So we are trying to spread the word 204 00:09:50,060 --> 00:09:51,470 to the disability community 205 00:09:51,470 --> 00:09:53,980 about their options of voting early. 206 00:09:53,980 --> 00:09:57,650 You can vote in person or by mail early. 207 00:09:57,650 --> 00:10:02,650 - We don't do advocacy because we make giant paychecks. 208 00:10:02,740 --> 00:10:05,220 Everybody that works at Indiana Disability Rights is 209 00:10:05,220 --> 00:10:07,450 extremely passionate about the work we do. 210 00:10:07,450 --> 00:10:09,243 So we hire passionate people. 211 00:10:10,450 --> 00:10:12,920 Catherine showed us from the very beginning, 212 00:10:12,920 --> 00:10:14,920 she was extremely passionate about voting issues, 213 00:10:14,920 --> 00:10:18,763 voting rights and disability rights and advocacy in general. 214 00:10:20,820 --> 00:10:23,440 - An individual's vote is the core of everything 215 00:10:23,440 --> 00:10:25,060 that we have, 216 00:10:25,060 --> 00:10:26,923 our way of life here in America, 217 00:10:28,220 --> 00:10:30,633 especially for the disability community, 218 00:10:31,660 --> 00:10:35,280 because we are reliant on programs and services 219 00:10:35,280 --> 00:10:37,120 that help us 220 00:10:38,040 --> 00:10:40,870 have more independence, 221 00:10:40,870 --> 00:10:44,490 that we are able to have employment access, 222 00:10:44,490 --> 00:10:46,890 access to education, 223 00:10:46,890 --> 00:10:49,400 equal access to housing, 224 00:10:49,400 --> 00:10:50,870 to healthcare. 225 00:10:50,870 --> 00:10:53,630 - Having somebody who comes in with lived experience 226 00:10:54,820 --> 00:10:59,480 is so fundamental to the work we do. 227 00:10:59,480 --> 00:11:02,740 And it's so fundamental for making us better. 228 00:11:02,740 --> 00:11:04,710 There are things that Catherine's going to catch 229 00:11:04,710 --> 00:11:06,550 that I'll never catch. 230 00:11:06,550 --> 00:11:08,790 There are things that she's going to bring to the table that 231 00:11:08,790 --> 00:11:11,220 are solutions that I'm never going to think of. 232 00:11:11,220 --> 00:11:12,930 And that's just because we're different people 233 00:11:12,930 --> 00:11:14,323 with different experiences. 234 00:11:16,250 --> 00:11:21,250 - I provide information on voting training and we do discuss 235 00:11:21,820 --> 00:11:25,170 from registering to vote, to how to vote, 236 00:11:25,170 --> 00:11:27,180 to how to make an informed choice, 237 00:11:27,180 --> 00:11:30,623 how to screen candidates and screen information. 238 00:11:32,190 --> 00:11:36,910 Your vote is one kind of form of self-advocacy 239 00:11:36,910 --> 00:11:38,427 where you're able to say, 240 00:11:38,427 --> 00:11:40,800 "I want to have an equal opportunity. 241 00:11:40,800 --> 00:11:42,390 I want to have equal education. 242 00:11:42,390 --> 00:11:45,550 I want to have equal communication access." 243 00:11:45,550 --> 00:11:49,700 So your vote is a simple way for you to say who you want, 244 00:11:49,700 --> 00:11:51,490 you know, whoever you choose, 245 00:11:51,490 --> 00:11:54,230 but it's just a simple way for you to advocate for yourself 246 00:11:54,230 --> 00:11:56,180 and what you want from your leadership. 247 00:11:58,730 --> 00:12:03,300 If people do not vote, services and programs may be cut. 248 00:12:03,300 --> 00:12:05,553 So there's a risk of, for not voting. 249 00:12:08,466 --> 00:12:11,049 (upbeat music) 250 00:12:19,040 --> 00:12:22,120 - There was a time when I had to call my mother, 251 00:12:22,120 --> 00:12:25,777 and I told her, I said, "I lost my sight." 252 00:12:28,889 --> 00:12:30,883 And she immediately says to me, 253 00:12:32,197 --> 00:12:36,140 "Well, son, you've lost your sight. 254 00:12:36,140 --> 00:12:37,153 That's God's plan. 255 00:12:38,520 --> 00:12:41,720 I didn't raise you to be a weakling. 256 00:12:41,720 --> 00:12:46,190 So what are you going to do about it?" 257 00:12:46,190 --> 00:12:48,020 My name is Lee Martin. 258 00:12:48,020 --> 00:12:50,700 I'm a member of the National Federation of the Blind, 259 00:12:50,700 --> 00:12:52,960 and yes, I am blind. 260 00:12:52,960 --> 00:12:55,270 - [Announcer] The National Federation of the Blind- 261 00:12:55,270 --> 00:12:57,460 NEWSLINE Indiana, 262 00:12:57,460 --> 00:12:59,240 Monthly Report, 263 00:12:59,240 --> 00:13:01,690 with your host, Lee Martin 264 00:13:01,690 --> 00:13:04,593 and cohost Florence Myers McSwine. 265 00:13:06,299 --> 00:13:08,450 - You want to know about Lee Martin? 266 00:13:08,450 --> 00:13:10,440 I have been working with Lee with the National Federation 267 00:13:10,440 --> 00:13:12,800 of the Blind-NEWSLINE Indiana show 268 00:13:12,800 --> 00:13:14,790 for a little over three years. 269 00:13:14,790 --> 00:13:17,410 Lee is a very innovative man. 270 00:13:17,410 --> 00:13:19,210 - Florence said that about me? 271 00:13:19,210 --> 00:13:23,320 - And he just knows how to make things work. 272 00:13:23,320 --> 00:13:26,790 - What's really nice is what we do together. 273 00:13:26,790 --> 00:13:29,150 We want to welcome our guest back to 274 00:13:29,150 --> 00:13:33,730 the National Federation of the Blind-NEWSLINE Indiana show, 275 00:13:33,730 --> 00:13:34,830 Ms. Rhonda Chapman. 276 00:13:34,830 --> 00:13:38,160 Thank you for coming on again and sharing your reality 277 00:13:38,160 --> 00:13:41,163 with us, your road to independence. 278 00:13:42,130 --> 00:13:45,250 Independence is what I've been blessed with. 279 00:13:45,250 --> 00:13:49,460 And I'd like to share that independence with others. 280 00:13:49,460 --> 00:13:53,820 - I work out at a gym that I kept seeing this blind fellow 281 00:13:53,820 --> 00:13:56,330 come into with his cane 282 00:13:56,330 --> 00:13:59,340 and he would walk back into the locker room and 283 00:14:00,610 --> 00:14:03,450 go about his business of exercise and cleaning up 284 00:14:03,450 --> 00:14:05,993 afterwards and go on home. 285 00:14:07,007 --> 00:14:08,810 And his independence was amazing to me. 286 00:14:08,810 --> 00:14:11,310 And then I saw him back in front of his locker room 287 00:14:11,310 --> 00:14:13,620 and he was shining his shoes. 288 00:14:13,620 --> 00:14:16,250 And I thought, this is a guy that I've got to, 289 00:14:16,250 --> 00:14:17,650 I've got to meet. 290 00:14:17,650 --> 00:14:19,800 And so I went up to him and said, 291 00:14:19,800 --> 00:14:23,070 I introduced myself and said, "You're blind." 292 00:14:23,070 --> 00:14:24,400 He says, "Yes, I am." 293 00:14:24,400 --> 00:14:26,750 Says, "And you're shining your shoes, why, 294 00:14:26,750 --> 00:14:28,923 why are you shining your shoes?" 295 00:14:28,923 --> 00:14:32,657 And he says, he looked up at me and he said like, 296 00:14:32,657 --> 00:14:34,757 "Well, I want to look good." 297 00:14:36,060 --> 00:14:37,850 That's just Lee Martin. 298 00:14:37,850 --> 00:14:39,900 His shoes have to look good, 299 00:14:39,900 --> 00:14:41,483 even though he can't see them. 300 00:14:42,590 --> 00:14:44,850 - Lee wasn't born blind. 301 00:14:44,850 --> 00:14:47,080 He lost his sight in his mid-forties 302 00:14:47,080 --> 00:14:48,880 due to a condition called phlebitis. 303 00:14:50,020 --> 00:14:54,130 - In June of 1999, I was 46 years old 304 00:14:54,130 --> 00:14:56,610 and I lived a fairly productive life 305 00:14:56,610 --> 00:14:58,440 up until that point. 306 00:14:58,440 --> 00:15:01,427 And while working at DaimlerChrysler, 307 00:15:02,330 --> 00:15:03,170 I lost my sight 308 00:15:04,790 --> 00:15:07,080 and then I lost my job 309 00:15:09,130 --> 00:15:12,200 and it wasn't fair. 310 00:15:12,200 --> 00:15:14,183 So it took DaimlerChrysler to court. 311 00:15:15,850 --> 00:15:18,080 - One of the toughest things about being blind 312 00:15:18,080 --> 00:15:20,863 is the ability to get employment. 313 00:15:21,700 --> 00:15:26,700 The unemployment rate for people that are blind is over 75%. 314 00:15:27,010 --> 00:15:29,040 - The legal case against DaimlerChrysler 315 00:15:30,640 --> 00:15:33,253 received national exposure. 316 00:15:35,610 --> 00:15:38,020 It opened my eyes 317 00:15:38,020 --> 00:15:41,340 and I got involved with the National Federation of the Blind 318 00:15:42,410 --> 00:15:46,050 to help others achieve independence. 319 00:15:46,050 --> 00:15:48,040 And one of the ways that I do that 320 00:15:48,040 --> 00:15:49,760 is through a program, 321 00:15:49,760 --> 00:15:51,440 the NFB-NEWSLINE. 322 00:15:51,440 --> 00:15:53,940 - [Man] Hoosiers can hear Indiana magazines, circulars, 323 00:15:53,940 --> 00:15:57,350 national magazines and information from across the globe. 324 00:15:57,350 --> 00:16:01,890 Learn more by calling 855-963-6476, 325 00:16:01,890 --> 00:16:03,397 or visit nfbnewsline-in.org. 326 00:16:06,070 --> 00:16:07,570 - It gives them an opportunity 327 00:16:08,730 --> 00:16:10,880 to have all this information 328 00:16:11,740 --> 00:16:15,350 right there at their fingertips. 329 00:16:15,350 --> 00:16:17,180 - [Computer] What would you like to do? 330 00:16:17,180 --> 00:16:19,390 - Read the New York Times. 331 00:16:19,390 --> 00:16:21,010 - [Computer] Reading the New York Times, 332 00:16:21,010 --> 00:16:23,930 dated September 25th, 2020. 333 00:16:23,930 --> 00:16:25,210 - A person that's 334 00:16:26,701 --> 00:16:28,520 that's informed, 335 00:16:28,520 --> 00:16:30,810 they make informed decisions. 336 00:16:30,810 --> 00:16:34,230 And this service helps allow that. 337 00:16:34,230 --> 00:16:37,303 - There are so many things that Lee is so passionate about. 338 00:16:38,200 --> 00:16:39,503 - Education of our youth, 339 00:16:40,730 --> 00:16:43,810 as well as education for our adults. 340 00:16:43,810 --> 00:16:46,310 - The right of blind and visually impaired citizens 341 00:16:46,310 --> 00:16:49,560 to vote is guaranteed by the United States Constitution. 342 00:16:49,560 --> 00:16:51,613 - And when it comes to voting, 343 00:16:55,920 --> 00:16:59,910 blind people would love to vote independently 344 00:17:00,820 --> 00:17:04,020 and the technology has to be developed for that. 345 00:17:04,020 --> 00:17:07,890 Now, as far as the employment with the blind, 346 00:17:07,890 --> 00:17:10,993 we're not asking for any more or any less, 347 00:17:11,950 --> 00:17:13,293 but just a fair shot. 348 00:17:14,360 --> 00:17:16,230 And that fair shot comes with 349 00:17:18,300 --> 00:17:19,720 creating the opportunities, 350 00:17:19,720 --> 00:17:21,440 the proper training that we need, 351 00:17:21,440 --> 00:17:23,880 the proper technologies that well need 352 00:17:23,880 --> 00:17:26,730 so that we can work independently. 353 00:17:26,730 --> 00:17:29,650 - This is Studio B at WHMB TV 40. 354 00:17:29,650 --> 00:17:32,310 And this is where we normally would produce 355 00:17:32,310 --> 00:17:35,133 the National Federation of the Blind-NEWSLINE show. 356 00:17:36,350 --> 00:17:40,625 - We want to welcome you back with Pastor Melendi. 357 00:17:40,625 --> 00:17:43,020 - [Announcer] And of course, now, since COVID hit, 358 00:17:43,020 --> 00:17:45,320 now we have to do things a little differently. 359 00:17:46,180 --> 00:17:48,480 - We want to welcome you to the National Federation 360 00:17:48,480 --> 00:17:50,793 of the Blind-NEWSLINE Indiana show. 361 00:17:51,730 --> 00:17:56,620 - Does Lee Martin let any dust settle on him? 362 00:17:56,620 --> 00:17:57,620 No way. 363 00:17:57,620 --> 00:17:59,820 - As busy as Lee is, 364 00:17:59,820 --> 00:18:01,440 he takes time to have fun 365 00:18:02,730 --> 00:18:05,010 and he knows how to dance, 366 00:18:05,010 --> 00:18:07,680 and he knows how to celebrate life 367 00:18:07,680 --> 00:18:09,560 in a wonderful way. 368 00:18:09,560 --> 00:18:13,330 - The bottom line about Lee Martin is he is a joyful, 369 00:18:13,330 --> 00:18:17,503 encouraging and professional activist. 370 00:18:19,820 --> 00:18:21,633 - There's an old Chinese proverb, 371 00:18:22,937 --> 00:18:26,150 "Be not afraid 372 00:18:26,150 --> 00:18:27,233 of moving slowly, 373 00:18:28,410 --> 00:18:31,157 but be afraid of standing still." 374 00:18:32,249 --> 00:18:33,249 I kind of like that. 375 00:18:37,745 --> 00:18:40,328 (upbeat music) 376 00:18:52,420 --> 00:18:54,310 - I was always the new kid. 377 00:18:54,310 --> 00:18:56,380 I was the new kid everywhere that I went, 378 00:18:56,380 --> 00:18:59,480 moving so much in combination with 379 00:18:59,480 --> 00:19:02,380 having a visual disability that already requires you 380 00:19:02,380 --> 00:19:03,490 to explain it to people, 381 00:19:03,490 --> 00:19:05,370 because they don't understand what it is. 382 00:19:05,370 --> 00:19:07,080 It was kind of a perfect storm. 383 00:19:07,080 --> 00:19:08,400 My name is Andrew Neylon, 384 00:19:08,400 --> 00:19:10,020 and I am a graduate student at 385 00:19:10,020 --> 00:19:12,240 the University of Texas at Austin. 386 00:19:12,240 --> 00:19:14,610 I have low vision. 387 00:19:14,610 --> 00:19:17,930 I'm legally blind, as well as completely colorblind. 388 00:19:17,930 --> 00:19:19,750 - Starting with kindergarten, 389 00:19:19,750 --> 00:19:22,760 sometimes there was a lot of difficulty explaining to a 390 00:19:22,760 --> 00:19:27,320 teacher what it was that Andrew saw, 391 00:19:27,320 --> 00:19:30,710 what vision was in Andrew's world. 392 00:19:30,710 --> 00:19:34,000 Six feet out, everything's kind of a blurry world for him. 393 00:19:34,000 --> 00:19:37,940 When Andrew was just a baby, they told us then, you know, 394 00:19:37,940 --> 00:19:39,780 that Andrew wouldn't be able to drive 395 00:19:39,780 --> 00:19:40,630 or any of those things. 396 00:19:40,630 --> 00:19:43,600 And I remember being absolutely crushed for him 397 00:19:43,600 --> 00:19:46,130 to be able to have the sense of independence, 398 00:19:46,130 --> 00:19:47,943 but also the ability to get around. 399 00:19:49,460 --> 00:19:52,340 - When Andrew got into high school, 400 00:19:52,340 --> 00:19:56,080 I was his orientation and mobility instructor, 401 00:19:56,080 --> 00:20:00,040 and that's someone who works with a student on being 402 00:20:00,040 --> 00:20:02,510 independent and moving around their community 403 00:20:02,510 --> 00:20:03,900 or their neighborhood. 404 00:20:03,900 --> 00:20:06,110 - So it was a lot of like, at that time, 405 00:20:06,110 --> 00:20:08,420 learning how to route basically, 406 00:20:08,420 --> 00:20:09,637 how to figure out like, 407 00:20:09,637 --> 00:20:12,210 "Okay, I want to go to this store to get something," 408 00:20:12,210 --> 00:20:14,277 that maybe it was like a treat for me, 409 00:20:14,277 --> 00:20:16,210 "And then I'm going to work my way back 410 00:20:16,210 --> 00:20:17,690 with the bus system or something." 411 00:20:17,690 --> 00:20:18,900 - Obviously there was instruction, 412 00:20:18,900 --> 00:20:21,300 but there was a lot of walking in between instruction. 413 00:20:21,300 --> 00:20:25,250 And I got to know his tastes in music and movies 414 00:20:25,250 --> 00:20:27,990 and just the depth of his intellect. 415 00:20:27,990 --> 00:20:31,270 And I just got to know him really well. 416 00:20:31,270 --> 00:20:35,350 - Andrew's mobility trainer found this contest that was 417 00:20:35,350 --> 00:20:40,120 being sponsored by the braille org and 418 00:20:40,120 --> 00:20:41,840 one of the film companies. 419 00:20:41,840 --> 00:20:44,010 And they were, I think, 420 00:20:44,010 --> 00:20:48,187 trying to get children to express what they see, you know, 421 00:20:48,187 --> 00:20:50,067 "This is how I see." 422 00:20:51,480 --> 00:20:53,283 - The first film that I made, which was called 423 00:20:53,283 --> 00:20:54,460 "The Viewmaster," 424 00:20:54,460 --> 00:20:55,755 it basically, 425 00:20:55,755 --> 00:20:57,330 it relies on this metaphor of this idea of like, 426 00:20:57,330 --> 00:20:59,200 when you look through a Viewmaster, 427 00:20:59,200 --> 00:21:02,240 you click and you see different images. 428 00:21:02,240 --> 00:21:05,810 I remembered this experience of kind of looking through it 429 00:21:05,810 --> 00:21:08,250 and talking with other kids about what I had seen 430 00:21:08,250 --> 00:21:11,370 and what I saw maybe differing from what they saw, 431 00:21:11,370 --> 00:21:13,610 but kind of this idea of going along with it, 432 00:21:13,610 --> 00:21:15,927 because I didn't really know how to say like, 433 00:21:15,927 --> 00:21:17,220 "Well, I can't see that, you know, 434 00:21:17,220 --> 00:21:19,140 I don't see that the same way that you do." 435 00:21:19,140 --> 00:21:21,410 While that seemed like the best way to go through life 436 00:21:21,410 --> 00:21:23,697 when I was in kindergarten or first grade, 437 00:21:23,697 --> 00:21:26,870 as an adult, or like an emerging adult, you know, 438 00:21:26,870 --> 00:21:29,670 I sort of am aware enough of my disability at this point to 439 00:21:29,670 --> 00:21:32,273 recognize that you have a different perspective and, 440 00:21:32,273 --> 00:21:34,410 sort of making the effort to understand that, 441 00:21:34,410 --> 00:21:36,540 rather than just sort of hiding it away 442 00:21:36,540 --> 00:21:38,160 to be part of the group. 443 00:21:38,160 --> 00:21:41,620 - I think we worked together editing and we did some kind of 444 00:21:41,620 --> 00:21:44,700 visual effects to emphasize the visual 445 00:21:44,700 --> 00:21:47,030 aspect of the theme. 446 00:21:47,030 --> 00:21:49,400 I was confident that he could win 447 00:21:49,400 --> 00:21:52,300 just because of Andrew's talent. 448 00:21:52,300 --> 00:21:57,240 - Andrew got a call from a producer to say that he had won 449 00:21:57,240 --> 00:22:00,970 and that they were flying him out to Los Angeles 450 00:22:00,970 --> 00:22:03,800 to get a check 451 00:22:03,800 --> 00:22:05,870 and his award, 452 00:22:05,870 --> 00:22:06,930 which was pretty cool. 453 00:22:06,930 --> 00:22:10,070 I was really, really proud of Andrew in that moment. 454 00:22:10,070 --> 00:22:12,450 - The beauty of perception is that a rainbow, 455 00:22:12,450 --> 00:22:13,970 isn't a rainbow, 456 00:22:13,970 --> 00:22:17,790 it's a gray mass, a symbol of hope, the work of God, 457 00:22:17,790 --> 00:22:22,080 a color spectrum, or even just a unicorn bridge, 458 00:22:22,080 --> 00:22:24,130 but most importantly, 459 00:22:24,130 --> 00:22:26,763 it is perceived through the heart of its beholder. 460 00:22:27,740 --> 00:22:29,530 When I applied to grad school, you know, 461 00:22:29,530 --> 00:22:32,800 I included that piece as sort of part of my body of work, 462 00:22:32,800 --> 00:22:36,360 because I do think it speaks to who I am as a person 463 00:22:36,360 --> 00:22:37,513 in a really strong way. 464 00:22:40,053 --> 00:22:41,810 In my day-to-day life right now, 465 00:22:41,810 --> 00:22:44,730 is I'm living with my mom and her husband 466 00:22:44,730 --> 00:22:46,420 in Indianapolis. 467 00:22:46,420 --> 00:22:47,550 I'm in grad school. 468 00:22:47,550 --> 00:22:48,830 I'm studying film. 469 00:22:48,830 --> 00:22:51,900 So I have maybe, I don't know, 470 00:22:51,900 --> 00:22:54,683 20 plus hours of Zoom every week doing school. 471 00:22:57,140 --> 00:23:00,580 I think one of the big things that influenced me through 472 00:23:00,580 --> 00:23:02,570 working with Beth that I still use today, 473 00:23:02,570 --> 00:23:07,130 is knowing that there are people around me 474 00:23:07,130 --> 00:23:08,430 that I can ask for help. 475 00:23:08,430 --> 00:23:10,460 I mean, that's really big. 476 00:23:10,460 --> 00:23:13,310 I'm having to talk to a person who's doing color correction, 477 00:23:13,310 --> 00:23:15,510 who is of course used to working with somebody who has 478 00:23:15,510 --> 00:23:16,860 opinions about the color 479 00:23:16,860 --> 00:23:18,177 and having to go, like, 480 00:23:18,177 --> 00:23:20,130 "Do you agree that it might not look right?" 481 00:23:20,130 --> 00:23:23,860 And so kind of moving to the next echelon 482 00:23:23,860 --> 00:23:26,120 of having those conversations with professionals 483 00:23:26,120 --> 00:23:27,837 and kind of learning, like, 484 00:23:27,837 --> 00:23:30,420 "How do I dialogue with someone about how to, 485 00:23:30,420 --> 00:23:32,390 how to make a professional product?" 486 00:23:32,390 --> 00:23:35,137 and around that I'm not 100% comfortable in. 487 00:23:35,137 --> 00:23:36,650 And that was really rewarding to me. 488 00:23:36,650 --> 00:23:38,970 And it did feel like kind of a full circle in some ways 489 00:23:38,970 --> 00:23:41,290 for what I'd experienced before. 490 00:23:41,290 --> 00:23:42,217 Beth said to me, like, 491 00:23:42,217 --> 00:23:44,610 "I have a student right now, who's interested in filmmaking. 492 00:23:44,610 --> 00:23:45,870 Can I have them contact you? 493 00:23:45,870 --> 00:23:47,850 And I always say yes to those things. 494 00:23:47,850 --> 00:23:48,683 It's always weird to me, 495 00:23:48,683 --> 00:23:50,420 because I feel like I'm still 496 00:23:50,420 --> 00:23:53,330 learning how to express myself and deal with it, 497 00:23:53,330 --> 00:23:54,163 and things of that nature. 498 00:23:54,163 --> 00:23:55,990 I don't think of myself as like, you know, 499 00:23:55,990 --> 00:23:57,910 this person others would look too, 500 00:23:57,910 --> 00:24:00,010 but again, when there are so few people that are able 501 00:24:00,010 --> 00:24:00,843 to do it, 502 00:24:00,843 --> 00:24:02,317 it is important to be that person. 503 00:24:02,317 --> 00:24:04,960 And I think just learning more about the range of human 504 00:24:04,960 --> 00:24:07,800 experience makes you more empathetic and understanding. 505 00:24:07,800 --> 00:24:09,950 And it's just part of where I think we're headed as a 506 00:24:09,950 --> 00:24:12,150 culture in terms of understanding diversity. 507 00:24:16,461 --> 00:24:19,044 (upbeat music)