Book now through www.accessibletrav.com
Support "Nobody’s Perfect," Deaf Awareness Musical
March 1, 2010 By
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and VSA arts present
“Nobody’s Perfect”
Based on the children’s book by Marlee Matlin and Doug Cooney
This play is performed in both American Sign Language and spoken English with Open Captioning.
“A NEARLY PERFECT MUSICAL!
Youthful gusto and a generous heart. Outstanding production values and top-notch cast.
An infectious score… three-and-a-half stars!”
- The Washington Times Read the full review
“PRE-ADOLESCENT ANGST, WITH HARMONY…
Nobody’s Perfect delights with comic numbers and an excellent young cast.
The songs are not only catchy but also infectiously performed. Bright ‘n’ lively!”
- The Washington Post Read the full review
Fourth grade is not easy and after spending a year planning her “positively purple” birthday party, Megan finds herself at odds with new student Alexis. To Megan, Alexis has it all: beauty, brains, and athletics–she’s practically perfect in every way. Though Megan tries to be nice to her, Alexis is anything but friendly, making Megan wonder, “Does she not like me because I’m deaf?” When they’re forced to collaborate on a science project, Megan discovers Alexis’s secret. Based on the children’s book by Academy Award winner Marlee Matlin (Best Actress, Children of a Lesser God) and Doug Cooney, this touching new musical–simultaneously performed in spoken English and American Sign Language–with Open Captions, is a poignant reminder that despite first impressions, nobody’s perfect. For ages 9 and up.
For a behind the scenes tour and interviews with the cast and director in ASL or English with captioning visit: http://artsedge.kennedy-center.org/nobodysperfect/
· March 2-4 – Las Vegas, NV – Gilbert Magnet School
· March 9 – Cerritos, CA – Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts, www.cerritoscenter.com/index.aspx
· March 16 – La Crosse, WI – Fine Arts Center, Viterbo University, www.viterbo.edu/finearts1.aspx
· March 19 – Lincoln, NE – Lied Center for Performing Arts, www.liedcenter.org
· March 22 – Springfield, IL – Sangamon Auditorium, www.uis.edu/sangamonauditorium
· March 25 – Paducah, KY – Carson Four Rivers Center, www.thecarsoncenter.org
· March 30 – Des Moines, IA – Civic Center of Greater Des Moines, www.civiccenter.org
· April 1 – Junction City, KS – C.L. Hoover Opera House, www.jcoperahouse.org
· April 7 – Memphis, TN – The Orpheum Theatre, www.orpheum-memphis.com
· April 12 – Elyria, OH – Stocker Arts Center – Lorain County CC, www.lorainccc.edu/Stocker+Arts+Center
· April 13 – Sylvania, OH – Franciscan Center, www.franciscancenter.org
· April 16 – Greenville, NC – East Carolina University, www.ecu.edu/cs-studentlife/mendenhall/wrightauditorium
· April 19 – Spartanburg, SC – Chapman Cultural Center, www.chapmanculturalcenter.org/index.php
· April 22 – Orange Park, FL – Thrasher Horne Center, http://thcenter.org
· April 23 – Punta Gorda, FL – Charlotte Performing Arts Center
· April 26-27 – West Palm Beach, FL – Kravis Center for Performing Arts, www.kravis.org/index.cfm
· May 3 – Pembroke, NC – Givens Performing Arts Center, www.uncp.edu/gpac/
· May 7-8- New York, NY – Jack H. Skirball Center for the Performing Arts @ New York University, www.skirballcenter.nyu.edu
· May 11 – Brooklyn, NY – Brooklyn Center, www.brooklyncenter.com
· · May 12 – Flushing, NY – Queens College, http://kupferbergcenter.org
· · May 13 – Buffalo, NY – Shea’s Performing Arts Center, www.sheas.org
Day 2 – No Barriers USA Festival, Miami FL
June 6, 2009 By Leave a Comment
Wow. Where do I begin. We’re only on day 2 of 4 at this fabulous event here in Coconut Grove, and I’m already speechless. As if the day, packed full of adventure and tumultuous weather, weren’t enough to render someone in awe, but tonight’s speakers put the fork in me. And I have two more days to go.
We started out the morning with the technology symposium, learning about some of the most amazing medical advancements for the blind, from a tongue stimulator that stimulates a new visual pathway (yes, you didn’t read that wrong) to IRIS (Intelligent Retinal Implant System) that restores visual perception. The symposium finished with new discoveries in treating spinal cord injury here at the Miami Project; as if we weren’t already confident Craig would walk again, I now see the future is nearer than we think.
After lunch we headed over to Shake-A-Leg Miami‘s docks for an afternoon of adventure. Craig settled into the outrigger canoeing team (recruiting for the 2016 Olympics). Adapted by actually removing the outriggers off two boats and strapping them together, the system not only creates better balance for the adaptive rowers, but it also gives more room for twice the bodies, and thus, twice the speed. The media boat trailed them pathetically and I got to watch those 10 men and women shout “HUT, HO!” to the tune of fast strokes through a very choppy bay with the acuracy of Hawaiians, despite having met each other just 45 minutes before. As they came in I heard one of the ShakeALeg vols say, “I’ve NEVER seen an outrigger go that fast!” Inspiring? Yea.
They’ve got sports stacked upon each other every day so the pickin’s are actually thick, not thin, and we won’t have the chance to see or do it all. I managed to snap the water sports today though while watching the outrigger canoe, kayaking, both single and tandem, and plenty of sailing (including a female quadriplegic and a world class olympian teamed up, with her steering and swinging around the boat on a mobile chair while he tacked and jibbed… or whatever!). What we missed? Stand up paddleboarding, blind sailing, and adaptive swimming.
We got to hang out with Molly the pony, whom we mentioned in our previous post, watch adaptiave yoga, and check out the equipment in the Coast Guards hangar- Solorider golf cart, a powerchair-adapted land rover, and a trike that is beefier than anything you’d see on American Chopper. Woah.
Then there were tonight’s speeches. We started
with Jesse Billauer’s story, truly an inspiring one made even more so by hearing it live- we’ve known Jesse for some time and Craig interviewed Jesse for the I Can Do That motivational series in 2006. I edited the interview, so I knew his story. But hearing him tell it live, from his near-paralysis experience prior to the actual paralysis, to his brother’s guilt and grief, and all the jokes and tears in between was truly inspiring. But not the end.
with Jesse Billauer’s story, truly an inspiring one made even more so by hearing it live- we’ve known Jesse for some time and Craig interviewed Jesse for the I Can Do That motivational series in 2006. I edited the interview, so I knew his story. But hearing him tell it live, from his near-paralysis experience prior to the actual paralysis, to his brother’s guilt and grief, and all the jokes and tears in between was truly inspiring. But not the end.
No, the real tears came when Craig and Kelly Pearson got up to tell one ridiculously amazing story of triumph and success. In 1995, after 3 years of worry, medical visits, and waiting, she received a donor heart, and then climbed every nearly mountain on the planet with it. From Mt Whitney to Kilimanjaro to El Capitan, they racked up miles quick on her second act in life. But it was Mt Fuji that was the inspiring one. Craig received a phone call from Kelly’s donor’s daughter right before the trip- Kelly had already left- and asked Craig to not only take a wish up there with him for Kelly for her mom, but to also take her mom’s ashes. Because of Kelly’s triumphant story, and because part of the Pearson’s mission was awareness, the Japanese media went along for the ride. To protect Kelly from the burdon, Craig didn’t tell her of the daughter’s wish nor the box of ashes until she summited (in case of failure) but when he did the tears streamed down and the media snapped it all. Thanks to them, Japan is now doing heart-transplant procedures.
This is a very small taste of what this No Barriers event is all about. Inspiring people with stories of triumph over adversity and physical tests, sharing their love of each sport and each adventure with each and every one of us.
I have no more words but thanks.
Accessible Travel Groups on the Internet
April 24, 2009 By Leave a Comment
As part of creating the Spring issue our quarterly (look for it next week!) we began gathering a list of online groups, networks, and people you should hook up with. Today’s age is all about networking; so this topic has made our blog today as well. To clarify, this post isn’t about social networking, although it might look like it, it’s about social networking in a group setting with a specific topic in mind.
WHY?
Why join a travel group? For us it’s a no-brainer to join as many groups as we can to help us cut costs, find information, meet great people and live vicariously on another continenent! For some, keeping up with many networks can cost the precious time you seem to lack, so here are a few great places to start. For those of you looking to start your own group, drop in on some of these first to get ideas, but joining an existing network seemed much better to us than creating our own.
LinkedIn
We both held off on really diving in to the LinkedIn network until recently, but what drove us home on the concept of adding yet another social network to our gamut was LinkedIn’s groups. You get an email of the ongoing discussions (you pick how often), and you can meet professionals who are in the same field or work at a company you’d like to connect with. In general, it’s a much more focused business network than the others you’re hearing about like Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, and the like. LinkedIn’s groups are where it’s at! You must first join LinkedIn to be in a group, and then you do have to request permission to be in a group once you find one, but so far neither of us have been rejected from a group. We both belong to many groups on various topics, but the only group we’ve found so far for Accessible Travel on LinkedIn is here. If you do join this network, make sure to network with us as well! [Andy's and Craig's pages]
Facebook
The best part of Facebook for networking are the fan and causes pages, the second of which you can actually raise money with. These social networks can be daunting, but they’re excellent for networking once you get the hang of the concept in general. If you’re already on Facebook, check out some of our favorite pages, causes, etc in the world of Accessible Travel: Access Anything, Wounded Warrior Project, Adaptive Adventures, All Mountain Ski Camp, Venture Travel, but there are hundreds more. This is a wonderful social network, don’t put off joining us there.
Accessible.Travel
Created by colleague Craig Grimes, Accessible Travel is a NING network (a do-it-yourself social networking tool) is growing exponentially as I type. Unlike some NING networks, Craig’s left this one open for all and anyone is invited. Chockfull of blogs, destinations, suggestions, and members with the same thirst for travel that we have, we’re excited to help grow this network for sharing information on accessible travel! Within this group there are additional groups like Rail Travel for a more focused forum.
What Else?
We also belong to My Steamboat for fans of this ski area, several Twitter Groups that are focused on various topics of what we do, Disaboom, and The Wheel Life. However, you’ll have to dig a little further to find Accessible Travel topics at these locations.
If you have a group you’d like to include, please share it in a comment to this post.
