Taking A Step Further.

I've recently been thinking, how do I keep making people coming back to my blogsite? Not for egoistical reasons but to spread the ideals of self-advocacy for the deaf, by the deaf.

I've come to reach a decision...I've decided to use both avenues of mass communication; e-mail and this blogsite. Each time I publish a posting on my blogsite, an automatic mass e-mail will go out with the message that I've recently blogged on my blogsite.

I hope that this message through e-mail will be forwarded on to friends, family, church, school, and businesses. I also hope that with this e-mail, people will come to this blogsite to read previous postings ranging from interpreter issues to captioning issues and to promote American Sign Language.

To be added to this newly created listserv for this blog, e-mail me at sonnyjames(at)yahoo.com and please use 'deaf advocacy' in the subject line. Thanks in advance!

Flat-Panel Televisions.

With the prices dramtically going down on the flat-panel televisions...I'm beginning to see more and more of them hanging from the ceiling in stores such as McDonalds, Walmart and et cetera whereas there wasn't a regular televison being there before. They would either have a news show, music video and/or a marketing gimmick displayed.

I love TV, who doesn't? Its reality that with the advancing technologies of the shrinking televisions that we will begin to see them everywhere. I just wish it would equally be the reality that captions would be on at all times on all public televisions that we see in stores, offices, schools and et cetera.

Earlier tonight at my new local Supercenter Wal-Mart, I made a stop at the customer service area before I exited the store. I notified the store manager on duty that I would like to see all the televisions to have captions on at all times in the near future. He was receptive to my request and said he would contact the "home office" then he would follow up with me with an e-mail.

Comment Cards.

It came to me last week as I was shopping at IKEA that every comment card I come to...I will write down that their staff; barista, bartender, cashier, waitress, librarian, stewardess, mechanic, hair stylist, et cetera...should learn sign language as part of their people skills in their field of work.

It's one thing to have schools to offer American Sign Language (ASL) classes...we need to think outside of the box, which is to notify employers that we'd like to see their staff with basic sign language skills.

One comment card from me will not make an impact on employers but if all of you readers adopt this principle of filling out every comment cards you see then we're bound to have an impact one or more businesses.

Maximize Our Value.

The world's largest movie theatre chain is Regal Entertainment Group also known as Regal Cinemas. I have found them to be receptive to provide captioning and descriptive audio (DA) in their theatres which I have successfully gotten them to install in Macon, GA.

I checked their site and searched to find how many theatres they have in the state of Georgia. The number came up to 16. I also checked to see how many theatres provide captioning and DA. Only 4 theatres do and they are in Atlanta, Buford, Chamblee, and Macon. That's merely 25%.

I want us to maximize our value. Let's get the remaining 12 Regal theatres in Georgia to provide captioning and DA. Those cities are Alpharetta, Atlanta (Perimeter), Atlanta (Tara), Augusta (Exchange), Augusta (Village), Austell, Douglasville, Duluth, Kennesaw, Savannah (Eisenhower), Savannah (Stadium) and Snellville.

The method I used to have Macon to provide captioning and DA is no secret! You have to do 3 things.

1. Add your local Regal theatre's number and the headquarter's number to your phone address book. The HQ's number is 1-865-922-1123.
   
2. Call both the local theatre and the headquarter in a friendly manner and request that they provide captioning and DA. Do this 5 times a week. It'll only take 10 minutes of your time.
3. Call them 5 times a week and when they finally say they'll do it, keep calling anyway until they finally start providing captioned and DA movies.

Every states can do it too! In Minnesota, there are 3 Regal theatres and only 1 provide captions and DA. Minnesotans can maximize their value by making calls to get the other 2 theatres to provide captions and DA.

Now Showing At Macon, Georgia.

I received an exciting e-mail this morning that I'd love to share with you all.

Date: Sat, 1 Apr 2006
From:"*Joelle*"
Subject: open captioning now at regal
To: sonnyjames@yahoo.com

Mr. Wasilowski

Hi, this is Joelle Roth from Regal Cinemas on Tom Hill Sr blvd. I am pleased to inform you that the open captioning projector is now complety installed.

The open captioned films this week are as follows: Sunday 1:15 V for Vendetta Monday 1:15 V for Vendetta Tuesday 4:05 Inside Man Wednesday 1:20 Inside Man Thursday 4:05 Inside Man

Joelle Roth
Assistant Manager Rivergate
14 245 Tom Hill Sr blvd
478-477-8117

This comes after months after months along with dozens and dozens of calls to this movie theatre and to their headquarters to have the open captioning projector to be installed at my location. Go to Regal Cinema's website to see whats being captioned near you.