From
Best Movies Ever:
Many people don’t want to think about the
possibility of going blind, but image if you were an aware winning
director and journalist who learns that they are going blind?
Peabody
Award winning journalist Joe Lovett has this happen to him, and rather than give up, he did what he does best. He made a documentary (Going Blind)
about his journey to better understand what was happening to himself
along with drawing inspiration from others in his travels.
‘Going
Blind’ not only wound up helping Lovett’s journey slow down the course
of his disease through medication and surgeries, it’s helped countless
others learn how to deal with suffering vision issues and realize that
it doesn’t have to be the end of the world. To see when it’s playing in
your area you can check out the
PBS Going Blind Broadcast link.
Below
are some of the stories he followed in the making of this powerful
documentary that’s been under the radar but is a must see for anyone
with or without vision. It’s also a great push to remind people to get
their eyes checked yearly just to be safe. We take our vision for
granted, but after watching this film, you won’t. And it’s not a downer
either, it’s very inspirational as the sub-title Coming Out Of the Dark
About Vision Loss states.
Steve Baskis - Roadside bomb attack
Texas native Steve Baskis was 22 and Private First Class in the Army
when a roadside bomb north of Baghdad hit his vehicle. In addition to
injuries all over his body, Steve suffered a Traumatic Brain Injury
(TMI) when shrapnel from the bomb caused nerve damage to his eyes,
leaving him blind. Going Blind documents Steve’s transition from
recovery to his new life at his own apartment, designed by himself for
independent living as a blind person.
Ray Kornman- Retinitis Pigmentosa
At age 29 while
at a routine doctor’s visit to renew his contact lens prescription, Ray
Kornman discovered he had retinitis pigmentosa, an incurable eye disease
that would leave him blind by the age of 40. In Going Blind, Ray
discloses his initial feelings of hopelessness and vulnerability before
learning of the various services available for the blind. Now, secure in
his condition and content with his life, Ray’s mission is to spread the
message about the power of guide dogs.
Emmet Teran – Strabismus
Emmet is an eleven
year old [when filmed] with low vision from albinism, a condition he
inherited from his father. Emmet works with a comedy troupe after school
in Manhattan, and uses humor to dismiss some of the hurts a child
encounters from his peers.
Peter D’Elia- Age-related Macular Degeneration
Peter is a New Jersey architect, and has lost vision in his left eye to maculardegeneration. His career was in jeopardy when he noticed that he could
not see out of his right eye. His passion for architecture gives him the
drive to continue working, and the advent of new medication for wet
macular degeneration restored his sight.
Patricia Williams- Glaucoma and Traumatic Injury
Pat is a legally blind woman still struggling with her place in the
sighted world, as well as in the visually impaired community. She works
as a program support assistant at the VA center in New York City. The
enlarged type on her computer screen has helped her flourish in her job.
While at times she needs some help getting around, Pat is a fiercely
independent woman who does not let her disability define her.
