Welcome to Deaf Services Commission of Iowa SIGN of the TIMES “Equal Communication, Education, and Access” January 2009 ANNOUNCEMENT Des Moines Register—Metro & Iowa, Monday, Seliger will no longer need a friend to be her eyes at SOMETHING NEW FOR 2009! Deaf and Hard of Hearing people can go to the movies! Welcome to Deaf Services Commission of Iowa SIGN of the TIMES “Equal Communication, Education, and Access” January 2009 ANNOUNCEMENT Des Moines Register—Metro & Iowa, Monday, Seliger will no longer need a friend to be her eyes at SOMETHING NEW FOR 2009! Deaf and Hard of Hearing people can go to the movies! Joe Rounceville of Pleasant Hill displays equipment for blind and deaf people that he and his wife helped bring to the Carmike Wynnsong 16 theater in Johnston. The words on the data wall behind him are spelled correctly when they are seen on the reflector in front of him that can be adjusted for a deaf person. (ANDREA MELENDEZ/THE REGISTER PHOTO) December 15, 2008 by PAT SHAVER, Pleasant Hill Couple hear of movie-watching for blind, deaf through relative in Milwaukee, so they rally resources to bring equipment to theater in Johnston. A Pleasant Hill couple's generosity means Donna the movies. Seliger, who is blind, will get the full report through headphones. On Tuesday, the Carmike Wynnsong 16 theater in Johnston will start to offer MoPix, short for Motion Picture Access, technologies for deaf and blind people. Headphones for blind people will be used to explain in detail what is going on in the movie. For those who are deaf, a device that sits in a cup holder and shows captions will be available. "It's a wonderful idea and I'm thrilled that we have a theater in this area" that has this technology, said Seliger, treasurer of the Iowa Council of the United Blind. Amy and Joe Rounceville of Pleasant Hill heard about such a theater through Joe Rounceville's brother-inlaw, Aaron Hook of Milwaukee, who is deaf. The Rouncevilles thought that sounded like something the Des Moines area needed, so the they rallied their resources. "We just know there's more people out there like my brother-in-law. Wouldn't it be cool if they could go to the movies?" Amy Rounceville said. She said it didn't take much convincing to get the Johnston theater to join in on the project. Visit the DSCI website: http://www.state.ia.us/government/dhr/ds/index.html Questions or Comments? Email us at dhr.dsci@iowa.gov or call 515-281-3164 V/TTY or Toll-Free: 1-888-221-3724 V/TTY INFORMATION The Rouncevilles started a Web site, fairflix.org, that explained their mission. They began to the get word out through Oakwood United Methodist Church in Pleasant Hill and Cross Point United Methodist in Bondurant. Both churches had members donate. In just a few months, the Rouncevilles were able to raise more than $11,000. The theater covered the remainder of the roughly $13,000 expense. "I myself am excited about it. It's very interesting," theater manager Nathan Pike said. "It's opening the market to a new potential customer who has never really had the opportunity to experience a movie in that way." Two other theaters in Iowa — in Cedar Falls and Dav- enport — have the equipment, according to MoPix's Web site. There are about 290 theaters nationwide that are using MoPix technology. The technology is available in one theater at Carmike Wynnsong 16, and it is one of the biggest theaters, Pike said. A deaf or blind person simply has to re- quest the technology at the theater, and a manager will help set it up, he said. "You know, deaf and blind people are like us. They should be included as well; that's how Joe and I feel," Amy Rounceville said. "And we thought this was a great idea to bring this to Des Moines. They don’t have to feel alone.” Those who want to find out which movie is play in the theater equipped with the technology can do so through the voice recording at the theater, 331-3456 or through a notation in the newspaper listings. Welcome to Deaf Services Commission of Iowa SIGN of the TIMES “Equal Communication, Education, and Access” January 2009 CON’T ANNOUNCEMENT Visit the DSCI website: http://www.state.ia.us/government/dhr/ds/index.html Questions or Comments? Email us at dhr.dsci@iowa.gov or call 515-281-3164 V/TTY or Toll-Free: 1-888-221-3724 V/TTY If you have an event you’d like included on our calendar, please contact us at dhr.dsci@iowa.gov CALENDAR OF EVENTS Visor Cards-Bridging the Communications Gap When Stopped by the Police http://www.hearinglosshelp.com/articles/visorcard s.htm Hard of Hearing Visor Card: http://www.hearinglosshelp.com/articles/pdf/visorc ardhoh.pdf Deaf Visor Card: http://www.hearinglosshelp.com/articles/pdf/visorc arddeaf.pdf INFORMATION The Rouncevilles started a Web site, fairflix.org, that explained their mission. They began to the get word out through Oakwood United Methodist Church in Pleasant Hill and Cross Point United Methodist in Bondurant. Both churches had members donate. In just a few months, the Rouncevilles were able to raise more than $11,000. The theater covered the remainder of the roughly $13,000 expense. "I myself am excited about it. It's very interesting," theater manager Nathan Pike said. "It's opening the market to a new potential customer who has never really had the opportunity to experience a movie in that way." Two other theaters in Iowa — in Cedar Falls and Dav- enport — have the equipment, according to MoPix's Web site. There are about 290 theaters nationwide that are using MoPix technology. The technology is available in one theater at Carmike Wynnsong 16, and it is one of the biggest theaters, Pike said. A deaf or blind person simply has to re- quest the technology at the theater, and a manager will help set it up, he said. "You know, deaf and blind people are like us. They should be included as well; that's how Joe and I feel," Amy Rounceville said. "And we thought this was a great idea to bring this to Des Moines. They don’t have to feel alone.” Those who want to find out which movie is play in the theater equipped with the technology can do so through the voice recording at the theater, 331-3456 or through a notation in the newspaper listings. Welcome to Deaf Services Commission of Iowa SIGN of the TIMES “Equal Communication, Education, and Access” January 2009 CON’T ANNOUNCEMENT Visit the DSCI website: http://www.state.ia.us/government/dhr/ds/index.html Questions or Comments? Email us at dhr.dsci@iowa.gov or call 515-281-3164 V/TTY or Toll-Free: 1-888-221-3724 V/TTY If you have an event you’d like included on our calendar, please contact us at dhr.dsci@iowa.gov CALENDAR OF EVENTS Visor Cards-Bridging the Communications Gap When Stopped by the Police http://www.hearinglosshelp.com/articles/visorcard s.htm Hard of Hearing Visor Card: http://www.hearinglosshelp.com/articles/pdf/visorc ardhoh.pdf Deaf Visor Card: http://www.hearinglosshelp.com/articles/pdf/visorc arddeaf.pdf