From: "Christine M. Faltz" 
Subject: Re: Comments re: Mr. magoo
*Bravo*!  I, too, was ridiculed directly because of Mr. Magoo cartoons.  
i would like to extend an invitation to David to send his piece about
Disney hurting blind children to me and I will put it on the PoBC of Long
Island Web site, which is linked to NFBnet.org.
I would also like to share a little story about Disney.
A few years ago, when Disney was producing one of their ice-skating
adaptations of "Beauty and the Beast" Disney called the then-president of
Long Island Parents of Blind Children and asked if any of the chldren
would like to come and feel the costumes of the characters and have an
orientation to the show.  Thinking this was a great idea, she said yes,
and asked how many tickets would be given.  She was told tha the group
would have to purchase the tickiets; they wouldn't be free.
In general, parents should pay for teir blind children's entertainment
just like any other parent must pay fr a child's entertainment.  But
Disney wanted to do this orientation on a school day, necessitating
children being taken out of school and a parent missing work.  At the very
least, the children should have received free tickets for themselves.  
The president turned them down, saying the children and parents would not
pull their children from school merely to be shown the costumes and then
not be able to see the program.  Would they make this accommodation
available in general to a blind child who ttended the show after
purchasing the ticket?  No, this was not feasible; that's why they were
providing this rare opportunity, blah, blah, blah.
Well, never mind; Disney called the BOCES program and got a bunch of blind
and multiply-handicapped kids from that program to come and look at
costumes -- and why all this insistence on getting the poor blind kids to
touch the costumes?  Well, publicity of course.  Good ol' pro-family
Disney had a photo op -- Fox and the three major networks filmed the
sentimental moments, making Disney look great.
The former President wrote a letter to Disney, which went unanswered.
Christine
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