From: Andy Baracco 
Subject: Movie ``Mr. Magoo'' to include statement on blind (fwd) (Forward 
From dandrews@visi.com)
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Wed, 17 Dec 1997 20:47:55 -0800
From: Kelly Ford 
Reply-To: "BLIND-ISSUES - For spirited debates,              Blind-Issues
     accommodates." 
To: BLIND-ISSUES@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU
Subject: Movie ``Mr. Magoo'' to include statement on blind (fwd)
I might call this a case of winning the battle but losing the war in a
sense.  How many people that are blind will be able to read this
statement?  If one's into advocating over this issue, why not ask Disney
to include a voice over of the statement?  Mostly I'm just passing this
along.
Posted at 7:33 p.m. PST Wednesday, December 17, 1997
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Movie "Mr. Magoo" to include statement on blind
LOS ANGELES(Reuters) - Sensitive to complaints from the blind, the Walt
Disney Co said Wednesday it will include a disclaimer at the end of its
Christmas season movie "Mr. Magoo" about a bumbling short-sighted man.
A Disney spokeswoman said "a positive statement" would appear on the screen
at the end of the film and before the credits roll.
"It's still in the process of writing and post production so I can't tell
you exactly what it says," said spokeswoman Terry Curtin. "It's not really
a disclaimer, more like a public service announcement."
The movie, starring Leslie Nielsen and Kelly Lynch, is based on the popular
cartoon series which featured the voice of Jim Backus as the myopic,
accident-prone Mr. Magoo.
The National Federation for the Blind had complained such a character was
not a positive portrayal of blind or partially-sighted people and even
called for Disney to scrap the project.
"They originally demanded we pull the movie, but then realized that was
unrealistic," Curtin said of the protest.
"We have had many talks with them and are more sensitive to what their
thoughts are," she said.
She said the statement would condemn discrimination against the blind and
stress that people with sight handicaps could lead normal lives.
The proposed statement had not been shown to the group in  advance of the
film's opening, she said.
REUTERS
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