From: Pete Donahue 
Subject: Doctor Quinn Medicine Woman
Fellow fEderationists and friends,
Mary and I are fans of the SAturday Night CBS Dromma about a female
Pphysician who practices on the western fronteer in what was then
Collorado country before the turn of the century.  Some events in tonights
episode caught our attention as they involved the Reverand Leonard who has
recently gone blind and Dr. Quinn's sister Marjory who came out west to
visit Dr. Quinn and her family.  While in town Marjory among other things
falls in love withReverand Leonard and they are on the verge of getting
married.  At one particular point the two of them are riding somewhare on
horseback.  Something spooks Reverand Leonards horse and he is thrown off.
After making sure he is not hurt Marjory tries to help Reverand Leonard
back on his horse, but he is so shaken by being thrown off that he blaims
the accident on his blindness and loudely proclaims, "Blind people don't
ride horses!"  After hearing that we couldn't think, "Oh no, not back to
the days of Good and Evil again!  Another Television producer has missed
the lesson that ABC learned about the abilities of the blind, and that we
in the NFB have among our wranks members who ride horses regularly and
more.  But we were much relieved and we edven cheered during a scene that
occurred towards the end of the show.
By now Dr. Quinn has learned about what happened and her sister is getting
ready to return to Boston.  They are in a rush to go somewhare and Marjory
and Dr. Quinn are with the reverand who demands to be taken around in a
wagon instead of riding on his horse.  But the two women do not give in to
his request and after giving him much encouragement they help him back on
to his horse and they ride to the station whare Marjory must catc h her
train back to Boston.  And we cheered theReverand Leonard on as he took
uup the reins once more and regained his confidence in his ability to ride
his horse dispite his being blind.   That  a way to go CBS.  Now if they
all could be that way.
I just wanted to share that with you all as it appears that there are some
in the meedia who want to portray blind people as we really are and not as
they think we are perpetuating all of the stereotypes, and that with
training and encouragement and support from our sight peers we can do just
about anything a sighted person can do if given the opportunity.  It's
great to see that this message is getting through to producers of tv shows
such as Dr. Quinn medicine Woman.
Just wanted to share that with you all.  Take care and have a good
evening.
yours truly,
Peter donahue
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