Innovation on PBS

[Bonander@xxxxxxx]

Scott wrote:


>Date:    Wed, 22 Mar 1995 14:55:00 PST
>From:    Scott McKinnon <scottm@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>Subject: Interesting PBS program

>Beginning March 31st, consisting of 3 seperate programs, Public Television
>is broadcasting an Innovation Miniseries titled "People in Motion".  Within
>this particular miniseries, advances that help bring new independence to
>people who are disabled is examined.  Basically it involves the ways new
>technologies, advances in medical science and change in personal attitudes
>alter society's notion of physical disability.
>Included in one of the programs, I believe the third one (airing 4/14, check
>local listings) deals with a fellow named Tom who has PD, who uses Virtual
>Reality in some way or another for help.  Basically the final program of the
>series deals with space-age technologies.  It appears to be an interesting
>program series.  It appears it is slated to air at 9pm on these 3
>consecutive fridays, 3/31, 4/7, and 4/14.
>If anyone would like more info on these particular segments, I have a
>breakdown of each one.

I just want to remind everyone about this PBS mini-series called Innovation
in TV Guide.
It is scheduled in the San Francisco Bay Area to show at 9:30 PM starting
3/31 on PBS.
It is a three part series as stated above.  Tom is Tom Riess, a member of
this
digest.  Tom has been working in the area of vitual reality as a way to
overcome
problems of akinesia, dyskinesia, freezing and festination.  He has given
talkes
to many support groups in the Bay Area as well as YPSN of CA state-wide
meetings.  Tom stated sometime ago that this program was more on the side of
a documentary of his life with PD and the adjustments he makes than on the
work he is doing in virtual reality.  We will have to wait and see.  By the
way, Tom
is a DPM, runs a young-onset support group in San Anselmo, CA and is on the
board of YPSN of CA.

I will add that Tom is the "father" of the Blue Glasses.  Recently he found
out that
if he over medicates such that he is dyskinetic, he can down hill ski by
putting
on the blue glasses.  The speed of down hill skiing is sensed as "motion
distortion"
in his vision.  This "normalizes" his dyskinesia and he is basically "PD Free"
 while
skiing.  He says that riding the chair lift works much the same way.  It is
only in the eating
facility that he is very dyskinetic.   He says that is OK so long as he can
down hill
ski.  I say, more power to him.  May the ski runs be long.

Thanks to Scott for bringing this TV series to our attention.

Regards,
Alan Bonander (Bonander@xxxxxxx)