[Swprograms] For the sounds of the Indian soil.

["Paul David" <paul@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

From: "Blind World Magazine" <BlindWorld@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: "Blind News" <BlindNews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Friday, January 13, 2006 11:20 PM
Subject: For the sounds of the Indian soil.


> For the sounds of the Indian soil.
>
> It is an unusual case of an exotic land enchanting a foreign tourist. Jean
> Parker, visually challenged though she may be, has now adopted India and
> works in the radio industry here, writes L Subramani.
>
>
> January 13, 2006.
> Deccan Herald - Bangalore,India.
>
>
> For ardent listeners of Radio Netherlands or National Public Radio, her
> voice would be reminiscent of reports on developmental and human rights
> issues. Often, she would describe situations in South Asia on a noisy
> backdrop. The sonorous feminine voice would even provide vivid
descriptions
> of the physical environment, to which subjects of her reports and
> documentaries mostly belong.
>
> Indeed, those listening to Jean Parker, 45, would never believe that she
is
> visually challenged, someone who manages life and profession in a place
far
> away from her native United States.
>
> "I've lots of friends here and during one of my trips, I simply decided to
> stay back." This may sound like a fair enough reason, but it conceals the
> challenges Jean faces, such as learning about things around her and
staying
> prepared to function in unfamiliar situations.
>
>
> Indeed, for Jean, thoughts about home kindles memories of childhood,
> escapades in New Hampshire and 21 years of life in Denver, Colorado. An
> accident before birth may have denied her eyesight, but it didn't dent her
> spirit. "I studied in a special school up to my fifth grade and then moved
> over to a public school," Jean says about her early education.
>
> During her certificate course at Costa Rica's Institute for Progressive
> Communications, Jean got opportunities in radio and a few voice works.
> "Choosing radio journalism is something that came to me by accident," she
> says. As one of the International Board of Directors for 'Radio For Peace
> International' (RFPI) based in San Jose, California, she became the
producer
> of 'Disability Radio', a series of programmes broadcast through Short Wave
> across the world.
>
> "As the name explains, disability rights was one of the major topics of
the
> programme, apart from which we also handled subjects like religious
> extremism. As it was aired through the Short Wave, we used to get letters
> from around 120 countries," Jean recalls. Gaining more experience as a
> journalist, she decided to work independently from her new home in India.
>
> "This (India) is a diverse country and therefore, perceptions about
> disability would be varied as well," Jean explains about her experience.
> "Considering that India has very few role models who're disabled, the wide
> spread ignorance about the capabilities of a disabled person is hardly
> surprising. You can't say things are entirely unfriendly though. Using the
> public transport, for instance, is more common here than in the US, where
> you are an exception if you don't have a car."
>
> Jean reveals that broadcasting and radio journalism ask for skills
different
> from newspaper/magazine work. "I sometimes envy print journalists, because
> they don't have to handle gadgets as I do. Nonetheless, what I do is far
> less complicated than those in the film industry," she says.
>
> While she uses Braille for reading and writing, a computer with speech
> output helps her record the reports.
>
> Though she reports mostly on India, her work doesn't exclusively deal with
> Indian situations. "Lately, I've also started doing business stories,
which
> has made me understand how different groups get to experience the same
> event," she says. Apart from Radio Netherlands and NPR, Jean files stories
> for World Vision Report (USA), Women's International News Gathering
Service
> (Canada), the German International Service and BBC Radio 4.
>
> "The way things ancient and modern blend in Indian culture is fascinating.
> But, I often feel irritated about the noise - blaring TV sets, honking
horns
> and so on. This makes things difficult for me, as I need to observe the
> environment through the sounds," she says. As far as adopting India as her
> permanent home, Jean says: "Looks like it will be the case!"
>
>
> Source URL:
> http://www.deccanherald.com/deccanherald/jan132006/she1654362006112.asp.



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