2006 Newsletters
Erik and the Super Incas on Nightline
Jul 12th, 2006
This Wednesday, Nightline will feature Erik's trek with 9 blind and 9 sighted high school students on the Super Inca Trail in Peru up to the Gates to the Sun and into Machu Picchu, the sacred religious capital of the Inca Empire. Colorful journals which portray the cohesive teamwork are available on www.globalexplorers.org . ABC also covered this expedition several weeks ago on World News Tonight when ABC cited Erik as its Person of the Week. Thanks to Phil Maravilla, ABC producer, who was inspired by the interdependence and partnering required for this arduous climb and who accompanied the team on its journey. On a sad note, Dr. Thomas Weber, who suffered from a rare eye condition which caused him to lose sight as he gained elevation, attempted the North Face of Mt Everest several months ago. He was climbing well, but tragically and unexpectedly died below the summit. Thomas was climbing to support the Himalayan Cataract Project: www.cureblindness.org , led by Erik's friend and sometimes climbing partner, Geoff Tabin. Geoff regularly performs cataract surgeries on blind people who live at high elevation in the Himalayas. Ninety percent of the world’s blind live in developing areas. Currently, half of the population of Tibet goes blind by age 70 because of treatable cataracts, and many are blinded by age 40. In Nepal, cataracts and failed cataract surgery cause more than 70 percent of blindness. Whether due to a genetic predilection, the intense UV sunlight, diet, or other factors, this region has one of the highest rates of curable blindness in the world. For a mere $18, the HCP restores sight to a blind person who might have been blind for twenty years or more. Since 1994, the HCP has restored sight in tens of thousands of people each year, working in Nepal, Tibet, China, Bhutan, India, Sikkim, and Pakistan. If you would like to donate to this foundation in honor of Dr. Weber, please make your check payable to the Himalayan Cataract Project and mail it to Himalayan Cataract Project, P.O Box 55, Waterbury VT 05676. A&E and the Media Access Group at WGBH in Boston have made available a descriptive narration track on the A&E website - www.aetv.com/touchthetop/ - for Touch the Top of the World, which premiered on A&E on Sunday, June 18. At the site, visitors can access an audio stream that includes moment-by-moment descriptions of the action in the movie, including gestures, costumes, settings, who is speaking and text that appears on screen. The described track will be available until September 18, 2006.Watch ABC's Nightline on Wednesday Evening, July 12 at 11:35 p.m.
In Memory of Dr. Weber
A&E's Touch the Top of the World Available in Audio Description
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