Summer 2004

by anonymous Our cover features three of the people whose stories are told in Freedom Machines, a film about technology access for people with disabilities being shown at the conference, and community technology activists involved with conference presentations and CTCNet organizational development. Pictured here are Floyd Stewart, Shoshana Brand, and Susanna Sweeney-Martini surrounded by (clockwise) Angela Stuber, Erroll Reese, Mercedes Soto, Laura Breeden, and David Keyes. The back cover features the cast and crew of the Commonwealth Broadband Collaborative's "First Tuesday" monthly program and CTC VISTAs profiled from two of the shows: Liri Qirici with Malden (MA) Access Television and Jason Crow, Daniell Krawczyk, Amy McKenzie, and Erica Freshour with the Grand Rapids (MI) Community Media Center. More information about Freedom Machines is below.

Freedom Machines, a documentary that will be airing this fall on PBS and is being shown as a pre-conference event Thursday evening, explores the remarkable power that technology has to transform the lives of people with disabilities. The Alliance for Technology Access (ATA) has been very involved in the development of this film, with an award winning crew and Oscar-nominated producer. Shot in nine locations around the U.S — including several ATA centers — with characters ranging from 7 to 92 years of age, Freedom Machines is not only a revelation but also a call to action. The film's web site www.freedommachines.com provides useful information to supplement the documentary both in educating people about disabilities and how technology and civil rights laws can bring us closer to a world that is more inclusive for everyone.