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Tuesday, March 2 at 10 p.m. – Independent Lens "The Eyes of Me"

(Rochester, NY) – How do you see yourself, when you can’t see at all? At the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (TSBVI), in Austin, Texas students juggle all the usual pressures of high school along with the added struggles of growing up blind. Spend a dynamic year with four blind teens learning how to fit in and live independently by tuning in to WXXI-TV (DT21.1/cable1011 & 11) on Tuesday, March 2 at 10 p.m. for The Eyes of Me, an Independent Lens presentation.

Forced to confront the world without sight, these four teens share their inner visions of the outer world. Ultimately, you cannot understand their perceptions without challenging your own.

Filmmaker Keith Maitland explains, “I’ve always been intrigued by questions of perception and identitybuilding, specifically how teens and young adults define themselves within their communities. After a chance meeting with a staff member from the Texas School for the Blind, I realized that I could delve into these questions of perception and identity through the experiences of the students at the school. Meeting Chas (the first blind person I’d ever met) convinced me that I had to make a film that would explore these questions, simply by spending time with him and experiencing his life as it unfolded that year. Additionally, I chose to follow Denise, Isaac, and Meagan, all unique characters with unique perspectives.”

This program is offered with Descriptive Video (DVi), which provides concise descriptions of the sets, scenery, costumes, action, and other important visual elements between the dialogue of the program.

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