Right to Sight for Life

WHEREAS, the people affected by oncoming blindness have worked for more than 40 years to preserve and restore sight; Retinitis Pigmentosa International and its volunteers have successfully brought medical research to blindness; and

WHEREAS, eye research now moves swiftly to search for eyesight loss and to agree that the adult stem cell research as well as other research organizations have a reasonable attitude that sight loss becomes a priority for the 20 million who suffer from macular degeneration Retinitus Pigmentosa and other blinding eye diseases; and

WHEREAS, in 1972, Helen Harris and family underwrote and instituted research as well as TheatreVision, an art form in audio description of film; and

WHEREAS, Forrest Gump was the first film to be described and the script written by the blind founder Helen Harris with the assistance of volunteers; and

WHEREAS, Vin Scully did the reading of the first TheatreVision audio description for the blind; and

WHEREAS, Forrest Gump was then shown as the first film in a motion picture theatre with headsets provided by the theatre concession for the general public; and

WHEREAS, RP International diligently continues their commitment to support its primary successful research surgical restoration of sight as was successfully completed in 1984; and

WHEREAS, the two-prong approach to find cure for blindness while providing a new innovative outlet for the already blind, called TheatreVision audio description film, stage plays the academy awards show delivered by radio and satellite to the nation’s blind; and

WHEREAS, President George H.W. Bush described “It’s A Wonderful Life” in its entirety; NBC airs “It’s A Wonderful Life” with the President’s description every year courtesy of TheatreVision description of film; and

WHEREAS, “The Right to Sight for Life” continues to secure and restore eyesight while providing quality of life audio description and continuous search for a cure for blindness, offering hope to millions:

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Robert Bentley, Governor of Alabama, do hereby proclaim the year of 2014, as

Right to Sight for Life

in the state of Alabama.