Everyone could see the performers colorful outfits except the
performers themselves.
Dressed in hues as enthusiastic as their demeanors, the Theatre
by the Blind and Physically Disabled ““ featuring blind
performers ““ brightened Bruin Plaza Tuesday at noon with
clapping and song in a performance titled “Changing
Perceptions.”
In honor of Disabled Awareness Month, Dria Fearn, former
president of the Disabled Students Union, invited the Theatre by
the Blind and Physically Disabled to perform at UCLA.
The festival, termed the “DAM Fest,” was the last
event coordinated by DSU at UCLA this month to promote awareness on
campus. Events earlier in the month included a Disability Walk and
a speaker from the University of California, Berkeley.
Fearn and this year’s DSU president Lindsay Spann agreed
that “disability (issues) need to be present on this
campus.”
Disabled students comprise four percent of UCLA’s student
body. Although several of the performance group’s 12 members
were absent on Tuesday, the remaining performers dazzled viewers
with their songs as they relayed personal stories.
In reference to the missing members, one actor, Ernest Pipoly,
said, “We’re not nervous. The goal is still just to
inform people about the blind and disabled.”
Another performer, Victor Frias, shared his past with the
audience, tearfully recalling how he lost his job because of his
visual impairment.
He also told of his current involvement as a teacher at the
Braille Institute. Victor discussed the achievements of his
students, whose ages vary from 39 to 89, with passion.
Christina Kokubo, the director of the performance group, also
volunteered at the Braille Institute five years ago. She said she
began participating in the program “to raise morale and give
a voice to the invisible community.”
Her desire was fueled by the lack of response that met her at
the institute. She attempted to create a space where confidence
would replace the quietness of the disabled.
Kokubo’s goals have begun to be realized. The group was
invited to the 2003 International Theatre Festival by the Blind in
Croatia.
Many members of the group believed the performance opportunity
has given them confidence to overcome the challenges they face.
“I’ve got so much confidence and I’ve learned
that I can handle all my affairs,” Pipoly said.