‘Untouchable’ challenges box office records in France
“Untouchable,” a comedy based on the true story of a rich quadriplegic and his caretaker, has become a box office phenomenon, the Associated Press reports. The French biopic has made $90 million since it opened last month, which puts it on pace to possibly become France’s top-grossing film ever. Film executive Cecile Gaget describes the film as a cross between “The King’s Speech” and “Driving Miss Daisy.” The Weinstein Co. plans to release a version of the film in the United States and several other countries, but no date has been set. Check out the captioned trailer below.
Deaf teen can go to movies, thanks to grandma
When Phyllis Glazer took her grandson Danny to the movies in Omaha, she knew he wasn’t enjoying the film as much as he could. “Everybody would be watching the movie, and I would be leaning over and signing, and he would be looking at me,” she said. “It was depressing.” Through a persistent email campaign and a chunk of money from her personal savings, Glazer persuaded her local cinema chain to offer captioning. Watch their story below.
Blind French eatery seeks to conquer New York
“A French restaurant where diners cannot see what they are eating, often spill their wine and must conduct conversations while staring into pitch darkness has proved such a success in Europe that it is making a foray into the Americas,” Reuters reports. Dans Le Noir, a chain staffed by blind waiters, will open in Times Square this month. “I wanted to show that a company where 50 percent of staff are very heavily handicapped can perfectly well be profitable, thrive each year and become international like any other one,” said founder Edouard de Broglie, 49. At Dans Le Noir (“In the Dark”), visually impaired waiters guide diners into a pitch-dark room where they are served a multi-course meal. “We tell people: stop hiring handicapped people to fill quotas, but try instead to see how they can be productive within your business,” de Broglie said.
Patrons enter the Dans le Noir restaurant in Paris. (AP Photo/Laurent Rebours, file)
A fresh connection for talented students with disabilities
Lime Connect, an organization that partners with leading corporations to offer internships to high-potential students with disabilities, is helping companies tap a new talent pool, Reuters reports. “There are no special internships or positions put aside for our candidates,” says Susan Lang, president and chief executive of Lime Connect. “They compete with everyone else. All they’re getting is the connection.” That connection is a powerful thing, though: Participants have landed gigs at Google, Target, PepsiCo, and Goldman Sachs. Students in their sophomore years can apply now at the Lime Connect site.
Bonus: 4 college application tips for students with disabilities
More reading
- An HIV-positive 13-year-old is suing a Pennsylvania school that denied him admission.
- New York City is caught between its budget crunch and rising AIDS costs.
- Call it Make-A-Wish for the mature set: Charitable groups grant seniors long-held wishes.
- Some Americans are rejecting retirement and working into their 90s.
- Disabled MMA fighter Nick Newell continues his dream run.
- Track great Michael Johnson now backs double-amputee Oscar Pistorius against able-bodied runners.
Tags: Disability News, France, King's Speech, New York City, news, Oscar Pistorius, Paris, Times Square, Yahoo News
