The story “Cathedral” made a huge impression on me when I first read it in college. Raymond Carver’s work has always had a special place in my heart. By donating some of our funding to blind advocacy organizations Theater By the Blind and Hearts For Sight, I hoped we could not only make a good movie, but do a little good, too. The process invigorated me to bring awareness to finding more opportunities for the blind in the arts. Rick, who has been blind since age 5, has devoted his adult life to providing accessibility services to the visually impaired. This is why I am proud to have had actor Rick Boggs play the role of Joseph. He told me most of his actors were living in poverty because Hollywood, as well as the greater workforce, tends to ignore blind people. I reached out to Greg Shane of Theater By the Blind, an organization devoted to empowering the blind through performance arts, to help me find the man to fill the part. However, while struggling to find the actor, I learned how few roles there were for the disabled. While casting, I’d hoped to cast a blind actor to play the blind character in the script for authenticity's sake.
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