The Rose Parade From Blind Eyes

John and Larry Gassman, twins who have been blind since birth, cover the Tournament of Roses over KPCC-FM (89.3) today in a way only the visually impaired can fully appreciate.

“On television you can say, ‘Gee, that’s a great big huge float,’ but on radio you have to feel it,” Larry said.

In their live three-hour broadcast, beginning at 8 a.m., the Gassmans say they’ll try first and foremost to get across the sheer size of the floats.

With imagination and ad-libs, along with their tactile description of the tournament, the Gassman brothers hope to spur listeners into conceptualizing the parade for themselves.

Their audience shouldn’t be surprised to hear them talk about colors. They expect some partially sighted people who know the difference between a chartreuse and a puce to tune in.

“We will not leave things out that, at first glance, seem foreign for a blind person,” Larry said.

The twins, who will be 32 on Friday, have felt floats, pasted flowers, quizzed builders and interviewed tournament officials for more than a month in preparation for the broadcast--their first.

John, the Gassman with the mustache, said that some of their sleuthing will go into a pre-parade report, but the rest is expected to come out during lulls or breakdowns in the parade.

KPCC program director Larry Shirk didn’t pick his hosts just for the novelty of catering to the blind. The Gassmans’ whole perspective is unique and uniquely suited to radio, according to Shirk.

“It’s one thing to say how big a float is, but it’s very hard for you or me to explain that a hand is the size of an average kitchen plate,” he said. “We probably wouldn’t think of that. (The Gassmanns) are able to think of that because these are things that they are feeling and touching all the time.”

Shirk will join the twins in the KPCC booth on Orange Grove Boulevard, but doesn’t expect to outmatch the Gassmans on parade information, even though he can see.

According to Shirk, they’ve studied up on Rose tournament lore and should be able to describe floats, marching bands and equestrian units, “everything down to the color of the sequins on some of the saddles.”

KPCC coverage begins with traffic and crowd reports at 5 a.m. Listeners who want to come to Pasadena to see--and hear--the parade firsthand will learn which freeway off-ramps are closed, where to park and how to get to the parade after its 7 a.m. start.