WXXI and Al Sigl Community of Agencies work to create a more inclusive community for people of all abilities with their initiative, Dialogue on Disability: The Herman & Margaret Schwartz Community Series. The annual, week-long initiative, which runs January 25 through 31, includes special programs and events designed to encourage community discussion about the perspectives and abilities of people with physical and intellectual disabilities.
The centerpiece of this year’s initiative is a free, virtual screening of The Reason I Jump, an immersive cinematic exploration of neurodiversity through the experiences of nonspeaking autistic people from around the world, at The Little Theatre (https://thelittle.org/virtual-little). The film will be available to rent for free through January 31. Then, on Tuesday, January 26, WXXI and Al Sigl will host a virtual discussion about the film on Facebook Live with special guests from the Golisano Autism Center. Additional support for this screening is provided by The Golisano Foundation through its Move to Include initiative, a partnership with WXXI with the mission to build a more inclusive community.
WXXI will also present primetime specials on WXXI-TV, news reports from WXXI’s news team and the Inclusion Desk, and community conversations on Connections with Evan Dawson on AM 1370/ WRUR-FM. The programming line-up includes:
•Extraordinary: The Bill Atkinson Story
Monday, January 25, at 9 p.m. on WXXI-TV – Learn about the life of Father Bill Atkinson (1946-2006), who was paralyzed as a teenager and went on to become the first quadriplegic priest in the U.S.
•Connections with Evan Dawson
The week of January 25, 12 to 2 p.m., on AM 1370 and WRUR-FM – WXXI’s daily talk show, hosted by Evan Dawson, will have several guests from member agencies and affiliates from the Al Sigl Community of Agencies throughout the week.
•Musicians of All Abilities
The week of January 25, WXXI Classical 91.5 FM will present music by composers and musicians of differing abilities.
•PBS Kids Specials
All week long, WXXI-TV and WXXI-Kids 24/7 will air special PBS Kids programming that deals with disability issues, including episodes from Arthur, Peg + Cat, and Dinosaur Train.
•The Grown-Ups
Saturday, January 30, at 10 p.m. on WXXI-TV – In a school for individuals with Down Syndrome, four middle-aged friends yearn for a life of greater autonomy in a society that marginalizes them as disabled.
•Hearts of Glass
Sunday, January 31, at 1 p.m. on WXXI-TV – Learn more about Vertical Harvest, an innovative experiment in growing crops and providing meaningful employment for people with disabilities.
Dialogue on Disability is a partnership between WXXI and the Al Sigl Community of Agencies in conjunction with the Herman and Margaret Schwartz Community Series. The initiative is supported by the Fred L. Emerson Foundation with additional support from The Golisano Foundation.
To learn more about the initiative and for a complete list of all the programming, visit wxxi.org/dod.
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