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WXXI & Golisano Foundation Celebrate 30th Anniversary of Americans With Disabilities Act with Move to Include Programming

Five Additional PBS Stations Join the Initiative Nationally

Rochester, NY – July 17, 2020 – July 26, 2020 marks the 30th anniversary of President George H. W. Bush’s signing into law the Americans with Disabilities Act. To commemorate this landmark law, WXXI and the Golisano Foundation will present special programming, virtual screenings, and news features. The programming is part of Move to Include, a national initiative founded in Rochester by WXXI and the Golisano Foundation that has been expanded to five other communities thanks to a grant from Corporation for Public Broadcasting. 

Move to Include uses the power of public media to break the stereotypes of individuals with disabilities. WXXI is leading this national effort in Rochester and with PBS affiliates WFYI (Indianapolis), OPB (Oregon), WGCU (Southwest Florida), WCNY (Syracuse), and Iowa PBS. All six stations will spotlight disability issues and people with differing abilities in their communities through television, radio, news, special events, and social media.

WXXI LIVE FORUM: The Impact of COVID-19 on People with Disabilities

In Rochester, WXXI will host a live forum that explores the unique challenges people living with disabilities have faced as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. WXXI LIVE FORUM: The Impact of COVID-19 on People with Disabilities airs Thursday, July 23 at 8 p.m. on WXXI-TV and simulcast on AM 1370. It will also stream on WXXINews.org and @WXXINews on Facebook Live. Hosted by Evan Dawson of WXXI News’ Connections, local people with disabilities will discuss how disparities they face in health care and society have been exacerbated by the pandemic. They’ll also explore how they expect issues related to access and inclusion will change after the pandemic ends. Panelists include:

  • James Branciforte, president and CEO of Lifetime Assistance Inc
  • Jeiri Flores, disability advocate
  • Jerri Lynn Sparks, a regional lead of the Finger Lakes chapter of the NY Alliance for Developmental Disabilities, human rights advocate, and loving mother of an adult son with autism who lives in a group home
  • Malik Paris, Deaf performance artist
  • Stephanie Woodward, J.D., disability rights advocate with Disability Details.

Live Forum Video

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Additional programming, special events, and news coverage include:

The WXXI News Inclusion Desk, which is the reporting arm of the Move to Include initiative, will continue its year-round efforts to inform listeners and readers about issues in the disability community. During this July focus period, WXXI News reporters will produce a wide variety of stories on topics from the arts to independent living  issues to how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected those with disabilities. The stories will broadcast on AM 1370 and FM 88.5 and online at WXXINews.org.

Men Caring
Saturday, July 25 at 5:30 p.m. on WXXI-TV
This film tells the story of three men who are the primary caregivers for adults with disabilities.

Move to Include Showcase 
Sunday, July 26 from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. on WXXI-WORLD (DT 21.2/cable 1275)
The WORLD channel will showcase content created by the six Move to Include stations with special documentaries and programs.

Move to Include: Vision Portraits Virtual Screening
Monday, July 27 at 7 p.m. on ZOOM
The WORLD Channel hosts this virtual screening of several sequences of the film Vision Portraits and a Q&A with Rodney Evans, acclaimed director of the film. In Vision Portraits, Evans faces the partial loss of his vision and embarks on a quest to learn how several blind and low vision artists have continued to create art and how their journeys might impact his own.

Perfectly Normal for Me
Tuesday, July 28 at 8 p.m. on WXXI-WORLD (DT 21.2/cable 1275)
An after-school dance program for kids with physical disabilities prepares for a spring recital.

Arts InFocus: De’Via: Deaf View/Image Art
Online at ArtsInFocus.TV
De'VIA - Deaf View/Image Art is the genre of visual art that began in 1989 and explores the Deaf experience and Deaf culture.  In this segment, WXXI visits Rochester's Memorial Art Gallery and the "De'VIA: The Manifesto Comes of Age" and speaks with the artists and curators involved with this unique movement.   

For a complete list of local programming and more information on the list above visit: WXXI.org/include

Move to Include was launched in 2014 as a partnership between WXXI and the Golisano Foundation, the nation’s largest private foundation devoted to supporting programs for people with intellectual disabilities. The Foundation has provided more than $1 million in funding to date for Move to Include in Rochester. The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) awarded the initiative a $645,000 grant to help expand the multimedia initiative to these five public media organizations over 16 months. The stations are creating programming to meet their community needs while expanding awareness regionally and nationally. To learn more about this initiative, the work of all six stations, and more, visit movetoinclude.us.

WXXI LIVE FORUM: The Impact of COVID-19 is made possible with support from the Golisano Foundation, Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and the Greater Rochester Health Foundation.  


Related News & Resources

Move to Include Initiative

Move to Include

Move to Include WXXI - Rochester, NY

Move to Include Iowa PBS

Move to Include Oregon PBS

Move to Include WCNY Central NY

Move to Include WGCU - Southwest Florida

Move to Include WFYI - Indianapolis Indiana

WXXI Inclusion Desk

Arts in Focus

World WXXI Channel


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