Patti's Blog - Advocate for Elders, People with Disabilities and Their Families

NBC’s ‘Parenthood’ Readies For New Season

Excerpt from: Disability Scoop (click for full article)

 

Max Braverman and family will be returning to television for a fifth season of NBC’s “Parenthood,” a fan-favorite among many affected by autism.

NBC has renewed the family drama for an additional 22 episodes to air over the 2013-2014 television season.

The one-hour show chronicles the ups and downs of three generations of the Braverman family, tackling hot-button issues ranging from breast cancer to teen pregnancy, adoption and the challenges facing veterans.

A central theme of the series from day one has been the impact of autism on the family dynamic. Early on, young Max Braverman, played by Max Burkholder, was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome and the drama follows the family’s efforts to help him navigate the world.

Disability Advocates Call ‘Glee’ Portrayal ‘Poor Choice’

Excerpt from: Disability Scoop (click for full article)

 

Fox’s “Glee” is generating controversy after depicting a character with Down syndrome bringing a gun to school.

In an episode which aired Thursday night, gunshots are heard during glee club practice, prompting a lockdown at the high school. Ultimately, viewers learn that Becky Jackson, a student with Down syndrome who is played by actress Lauren Potter, brought a gun to school and the shots were fired accidentally.

But not everyone feels the same way. Officials from the National Down Syndrome Society called it a “poor choice” to depict Becky bringing a gun to school.

“Acting like every other teenager in doing things like sports and going to college, those are things great to portray for Becky,” said Julie Cevallos, vice president of marketing for the organization. “Taking a gun to school is something very serious and would likely come with a mental health condition. That’s not appropriate for someone with Down syndrome and not a stigma they need.”

Meanwhile, comments from viewers on Twitter criticized the characterization for being “disgraceful” and “seriously lame.”

What Classic Sitcoms Taught Us About Gay Rights

Excerpt from: The Daily Beast (click for full article)

 

Before Hillary Clinton, Rob Portman, and President Obama were championing gay marriage, Sophia Petrillo, Julia Sugarbaker, and Mrs. Garrett were equal-rights crusaders. Over the past decade, TV audiences met Will and Grace, cried with Kurt on Glee and were introduced to The New Normal. But long before those comedies hammered home the point that being gay is OK, a handful of progressive classic sitcoms interrupted the laughs to preach to audiences about loving thy neighbor no matter who they love.

As the Supreme Court takes on the second day of arguments in landmark same-sex marriage cases, here’s a topical look back at what The Golden Girls, Designing Women, and more taught us about gay rights.

Cutting-edge all-ASL "Switched at Birth" gets TV audience to pay attention

Excerpt from: Media dis&dat (click for full article)

 

This week ABC Family did something that no commercial television channel in the United States had ever done: It broadcast an entire episode of a show, “Switched at Birth,” in American Sign Language, with next to no oral dialogue.

As a result viewers had to do something that, for some of them, was just as unusual: pay undivided attention.

“Every single viewer — deaf or hearing — was forced to put away their phones and iPads and anything else distracting in this A.D.D. world we all live in and focus,” said Lizzy Weiss, the creator of the series. 

Captioning translated the sign language for viewers. “You had to read,” she said. “You couldn’t do anything else. And that made you get into it more. It drew you in.”

Fans of ABC Family's "Switched at Birth" stick with it for all-ASL episode

Excerpt from: Media dis&dat (click for full article)

 

On Monday night, ABC Family did something that no commercial television outlet in the United States had ever done: it broadcast an entire episode of a show in sign language, with closed captioning turned on by default.

Advocates for the deaf and hard-of-hearing cheered the move, and they wondered: would viewers tune in specifically for the almost-silent episode of the series, “Switched at Birth,” one of ABC Family’s most popular? Or would viewers turn it off, potentially perturbed by the lack of audio? There was a normal musical score, and a scene at the beginning of the episode with audible dialogue, but the rest of the dialogue was in sign language.

Broadly speaking, neither outcome came true. The show’s overnight Nielsen ratings were down, but only slightly. Most fans of the show stayed with it — 1.6 million, according to the overnight ratings. The series this season has averaged 1.7 million viewers.

Viewing Different Bodies Helps Brain Understand Disabilities

Excerpt from: Psych Central (click for full article)

 

A new USC study finds evidence that watching television, of all things, can improve compassion and empathy.

Researchers discovered that seeing people with different bodies, such as amputees or those born with residual limbs, causes the brain’s motor network to work hard to process physical differences.

Experts believe the finding supports initiatives to include more individuals with physical differences in mainstream media — such as Sarah Herron, a contestant on ABC’s show “The Bachelor,” who was born with a foreshortened left arm.

“Generally, it’s considered impolite to stare. But what these results suggest is that we need to look. It’s through this visual experience that we’re able to make sense of those different from ourselves,” said Sook-Lei Liew, Ph.D., lead author of a paper that appeared online in the journal NeuroImage.

Glen Ellyn disabilities advocate to appear with son on TV news program

Excerpt from: mysuburbanlife.com (click for full article)

 

Longtime disabilities advocate and Glen Ellyn resident Marjorie Sullivan Lee will appear with her son Kevin during a program on ABC Channel 7 Thursday.

Sullivan Lee is the author of the 2012 book “Bloom Where You Are Planted,” which discusses her experiences raising and advocating for her son with Down syndrome....

"Sesame Street" episode launches new service dog Muppet

From Media dis&dat: (click for full article)

Don't miss Sesame Street Episode 43, featuring Canine Companions dog Hercules. Hercules helps new Muppet character Brandeis (pictured) find his calling as an assistance dog. The episode airs October 12, November 12 and November 30.

Here's the episode summary:

Brandeis, a yellow Labrador retriever, is looking for a job on Sesame Street. First, Leela hires him to fold laundry in the Laundromat, but Brandeis has a lot of trouble folding the clothing with his paws. Next, Chris hires him to sweep the floor, but he has trouble holding the broom.

Brandeis is sad, but just then, Elmo notices that Gina is working with a dog. She explains that she is training Hercules to be a service dog. A service dog works with people who need special kinds of help. Gina says that it takes a lot of intelligence and training for this career, and Brandeis is up for the challenge! He begins training right away, learning how to do things like opening drawers, turning on lights and picking up and bringing things.

After many weeks of training, Brandeis officially becomes a service dog! He is very excited and nervous about meeting the person he will be helping. Liliana, who is in a wheelchair, is nervous about meeting Brandeis, too. Liliana’s book bag slides off her lap, and Brandeis quickly fetches it for her. She laughs happily and thanks Brandeis. She then asks for a glass of milk, and Brandeis motions her to follow him into Hooper’s store and opens the door for her. Liliana praises him for his hard work. Gina and Elmo agree that that Brandeis found the perfect job!

Canine Companions enjoyed working with the Sesame Street team on creating an episode to increase awareness of assistance dogs helping people with disabilities. Looking forward to the broadcast!

Turner classic Movies to focus on disability in film in October

From Turner Classic Movies: (click for full article)

Turner Classic Movies (TCM) will dedicate the month of October to exploring the ways people with disabilities have been portrayed in film. On behalf of Inclusion in the Arts, Lawrence Carter-Long will join TCM host Ben Mankiewicz forThe Projected Image: A History of Disability in Film. The special month-long exploration will air Tuesdays in October, beginning Oct. 2 at 8 p.m. (ET).

How Actors with Down “Change it for Parents”

From Special Ed Post: (click for full article)

When Gail Williamson was pregnant with her son Blair in 1979, there was no one on TV with Down syndrome to help make the diagnosis less scary.

Today, doctors tell parents that their babies will grow up and be like “Becky,” a character on “Glee” who has Down syndrome — and quite a bit of sass as she rocks a cheerleading uniform at the fictional William McKinley High School.

“It changes it for parents,” said Williamson, the woman who connected “Glee” with Lauren Potter, the actress who plays Becky; Robin Trocki, the actress who played Sue Sylvester’s big sister, Jean; and Jordyn Orr, the baby who made her “Glee” debut as Sue’s daughter Thursday night. They all have Down syndrome.

And the ladies of Glee are not alone, said Willliamson, who now runs Down Syndrome in Arts and Media after spending 12 years at the California Governor’s Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities. Actors with Down syndrome will also be on “Shameless,” “American Horror Story,” “Blue Bloods,” “Legit” and “The New Normal” this year, changing the public’s perception of the syndrome one viewer at a time.