Blog [with]tv

If...If Only We Could ALL Be This Reasonable

Written by Connie Kuusisto on behalf of [with]tv

Not too long ago Steve Kuusisto wrote a post in which he reviewed the book Reasonable People: a Memoir of Autism & Adoption by Ralph James Savarese.  Ralph and his wife, Emily, are parents to DJ, now a teenager living with his family in Iowa, emphasis on teenager (I'll tell you why later).  Very simply put, this book is about DJ and his life and the lives of those who know and love him best.

I got to thinking about the next Disability Blog Carnival and the theme "If..." that Kara of If the World had Wheels has chosen.  Not feeling particularly creative this early in the morning (OK I confess, I'm not a particularly creative person...a second cup of coffee is not going to help) but wanting to contribute to the carnival and support Kara's efforts, I finally remembered one of my favorite passages in Reasonable People, written by DJ himself.  Then it dawned on me - I have a post! (Thanks to DJ, whom I've had the pleasure of meeting by the way...)

"I'm reasonable. Polite people make me feel comfortable. Which by the way isn't very often. Reasonable people promote very very easy breathing. Fearful creatures sadden me. Treating me as really weird teases the creatures. Testing real justices I'm treated hurtfully. Very interested in freeing justice not creatures. Justice frees my true self. If someone understands that testing kids might make them resentful testing might be stopped. I'm never going to be like everyone else. People need humanitarian approaches to my hurt mind. Unhurt, responsible, persevering, humorous, mighty people are helping my real, kind, mighty, very smart self."     -- DJ Savarese

In my opinion, this teenager, besides being reasonable, is wise beyond his years. If only we could ALL be this reasonable.

Disability Matters, 4th Edition

Written by: Connie Kuusisto

Just as "It Takes a Village" to raise children, it also takes a village to raise awareness about issues of disability.

"By uniting people with disabilities and those desiring to enjoy our social intercourse, share our cultural perspective, understand our political agenda, and address our broad general and specific consumer needs, we will achieve success."

This statement, borrowed from the powerful Mission Statement of [with]tv is also useful when referring to the community of bloggers discussing issues of disability. [with]tv is on a mission to unite people with disabilities....and everyone else. This blog has been created to support that mission and this blog, like every other blog, needs a village.

Having said that, we would like to introduce the following blogs to our blogroll titled "Disability Matters". Please visit, comment, link and enjoy one another as we celebrate life, with or with out a disability, and each other. Let us welcome these blogs, and their "bloggers", to our [with]tv Village.

[with]tv Needs YOU!

Dear Friends,

The future of accessible media is now in our hands.  Under the direction of Howard Renensland, Founder and CEO of [with]tv, a collaborative effort is currently in process to develop a mainstream media company, the mission of which will be to  broadcast accessible content of, by, and for people with disabilities...and everyone else.

Howard has assembled a management team consisting of experienced professionals from the entertainment, business and disability advocacy worlds.  Brought together by a common purpose and a shared vision - to unite people with disabilities and their families, friends, and communities – this team is working hard to build a strong foundation for a dynamic and very diverse community poised to move from an arena of charity to one of full economic participation via a mass media presence.

This is a project just exploding with potential and we, as in all of us, have an opportunity to play a role in its development and success.  Howard and his management team are looking for our input.  Let’s roll up our sleeves and see what we can do tackle this “To Do” list, shall we?  Join us: 

• Visit www.with-tv.com to learn more
• Read the support letter and sign the Guest Book
• Submit an article(s) to Blog [with]tv ([email protected])
• Comment on the the Blog and help spread the word (www.withtv.typepad.com)
• Invest.  Angel Investors and Venture Capital opportunities available
• Volunteer.  Help is needed in all areas, especially web support, Public Relations and Advertising
• Send in your resumes and demo reels.  [with]tv is not hiring quite yet.  But they’re looking.
• Forward this message to those you know with a passion for people!

Please feel free to forward your comments, questions and suggestions to either Howard at  [email protected] or to Connie Kuusisto, Blog Master, [email protected]

Thank you in advance for your support.

Sincerely,

Connie Kuusisto
Blog Master, [with]tv
[email protected]
www.withtv.typepad.com

Cross-posted on Planet of the Blind

A Milestone Waiting to Happen

Reading Ruth's contribution to the Disability Blog Carnival about "Milestones" and her comment, "Empowering vehicle, this carnival? You bet." got me to thinking...

Speaking of the Disability Blog Carnival as an "empowering vehicle" and it's potential and power for bringing people together Ruth wrote:

"There is a fellowship that cannot be denied among our community. The Disability Blog Carnival, created with such love by Penny Richards over at DisStudies, Temple U, has brought many together and made it so much easier for us to leave markers and find each others' markers."

Don't you just LOVE that?!

This reminds me of another milestone and another empowering vehicle.  Day Al-Mohamed first brought this to our attention and Howard Renensland, CEO & Founder of [with]tv commented about it in this post titled "This Accessible Channel is GOOD News!" by saying:

"The news of Canada's National Broadcast Reading Service granting a broadcast license to The Accessible Channel is good news for all Canadians, whether they are people with disabilities or not."

That IS good news, don't you think? 

But wait, this news gets better.  Accessible media is what [with]tv is all about.  It is a milestone waiting to happen!  Howard Renensland is currently working very hard to "successfully establish [with]tv as a mainstream, mass media, inclusive, accessible, media platform and content provider of, by, and for, people with disabilities…and everyone else" right here in our own backyard.  And he's offering us opportunities to participate (sign Guest Book, guest blog for us here, or inquire as to how/what you can do to volunteer...)

I encourage you to visit [with]tv and explore the future - our future - this "fellowship that cannot be denied".  Let this serve as another "empowering vehicle" and let us roll up our sleeves and find a way to help make this happen.  And SOON! 

Speaking as a volunteer on behalf of [with]tv, I would like to congratulate Penny L. Richards on her current milestone, the Disability Blog Carnival "big one-year anniversary".  She has, and continues to do a wonderful job bringing together a  community of smart, funny, warm, like-minded bloggers.  Thank you, Penny. 

And Happy Anniversary to ALL!

~ Connie Kuusisto, volunteer, [with]tv

Description of graphic: colorful banner with balloons and multi-colored block letters spelling out "Happy Anniversary"

Disability Matters, 2nd Edition

Written by: Connie Kuusisto

Just as "It Takes a Village" to raise children, it also takes a village to raise awareness about issues of disability.

"By uniting people with disabilities and those desiring to enjoy our social intercourse, share our cultural perspective, understand our political agenda, and address our broad general and specific consumer needs, we will achieve success."

This statement, borrowed from the powerful Mission Statement of [with]tv is also useful when referring to the community of bloggers discussing issues of disability. [with]tv is on a mission to unite people with disabilities....and everyone else. This blog has been created to support that mission and this blog, like every other blog, needs a village.

Having said that, we would like to introduce the following blogs to our blogroll titled "Disability Matters". Please visit, comment, link and enjoy one another as we celebrate life, with or with out a disability, and each other. Let us welcome these blogs, and their "bloggers", to our [with]tv Village.

Same Old, same old

Written by: Connie Kuusisto

I think I was ten years old when I saw my first Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon.  I was definitely too young to know better. For the next couple of years I spent much of Labor Day afternoon watching the spectacle. But I was ironing mind you - what better way to spend hours ironing your father's white dress shirts, slacks and hankies and your family's pillowcases than to watch all those celebrities dance and sing and applaud each other for the wonderful work they were doing. (Yes, we ironed pillowcases back in those days.)

Oh and the kids. Those "poor, sweet" kids. Why they were just as cute in their little leg braces and their wheelchairs as any of the kids I knew. It's a shame they couldn't run and play like I could. (Yeah, but they didn't have to stand there and iron for hours either thinks the ten year old.)

The money just kept pouring in as the oh, so generous people opened their wallets and corporations tried to best one another. A check for $10,000! Oh, thank you! Here's one for $50,000! Can you believe it? Oh, thank you, thank you! And here's little Timmy: Timmy cracked open his piggy bank and is donating $12.32. Timmy, your parents must be so proud of you...

Drum roll please...our new total is....!

On more than one occasion I plunked coins into the MDA display can by the cash register as I purchased bubble gum and ice cream. That was something to be proud of too wasn't it? I thought so...

You know, I'm not going to totally bash Jerry Lewis and the MDA Telethon. In the title of a post I submitted on Planet of the Blind, I stated that the wrong message overshadows the original good intentions and that's as cynical as I'm choosing to go.  Jerry Lewis and thousands of other people have worked tirelessly to raise funds for medical care and research for people with disabilities.  They do have good intentions don't they?

Here's the thing though: in the 27 years since I was ten years old, I've evolved.  I almost never iron anymore. I've worked side by side with people with disabilities; I married a man who can't see; I've been involved in walkathons as support staff to people with disabilities (and their guide dogs) who raised all the money and then did all the walking.  I've learned that no one needs my pity. I've come to understand that emotional appeals used by the telethon industry often lead to corresponding anguish felt by people with disabilities.

Yes, I have evolved.  I wish I could say that the Jerry Lewis sponsored MDA Telethon has also, but strong voices insist otherwise.  I wouldn't know.  I haven't seen it in years. But I'm not the least bit surprised.  Why just this morning I heard on the news that Tony Orlando is in NYC to perform for the telethon....I think he said he's been doing it for what, 28 years now...?

Disability Matters, 1st Edition

Written by: Connie Kuusisto

Just as "It Takes a Village" to raise children, it also takes a village to raise awareness about issues of disability.

"By uniting people with disabilities and those desiring to enjoy our social intercourse, share our cultural perspective, understand our political agenda, and address our broad general and specific consumer needs, we will achieve success."

This statement, borrowed from the powerful Mission Statement of [with]tv is also useful when referring to the community of bloggers discussing issues of disability. [with]tv is on a mission to unite people with disabilities....and everyone else. This blog has been created to support that mission and this blog, like every other blog, needs a village.

Having said that, we would like to introduce the following blogs to our blogroll titled "Disability Matters". Please visit, comment, link and enjoy one another as we celebrate life, with or with out a disability, and each other. Let us welcome these blogs, and their "bloggers", to our [with]tv Village.