Blog [with]tv

Accommodations and America's Next Top Model

Thank you Terri of Barriers, Bridges and Books for permission to cross-post this article.

This weekend my 18 year old daughter got completely sucked in to watching the America’s Next Top Model Season 9 marathon on VH-1. The show, hosted by Tyra Banks chooses several lovely young ladies from around the country and provides a combination of modeling training and elimination competitions so that by the end of their season there is one winner of a major modeling contract. I don’t know this for sure, but my guess is that all of those young ladies get a career boost from both the training and the exposure the show gives them.

I got interested in watching the show when my daughter informed me that one of the girls competing (Heather) has Asperger’s syndrome. It was fascinating to watch this young woman compete on the program and watching the dynamics of the folks around her as she advanced in the competition.

I applaud America’s Next Top Model for their commitment to diversity.

Probably the most fun for me was listening to my daughter’s commentary on the show. She has grown up with a younger brother who has a learning disability and a younger sister who has Down syndrome. And, while I knew she was certainly aware of disability issues, it turns out she is pretty analytical and quite passionate about them. (Yay!)

She first called my attention to the show to point out Heather and to say, “Mom, I am so excited, she is really good!” She said that she’d been worried about what angle the show would take and she didn’t want them to have a “pity contestant” or to make a fool of someone. She said that Heather had some struggles, but so did everyone and “her strengths are really strong, Mom!”

Later she called me in to comment on the social dynamics in the group. My daughter pointed out one of the contestants and said that this girl had targeted Heather from the beginning. The girl started out early in the series saying mean things to Heather and when that didn’t appear to affect her she escalated and escalated until she was finally able to rattle her. My daughter’s comment was that the best revenge was that Heather’s pictures really were better than this other girl’s.

Heather made it nearly to the top which was so exciting, but my daughter was disappointed by the disqualifying events. Throughout the series people were attentive to giving Heather the cues she needed and she responded to them pretty well. All of the girls had areas where they excelled and areas where they did not. The final tests were hard to watch though.

There was a contest where Heather was having trouble with the photo shoot (some of the other girls did 13 takes also!) One of the coordinators eventually fed Heather the words line by line, but the critique was about connecting with the camera… it was sort of a parallel accommodation.

I have run into this with my daughter at times where someone will tell me that they have been zippering her coat for her, for example, for months and she still can’t do it herself… They did something—maybe a lot—for her, but NOT what she needed. It’s an odd disconnect.

The argument could be made that in the real world of modeling no one will help her that much… I think when the intention is success there will be ways to create accommodations that work. If they had given all of the contestants their lines the night before they probably all would have done better—but the intention of that competition was to eliminate someone.

The part that upset me was in the activity called Go-Sees where the contestants drop in on a bunch of designers to show their portfolios and make a connection. They left Heather wandering around some city in China unable to find a single designer. She cannot follow maps. So her elimination eventually had nothing to do with her ability, her connection with designers, her commitment or her work ethic, it had to do entirely with her disability.

The fact that people walked past her and let her flounder on the streets shows just how well she was doing in the competition! They clearly felt very insecure.

I think eliminating her because of her runway skills or her lack of smoothness talking on camera—essential job skills—would have been fine, but eliminating her for her map-reading capabilities was ugly. Especially in the age of the GPS! And wouldn't a GPS manufacturer just love the exposure of having the show hand out their systems to their top 5 models for Go-Sees?

Oh well, she got into the top 5, if our house was any indication she was cheered by multitudes. She really is a top model with a fairytale story—and, oh yeah, she happens to have Aspergers.

Thank you, Nancy Sopkowiak of Access Press

Nancy Sopkowiak has written an article for Access Press, "Minnesota's Disability Community Newspaper", in which she introduces her readers to [with]tv.

Her article in the January 10, 2008 edition, titled In Front of and Behind the Cameras, tells the story behind Howard Renensland's vision for [with]tv.  It's a warm and personal story, one that has clearly made an impression on Nancy.

Nancy, the "folks" at [with]tv thank you for your enthusiasm and support.

A Note of Thanks to Pat Beeman and Geoge G. Ducharme for This Letter of Support

     As we enter our 4th decade of “walking with” children and adults with disabilities and their families and friends (George is actually in his 5th decade) we are more convinced than ever about the power of perception, attitude, and personal contact to impact life experiences.  The power of the media to shape attitudes and thus policies and behavior toward children and adults with disabilities is huge.  Millions of dollars have been spent by government, private, and advocacy groups to buy time on television and radio as well as in various print media to share the story of children and adults with disabilities with the general public.  There has been some progress in this effort at “public information and education.”  There has even been some inclusion of actors and characters with disabilities in some sitcoms on commercial and cable T.V.

     Now, with the incredible energy, passion, and commitment of Howard Renensland, and his wife Kathy Forbes and with the inspiration of their daughter Victoria and the support of their youngest daughter, Olivia, a new 24 hour/7 day a week opportunity (with-TV) is emerging to give voice to all children and adults with any and all disabilities and their families.  The full spectrum of life from birth to death, in all its pain, joy, hopes and fears will be presented (in fact is being presented in this blog format) by and with people with disabilities themselves.  Programs including news, current issues and trends, political viewpoints across the spectrum, sports (a place to see and understand the incredible stories of world class athletes participating in the Paralympics this summer in China), Comedy, Theatre, the Arts in all its forms, Music, Fiction, Biographies and on and on are now being created by talented people with and without disabilities working in cooperation and support of one another.  We believe this magnificent effort concentrates the talents and energy of people without voice to create products of substance and quality which will entertain, educate, and perhaps inspire others to positive action.  We believe many new and emerging talented people will be given a platform to share their story and gifts – we know some who are contributing even as we write this.

     We predict within a few years writers, technicians, professional actors, news anchors, sportscasters, dancers, musicians, artists, and “gifted” people of all types will be “discovered” by those of us in the “general public.”  We will wonder where they have been – why they have been hidden away for so long.  We will agree with some; we will disagree with others; in other words the full spectrum of emotions present in a truly inclusive community will be present.

     We are honored to be on this exhilarating and most difficult journey with all who have joined the family of With-TV.  We are reminded of the profound triad of Schopenhauer: All truth (change) passes through 3 stages:  First, it is ridiculed as irrelevant; then it is violently (vigorously) opposed; and finally it is accepted as self evident.  We share the challenges of the journey through the first two stages and look forward to the experience of the third – full acceptance – full inclusion.

Pat Beeman and Geoge G. Ducharme, Co-Directors
Communitas, Inc.
Manchester, CT

To One and All...

 

Thank you, T. Reid

The folks at [with]tv would like to thank Thomas Reid, of Reid My Mind, for adding Blog [with]tv to his blogroll.

Thank you to Amy of Damianakes Communications

We would like to take a moment to personally thank Amy Damianakes of Damianakes Communications for her work with, and on behalf of, [with]tv.

Amy is an expert "strategic communicator" on whom many companies, technologies, initiatives and programs have relied on for guidance and improved business performance through communications.  We are fortunate to have Amy as part of our [with]tv "Village".

For more information, visit Damianakes Communications

Wheelchairs: They Ain't What They Used to Be

Interesting article: Wheelchairs: The Trend from Functionality to Individuality

[with]tv would like to say a special "thank you" to John G. Box, President of Colours in Motion.  A very successful businessman who markets a variety of fine products to our community, John is always giving with his time and advice.  As we attempt to build [with]tv into something we all believe it can become, we are grateful to John for being supportive of our efforts and of the [with]tv mission.

Arc of Connecticut Offers Support

We are pleased to announce that on Monday, July 23, the Arc of Connecticut joined our list of supporters. Visit their website at www.arcct.com to find out more about the great work that they do.