Television is
becoming more reality than fantasy these days.
When I was growing up, television was about escapism.
Variety shows, comedies and dramas were on every
channel, with sports on the weekends. There were only
three networks with local affiliates, and then public
television.
Today, you can get more than 300 channels, depending
on your budget. Cable and satellite networks have pushed
the original big three networks down toward the bottom
of the ladder by offering programming based on violence
and freak shows with a double-dare-you mindset. There
are a plethora of home-improvement shows, reality shows
tantalizing viewers with embarrassing situations,
war-related series with bloody body parts and
fear-factor shows with creepy crawlies engulfing
someone's head. Yuck.
But one man has decided to address a growing
demographic that everyone is ignoring: people with
disabilities. Howard Renensland thought it was time for
actors, writers, camera operators, sound engineers and
the like who are disabled to get together and create
their own network.
Renensland has been in the entertainment business for
years and has a daughter with developmental
disabilities. He was dismayed at the lack of visibility
on television of people with disabilities. Occasionally
a movie of the week or an episode would come around
involving a person with a disability - but nothing with
such a person as the central character since the
one-season-only crime-drama "Ironside" in
1967.
On the 15th anniversary of the signing of the
Americans with Disabilities Act, Renensland launched
People With disabilities Broadcasting Corporation, a
501(c)(3) media corporation. Its mission "is to
develop a 24-hour/7-days-a-week linear inclusive
television channel of, by and for people with
disabilities and everyone else."
The venture will begin as a film and TV production
company and grow toward a 24/7 channel - a path similar
to the one HBO took. The PWdBC will close-caption and
narrate for the visually impaired and will be available
in English and Spanish.
Renensland is gathering funding for shows such as
"Baby O," "Deaf," "19th
Floor," "Leavenworth," "Wheelchair
Games" and a few more. He has a Web site outlining
his concept, business plan, requests for sponsors and
philanthropists and vision for a network that will
appeal to and include all people.
"We are on the road of an incredible journey to
a wonderful destination," says Renensland. "We
are going to discover and release an explosion of the
remarkable untapped resources of talent, perspective,
creativity and determination in our community and use it
to create and celebrate...working in a variety of
ways."
It's time to gather up your resumes and scripts that
won't end up in the trash can.
For more information, visit the Web at: www.pwdbc.org.
McKee, a wheelchair user, is an Albuquerque
writer, poet and producer. You can e-mail Barbara
at chairgrrl@chairgrrl.com.
Her column runs on Tuesdays.
