Dialogue on Disability

Three people with ALS confront complex choices in this intimate exploration.

Independent Lens – Matter of the Mind: My ALS airs Sunday, January 28 at 3 p.m. on WXXI-TV

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neuromuscular disease with an average survival time of 2-5 years from diagnosis. In this intimate exploration, three people with ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease, bravely face different paths as they live with this progressively debilitating illness.

This program is presented as part of Dialogue on Disability, a partnership between WXXI and Al Sigl Community of Agencies – in conjunction with the Herman and Margaret Schwartz Community Series. Dialogue on Disability is supported by the Fred L. Emerson Foundation with additional support from The Golisano Foundation. The weeklong initiative runs January 22 through January 28, 2024.

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WXXI and Al Sigl have been hosting Dialogue on Disability since 2005. In 2014, with the support of businessman and philanthropist Tom Golisano and the Golisano Foundation, Move to Include™ was formed. This initiative enables WXXI to present and develop programming that promotes inclusion year round.

Photo: Phil Freelon and his son Pierce Freelon pose for photo in Durham, NC • Credit: David Alvarado

Filmmaker Ric Burns tells the inspirational story of the famed neurologist and writer Oliver Sacks.

American Masters – Oliver Sacks: His Own Life airs Sunday, January 28 at 1 p.m. on WXXI-TV

The two-hour film explores the life and work of the legendary neurologist and storyteller as he shares intimate details of his battles with drug addiction, homophobia, and a medical establishment that embraced his work only decades after the fact. Drawing on these profoundly moving reflections, American Masters—Oliver Sacks: His Own Lifealso features nearly two dozen deeply revealing and personal interviews with family members, colleagues, patients and close friends, including Jonathan Miller, Robert Silvers, Temple Grandin, Christof Koch, Robert Krulwich, Lawrence Weschler, Atul Gawande, Roberto Calasso, Paul Theroux, Isabelle Rapin, Bill Hayes, Kate Edgar, Mark Homonoff, Jonathan Sacks, Steve Silberman, Shane Fistell, and Lowell Handler, among others.

This program is presented as part of Dialogue on Disability, a partnership between WXXI and Al Sigl Community of Agencies – in conjunction with the Herman and Margaret Schwartz Community Series. Dialogue on Disability is supported by the Fred L. Emerson Foundation with additional support from The Golisano Foundation. The weeklong initiative runs January 22 through January 28, 2024.

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WXXI and Al Sigl have been hosting Dialogue on Disability since 2005. In 2014, with the support of businessman and philanthropist Tom Golisano and the Golisano Foundation, Move to Include™ was formed. This initiative enables WXXI to present and develop programming that promotes inclusion year round.

Photo: Oliver writing on porch, 2015 • Courtesy of Bill Hayes

The New York State Developmental Disabilities Planning Council, in partnership with the New York State Digital and Media Services Center, produced a documentary highlighting the importance of lessons learned, positive change that resulted, and the legacy of Willowbrook State School.

Path Forward: Remembering Willowbrook airs Tuesday, January 23 at 11:30 p.m. on WXXI-TV

In 1972, Geraldo Rivera produced an exposé on the Willowbrook State School in Staten Island, shocking the nation and forever changing the treatment of people with disabilities in the state and across the country. In recognition of the 50th anniversary of this landmark moment, this film highlights the importance of the lessons learned, the positive change that resulted, and how to move forward from the legacy of Willowbrook.

This program is presented as part of Dialogue on Disability, a partnership between WXXI and Al Sigl Community of Agencies – in conjunction with the Herman and Margaret Schwartz Community Series. Dialogue on Disability is supported by the Fred L. Emerson Foundation with additional support from The Golisano Foundation. The weeklong initiative runs January 22 through January 28, 2024.

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WXXI and Al Sigl have been hosting Dialogue on Disability since 2005. In 2014, with the support of businessman and philanthropist Tom Golisano and the Golisano Foundation, Move to Include™ was formed. This initiative enables WXXI to present and develop programming that promotes inclusion year round.

Photo: Willowbrook State School • Provided by PBS

A coming of age story about Terrence, a 26-year-old African American man with high-functioning autism.

Adventures of T-Man airs Tuesday, January 23 at 3 p.m. on WXXI-TV

Terrence is a 26-year-old African American man with high-functioning autism living in Charlotte, North Carolina. Curious, earnest, but naïve, he yearns to live an independent life, despite the many obstacles. When he’s chosen by a financial technology firm to be part of a pilot program hiring people on the autism spectrum, he sees his chance. The job gives him the footing he’s needed to move out of his parent’s house and take his first steps towards life on his own for the first time. However, independence may be more than he bargained for as he encounters numerous setbacks, straining his relationships and placing him in danger.” 

This program is presented as part of Dialogue on Disability, a partnership between WXXI and Al Sigl Community of Agencies – in conjunction with the Herman and Margaret Schwartz Community Series. Dialogue on Disability is supported by the Fred L. Emerson Foundation with additional support from The Golisano Foundation. The weeklong initiative runs January 22 through January 28, 2024.

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WXXI and Al Sigl have been hosting Dialogue on Disability since 2005. In 2014, with the support of businessman and philanthropist Tom Golisano and the Golisano Foundation, Move to Include™ was formed. This initiative enables WXXI to present and develop programming that promotes inclusion year round.

Photo: Terrance and one of his classmates • Provided by PBS

Wearing snapback caps and Air Jordans, the Reality Poets aren’t typical nursing home residents. 

POV: Fire Through Dry Grass airs Sunday, January 19 at 2:30 p.m. on WXXI-TV

In Fire Through Dry Grass, these young, Black and brown disabled artists document their lives on lockdown during COVID, their rhymes underscoring the danger and imprisonment they feel. In the face of institutional neglect, they refuse to be abused, confined, and erased. 

This program is presented as part of Dialogue on Disability, a partnership between WXXI and Al Sigl Community of Agencies – in conjunction with the Herman and Margaret Schwartz Community Series. Dialogue on Disability is supported by the Fred L. Emerson Foundation with additional support from The Golisano Foundation. The weeklong initiative runs January 13-19, 2025

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WXXI and Al Sigl have been hosting Dialogue on Disability since 2005. In 2014, with the support of businessman and philanthropist Tom Golisano and the Golisano Foundation, Move to Include™ was formed. This initiative enables WXXI to present and develop programming that promotes inclusion year round.

Photo: Reality Poets Vince, Jay, Tito, Pete, and Var • Credit: Elias Williams

The USA Wheelchair Football League Championship game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Kansas City Chiefs is the culmination of incredible competition and sportsmanship over the two-day tournament.

USA Wheelchair Football Buffalo Championship Game airs Thursday, January 25 at 9 p.m. on WXXI-TV

2023 marks the third year of USA Wheelchair Football League (USAWFL) tournament play. The USAWFL is a program of Move United that is made possible in part by support from the National Football League (NFL) – and Bob Woodruff Foundation (BWF) partnership, which is part of the League’s Salute to Service initiative. The league is the first-of-its-kind football league for adults with disabilities to reach their highest potential through a competitive, fast-paced team sport. As of the 2023 season, 13 teams are in the USA Wheelchair Football League.

This program is presented as part of Dialogue on Disability, a partnership between WXXI and Al Sigl Community of Agencies – in conjunction with the Herman and Margaret Schwartz Community Series. Dialogue on Disability is supported by the Fred L. Emerson Foundation with additional support from The Golisano Foundation. The weeklong initiative runs January 22 through January 28, 2024.

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WXXI and Al Sigl have been hosting Dialogue on Disability since 2005. In 2014, with the support of businessman and philanthropist Tom Golisano and the Golisano Foundation, Move to Include™ was formed. This initiative enables WXXI to present and develop programming that promotes inclusion year round.

Photo: David Cross (#33) drops back to pass as Ben Richard (#78) swings out wide • Credit: WNED

Witness the story of Pete Walsh, a Tasmanian man who befriends a platypus he names Zoom.

Nature: The Platypus Guardian airs Wednesday, January 24 at 3 p.m. on WXXI-TV

Pete Walsh is a Tasmanian obsessed with one of nature’s least understood creatures, the platypus. An egg-laying, duck-billed, venom-spined, furry-coated underwater mammal, the platypus’ natural environment is in danger from urban development in the capital city of Hobart. With the help of experts, Pete embarks on a mission to rally his community and save the species before it is too late.

During this endeavor, Pete befriends one particular female platypus he names “Zoom.” She lets him into her secretive world, and Pete learns more about the life of this enigmatic species, capturing unique footage of their behavior. Zoom’s behavior sheds light on platypus survival techniques and offers insight into how the species might be protected. Pete will reveal the life of this enigmatic creature, but his time is precious as he manages with his MS diagnosis.

This program is presented as part of Dialogue on Disability, a partnership between WXXI and Al Sigl Community of Agencies – in conjunction with the Herman and Margaret Schwartz Community Series. Dialogue on Disability is supported by the Fred L. Emerson Foundation with additional support from The Golisano Foundation. The weeklong initiative runs January 22 through January 28, 2024.

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WXXI and Al Sigl have been hosting Dialogue on Disability since 2005. In 2014, with the support of businessman and philanthropist Tom Golisano and the Golisano Foundation, Move to Include™ was formed. This initiative enables WXXI to present and develop programming that promotes inclusion year round.

Photo: Pete Walsh • Credit: Courtesy of Oliver Berlin / © WildBear Entertainment

Life is full of joys and challenges for us all — but the experiences of individuals living with Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities (I/DD) is something that not everyone understands or appreciates.

A Good Life airs Friday, January 17 at 5 p.m. on WXXI-TV.

A Good Life, a WXXI production, takes an intimate look into the lives of six adults living with I/DD and their families. The film shares the challenges and opportunities they face, while leading national experts and historians in the field offer insight. 

This program is presented as part of Dialogue on Disability, a partnership between WXXI and Al Sigl Community of Agencies – in conjunction with the Herman and Margaret Schwartz Community Series. Dialogue on Disability is supported by the Fred L. Emerson Foundation with additional support from The Golisano Foundation. The weeklong initiative runs January 13-19, 2025

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WXXI and Al Sigl have been hosting Dialogue on Disability since 2005. In 2014, with the support of businessman and philanthropist Tom Golisano and the Golisano Foundation, Move to Include™ was formed. This initiative enables WXXI to present and develop programming that promotes inclusion year round.

Photo: Title card • Credit: WXXI