ADAPT Chicago puts disability rights on television through CAN TV

From ABC 7 News in Chicago. Thanks to Cheryl for the tip.

CHICAGO -- CAN TV is a cable television channel that gives every Chicagoan an opportunity to voice their concerns. One of the regulars is ADAPT Chicago. It is a disability right group that has a weekly program that fights for justice for people with disabilities.

Ten years ago, ADAPT Chicago got involved with CAN TV. They are not only speaking out in front of the camera, they are also responsible for the production.

ADAPT of Chicago Productions airs every Saturday on cable channel CAN TV 19. Most of the members are people with disabilities. They do everything -- from selecting the topics, interviewing and producing.

CAN TV's community partner coordinator, Chris Wilkinson, says he is proud to work with this group.

"I just set it up," said Wilkinson, "and I can talk to you as they're producing the show... As you see, Gloria is directing, she's in a wheelchair, Kenny is the technical director, who when you say ready Camera 1, take Camera 1, Kenny does that and he's blind, visually impaired, and Joan is also visually impaired; she's our audio person."

What Wilkinson likes best about ADAPT Chicago is their independence.

"I don't have to think about what they should say, they have enough to say. They've got all these issues and rights and things to talk about," Wilkinson said.

All of the people involved with ADAPT's production are volunteers. Kenny Borst is also a paid part-time employee for other CAN TV shows.

"I enjoy doing technical directing, but also in addition to that, I've learned a lot from the shows that I do for work, and it's a very respectable job to have," said Borst.

Being part of ADAPT Productions on CAN TV is a labor of love for director Gloria Nichols. She has been directing since they started.

"You know, we may not be ABC, but we're working on putting out our message as you do," Nichols said.