"Good Morning America" profiles several TV actors with Down syndrome who are on shows in the fall lineup

From Good Morning America, In the picture, Lauren Potter, who plays Becky Jackson on "Glee," with Jordyn Orr (who plays Robin Sylvester), Gail Williamson, and Robin Trocki (who played Jean Sylvester).

When Gail Williamson was pregnant with her son Blair in 1979, there was no one on TV with Down syndrome to help make the diagnosis less scary.

Today, doctors tell parents that their babies will grow up and be like "Becky," a character on "Glee" who has Down syndrome -- and quite a bit of sass as she rocks a cheerleading uniform at the fictional William McKinley High School.

"It changes it for parents," said Williamson, the woman who connected "Glee" with Lauren Potter, the actress who plays Becky; Robin Trocki, the actress who played Sue Sylvester's big sister, Jean; and Jordyn Orr, the baby who made her "Glee" debut as Sue's daughter Thursday night. They all have Down syndrome.

And the ladies of Glee are not alone, said Willliamson, who now runs Down Syndrome in Arts and Media after spending 12 years at the California Governor's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities. Actors with Down syndrome will also be on "Shameless," "American Horror Story," "Blue Bloods," "Legit" and "The New Normal" this year, changing the public's perception of the syndrome one viewer at a time.

Down syndrome hasn't been this prevalent in entertainment since Chris Burke played Corky Thatcher on ABC's "Life Goes On" from 1989 through 1993, Williamson said, adding that she remembers how life changed for Blair after it debuted.

"Waiters would turn to him and say, 'What would you like to eat?'" she said, adding that they'd previously asked her what he wanted instead. "People didn't realize they could talk to that face … I saw a change. I saw the difference. And I saw it again after 'Glee.'"

Potter, 22, was a baby when "Life Goes On" was on television, so she said she never had a television role model who had Down syndrome. But now, people will run across parking lots and line up for her autograph as if she's Santa Claus.

"I just felt like I wanted to cry," Potter said. "They were saying that I was their inspiration. These fans are really my heroes."

Her mom, Robin Sinkhorn, said the best thing is when college and high school students aren't afraid to say hello, and tell Potter that she inspired them to learn more about Down syndrome. Potter is now part of an anti-bullying campaign and is on President Obama's Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities.

"It's pretty amazing what this kid has done, and this gift that 'Glee' and the producers of 'Glee' have given her," Sinkhorn said. "She's reached out to a lot of people."

To the National Down Syndrome Society, the awareness from TV shows is a huge help because it generates interest in their website, research and fundraising, said Julie Cevallos, the organization's vice president of marketing. She said web traffic data to ndss.org isn't available as far back as late 2009, when Potter made her "Glee" debut, but they've seen a 10 percent increase between 2010 and 2011.

Considering that the average life expectancy for a person with Down syndrome went from 25 in 1983 to near 60 today, according to NDSS, there's plenty of health research to be done.

For instance, Robin Trocki had to be written off "Glee" because she has Alzheimer's disease, which is common in people with Down syndrome because the gene is located on chromosome 21, of which people with Down syndrome have three copies instead of two. (Sue's new baby on the show is named Robin for her.)

NDSS is also working on a bill that would save families tax money if they include a person with Down syndrome.

But changing people's perception is powerful all by itself, Cevallos said, adding that people find it surprising that many people with Down syndrome live independently and have boyfriends or girlfriends just like anyone else.

"It's helpful in terms of getting an accurate picture out there," Cevallos said. "There's a lot of old stereotypes…A lot of people [with Down syndrome] are going to college and I don't think the average person understands that."

In fact, Potter attends theater classes at a community college. Jamie Brewer, who has Down syndrome and plays Adelaide on American Horror Story, said she is getting her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at a community college in Southern California where she lives. Just before talking to ABCNews.com, she was attending a math class.

Brewer, 27, said she's proud of her acting, but being a role model for people with Down syndrome is just as important.

"The biggest thing is advocacy," Brewer said. "You can really step up and say, 'Hey, this is who I am. I have these great talents,' and I want to be able to show that."

In Ghana, polio survivors pioneer skate soccer in 'Rollaball' documentary

From Kickoff in the UK:

Footballer Michael Essien is the latest star to put his name behind Rollaball.

This documentary-in-progress tells the inspiring story of The Rolling Rockets – a team of Ghanaian polio survivors who are pioneering an extreme sport combination of skating and soccer.

Rollaball is currently crowdsourcing production funding via a 30-day campaign on Kickstarter, the world’s largest funding platform for creative projects.

“Skate soccer is one of the most inspiring forms of the beautiful game I've seen and shows how the sport can be adapted and enjoyed by anyone,” says Essien, who recently moved to Real Madrid on loan from Chelsea.
“These athletes' determination, strength and creativity is inspiring and makes me proud to be Ghanaian. I hope the Rollaball documentary will give them the exposure they deserve and I look forward to seeing Ghana host an African Cup of Nations for skate soccer in the near future.”

Michael’s endorsement follows similar shows of support from the likes of AC Milan midfielder and Ghanaian international Sulley Muntari; paralympian Anne Wafula Strike; World Cup Skateboarding; and Australia’s National Skateboarders Association.

“Michael’s endorsement is an inspiration for the entire team and makes us even more determined to host the first Skate Soccer Cup of Nations in Ghana next year,” says Albert K Frimpong, coach of The Rolling Rockets and executive director of SYDOGhana (Sports and Youth Development Organisation).

Big World Cinema’s Steven Markovitz is producing the documentary, which won the Puma Creative Catalyst Award in partnership with BRITDOC, and has already been featured as a Kickstarter Staff Pick and on the curated Kickstarter pages of both Good Pitch and Okayafrica.

Markovitz co-founded Encounters, Africa’s most prestigious documentary festival; co-produced MTV’s Best African Movie 2010, Viva Riva!; and is producing the upcoming Jambula Tree, winner of the Arte Prize for Best Feature Film Project at Durban International Film Festival 2012.

Rollaball is being directed by Eddie Edwards, who also helmed the award-winning sports documentary The Fight, about South African boxing champion Andile Tshongolo.

To help make the completed documentary possible, visit http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/rollaballmovie/rollaball-skate-soccer. Pledges start from as little as $10.

As part of his endorsement, Essien has donated five autographed 10x12inch photographs of him taken after his Champions League victory. This reward is exclusive to the first five people to pledge $600, who will also receive Batik cloth wrap from Ghana; a box set of four DVDs from Africa; special thanks on the film end credits; and a digital download of the completed film, among other perks.

The Kickstarter campaign ends on 22 September. Edwards says: “If the full target of $35 000 isn’t raised, Kickstarter will not charge any of the contributors, meaning that we won’t receive any of the funding needed to complete production, so please help us spread the word. Thank you for your support; we can’t do this without you.”

f you've never heard of Skate soccer, that could soon change. Skate soccer has taken hold in parts of West Africa, but a new documentary, Rollaball, is in the works that aims to elevate the sport and its participants to paralympic status. Skate soccer is a fast and physical team sport which combines soccer, skating and handball. It is played by people with physical disabilities, who roll around the field (a concrete surface) on homemade skateboards, trying to put the ball in the back of the net. Like soccer, the team that does not have the ball will do whatever it takes to prevent that from happening. Competitions are already being held at both club and international levels. "The first game of skate soccer was in Lagos, Nigeria, but it’s now spread throughout West Africa, Albert K. Frimpong, coach of The Rolling Rockets, said. "We played our first international game recently against Nigeria and are hoping to host an Africa Cup of Nations next year." Rollaball tells the story of the Rolling Rockets -- a team of Ghanaian polio survivors -- who find a new sense of purpose and dignity through playing the sport. During the games, these skate soccer pioneers become sports heroes in their communities, despite living with the stigma of polio and homelessness. Rollaball director Eddie Edwards spoke about the everyday challenges skate soccer players face. He hopes the movie will help them improve their lives, according to a press release. "When I first met the team two years ago, I knew they were something special," Edwards said. "These guys face massive challenges off the pitch, as polio is still stigmatized in Ghana, so many of them live on the streets and beg for a living. But despite all the odds, they’re incredible athletes who deserve to be stars. They have inspired something in me and I believe they’ll inspire many others. Both on and off the field, their stories are legendary." Producers are currently crowdsourcing funding to help complete the documentary project, and a 30-day campaign is under way on Kickstarter.

Read more at: http://www.nesn.com/2012/09/ghanaian-polio-survivors-pioeneer-skate-soccer-in-rollaball-documentary-video.html

never heard of Skate soccer, that could soon change. Skate soccer has taken hold in parts of West Africa, but a new documentary, Rollaball, is in the works that aims to elevate the sport and its participants to paralympic status. Skate soccer is a fast and physical team sport which combines soccer, skating and handball. It is played by people with physical disabilities, who roll around the field (a concrete surface) on homemade skateboards, trying to put the ball in the back of the net. Like soccer, the team that does not have the ball will do whatever it takes to prevent that from happening. Competitions are already being held at both club and international levels. "The first game of skate soccer was in Lagos, Nigeria, but it’s now spread throughout West Africa, Albert K. Frimpong, coach of The Rolling Rockets, said. "We played our first international game recently against Nigeria and are hoping to host an Africa Cup of Nations next year." Rollaball tells the story of the Rolling Rockets -- a team of Ghanaian polio survivors -- who find a new sense of purpose and dignity through playing the sport. During the games, these skate soccer pioneers become sports heroes in their communities, despite living with the stigma of polio and homelessness. Rollaball director Eddie Edwards spoke about the everyday challenges skate soccer players face. He hopes the movie will help them improve their lives, according to a press release. "When I first met the team two years ago, I knew they were something special," Edwards said. "These guys face massive challenges off the pitch, as polio is still stigmatized in Ghana, so many of them live on the streets and beg for a living. But despite all the odds, they’re incredible athletes who deserve to be stars. They have inspired something in me and I believe they’ll inspire many others. Both on and off the field, their stories are legendary." Producers are currently crowdsourcing funding to help complete the documentary project, and a 30-day campaign is under way on Kickstarter.

Read more at: http://www.nesn.com/2012/09/ghanaian-polio-survivors-pioeneer-skate-soccer-in-rollaball-documentary-video.html

If you've never heard of Skate soccer, that could soon change. Skate soccer has taken hold in parts of West Africa, but a new documentary, Rollaball, is in the works that aims to elevate the sport and its participants to paralympic status. Skate soccer is a fast and physical team sport which combines soccer, skating and handball. It is played by people with physical disabilities, who roll around the field (a concrete surface) on homemade skateboards, trying to put the ball in the back of the net. Like soccer, the team that does not have the ball will do whatever it takes to prevent that from happening. Competitions are already being held at both club and international levels. "The first game of skate soccer was in Lagos, Nigeria, but it’s now spread throughout West Africa, Albert K. Frimpong, coach of The Rolling Rockets, said. "We played our first international game recently against Nigeria and are hoping to host an Africa Cup of Nations next year." Rollaball tells the story of the Rolling Rockets -- a team of Ghanaian polio survivors -- who find a new sense of purpose and dignity through playing the sport. During the games, these skate soccer pioneers become sports heroes in their communities, despite living with the stigma of polio and homelessness. Rollaball director Eddie Edwards spoke about the everyday challenges skate soccer players face. He hopes the movie will help them improve their lives, according to a press release. "When I first met the team two years ago, I knew they were something special," Edwards said. "These guys face massive challenges off the pitch, as polio is still stigmatized in Ghana, so many of them live on the streets and beg for a living. But despite all the odds, they’re incredible athletes who deserve to be stars. They have inspired something in me and I believe they’ll inspire many others. Both on and off the field, their stories are legendary." Producers are currently crowdsourcing funding to help complete the documentary project, and a 30-day campaign is under way on Kickstarter.

Read more at: http://www.nesn.com/2012/09/ghanaian-polio-survivors-pioeneer-skate-soccer-in-rollaball-documentary-video.html

Russian champion says Paralympics can help stop disabled child abandonment there

From RIA:

The achievements of Russia's Paralympians can act as a powerful stimulus to stop parents from abandoning their disabled children, six-time Paralympic swimming gold medalist Roman Makarov (pictured) said Sept. 13.

Disabled people are marginalized, often stigmatized, in Russian society, where basic infrastructure such as wheelchair ramps and disabled toilets is lacking in the big cities.

But many old prejudices were broken down in the wake of Russia's best-ever Paralympic performance in London with 102 medals, 36 of which were gold.

“In Russia, parents often abandon children who have some problems with their health,” Makarov said.

London 2012 received the highest Russian television exposure of any Paralympics in history.

“Thanks to the exposure for the Paralympics, thanks to the fact that everyone can see what children like that are capable of doing in the future, there’s hope that fewer people will abandon children like that, that lots of them will have a complete family.”

Five-time gold medalist Oksana Savchenko said after the Games that she was stunned by how much more exposure the Paralympics had compared to Beijing 2008 and that it would breed new respect for disabled people.

Makarov won gold in the 100 meters butterfly for the visually impaired in London, his sixth career Paralympic gold medal.

European Union failing blind people on 'e-inclusion' access to information

From Dan Pescod, who is campaigns manager for the Royal National Institute of Blind People and the European Blind Union.

It is a cliché, but true, that we live in an information age. We Tweet from our mobile phones, send emails from our tablets and watch television on our laptops. But how do blind and partially sighted people cope with this brave new world? To try to put ourselves in the shoes of a blind person, let us focus just on access to websites and books. If space allowed I could fill another article explaining how television programmes, TV sets, radios and mobile phones - to name but a few - are also often needlessly inaccessible.

Firstly, the good news is that technology can overcome many of the barriers the information age would otherwise present to blind people. With more and more shops, government and information services going online - it is good to know that some websites are designed accessibly to be 'read' by 'text-to-speech' software and be easily visible to those with low vision. Guidelines for developers exist to achieve this.

As for books, it is possible to either use text to speech software to 'read' digital files or text, or for an accessible eBook reader to hear to a synthesised voice read the book. There are even digital devices that produce 'refreshable' braille on a braille keypad. Here is the bad news, however, summed up in two 'onlys'. Only a tiny percentage of websites are fully accessible to blind and partially sighted people. And only around 5 per cent of books published are produced in formats, whether electronic or physical - like paper large-print books - which can be read by blind people or the machines they use. What has the European Union done in these areas to ensure accessibility?

With regard to websites, in 2007 the European Commission published a study showing that less than 3 per cent of key public and commercial websites in each member state met accepted international accessibility standards. It has since held several conferences on 'e-inclusion', but there has been little practical progress. As online public services are gradually replacing face-to-face interaction, blind people are still waiting for the commission to publish draft legislation to ensure that all public websites and online portals providing basic services to citizens are fully accessible. Proposals were expected at the end of 2011. They have yet to materialise.

One of the ways we can end the 'book famine' in which only 5 per cent of books are made accessible to blind people is by reforming copyright law. To cut a complex story far too short, the European Blind Union is campaigning with the World Blind Union for a treaty at the World Intellectual Property Organisation - the United Nations body that makes international copyright law. Our treaty would allow the pooling of resources by allowing organisations like the Royal National Institute of Blind People, in the United Kingdom, to share scarce accessible books with other countries. The commission has been sceptical about this proposal. In 2010, it got us around the table to try to work out a voluntary agreement with European publishers - mirroring a similar 'stakeholder dialogue' it set up - with modest results on TV accessibility.

The European Parliament has been strongly in favour of the treaty, and the European Council has been against it. So, last October, we petitioned the EP explaining that the commission and council were letting blind people down by not backing the call for a treaty. As a result, the parliament plenary grilled European Internal Market and Services Commissioner Michel Barnier in February. Barnier told MEPs that he would seek a "negotiating mandate" from the council so that the EU could, finally, negotiate at the WIPO for the binding treaty we have long called for. We await the council's response. In summary, there have been repeated public commitments from the council, from as far back as 2002, and support from the European Parliament - to legislate as well as discuss accessibility for blind and other disabled people.

The entry into force of the 2008 UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities has not yet spurred the EU into strong enough action on access to information. Stakeholder discussions and conferences only take us so far. Now is the time for the commission to propose clear and useful EU accessibility legislation and for the member states to help blind people worldwide by unambiguously backing a WIPO book treaty. The commission and council can make 2013 the landmark year in which they demonstrate they mean business when it comes to blind people's access to information. The technology is there. Now we need the political will to match it.

New film from India about blind man who uses human echolocation technique to seek revenge

From International Business Times:

The most-anticipated Tamil action thriller movie "Thaandavam" starring Vikram, Anushka Shetty and British beauty Amy Jackson revolves around a blind-man who uses human echolocation technique to seek revenge. 

Directed by AL Vijay and produced by UTV production, the  film is all scheduled to hit the screens on September 28.

Vikram and Vijay have reunited for "Thaandavam" after delivering blockbuster "Deiva Thirumagal." In their previous movie outing, they narrated a heart-warming relationship between a father and a daughter, and now they have come up with a revenge story.

Buzz is that Vikram is playing the role of a police officer but doesn't wear the uniform. His character in the movie is said to be inspired by Daniel Kish, an American-based human echolocation expert. 

Daniel Kish has been roped in to the "Thaandavam"  project by the filmmakers to assist the protagonist to understand the techniques of echolocation and get into the skin of the character.

In his forthcoming film, Vikram set himself on a revenge quest and fights his enemies despite the fact that he is visually impaired using echolocation method.

Human echolocation is a state of the art, where humans are able to recognize the objects/people in a surrounding and sense their movement towards them to spontaneously respond by actively generating sounds.

Vikram had earlier essayed the role of visually-challenged person in "Kasi" (2001). One of his movies "Kanthaswamy", (2009) too has a fight sequence, where he took on his foes blindfolded by sensing their foot movements.

Going by the trailer of "Thaandavam", Vikram figures out his enemies and takes them down by making clicking sounds with his mouth.

"Thaandavam" trailer promises big and assures a sure-treat for the action enthusiasts. The film will also be released in Telugu as "Shiva Thandavam."

Florida mom who writes about her two kids with Down syndrome named one of most powerful Latina bloggers

From  The Naples News:

SAN CARLOS PARK, Fla. — When she moved eight years ago, Eliana Tardío was so pregnant, she doubted the airline crew would allow her on the plane from South America to join family in Southwest Florida.

Weeks later, baby Emir was born in Lee County.

In theory, Tardío knew what was coming. The doctors in Bolivia told her the same day she learned she was expecting a boy.

"Before ... the worst thing ever was to have a child with Down syndrome because in my mind, my child wasn't going to be able to do anything, that everyone was going to laugh at him, that he would never learn, that they would institutionalize him, things like that that are supremely ignorant," said blogger Tardío, who Latino news website Voxxi recently named one of the most powerful Latinas in social media. "I just didn't know."

She stumbled through Emir's first years, putting him in a special needs class. He was "low-functioning," specialists said.

"What that did to my son was make him introverted, totally timid. He was scared of other children because he was closed off in a world that wasn't real, with six other kids with Down Syndrome," said Tardio, now 34.

But the problem wasn't Emir's condition, she realized. It was her.

"My own limitations limited him."

* * * * *

As family lore goes, before his younger sister was born, Emir already had a nickname for her.
The day she arrived five years ago, he went up to her as she laid in the hospital.

"Hi, Yaya!" he told her.

And the infant girl, as their mother remembers, lifted her head in acknowledgement.

Tardío wanted a sibling for her son. She also didn't want people to think she was scared to have a second child.

There was no prenatal testing done to check for Down syndrome as she had with Emir. Tardío felt confident she could handle whatever hand she was dealt.

Plus, doctors said her second child had only a 5 percent chance of having the same condition.

Fast facts

Latino news website Voxxi recently named Eliana Tardío one of the most powerful Latinas in social media.

When Ayelén came into the world, the nurse told Tardío she was OK.

"She has Down syndrome, but she's good," Tardío recalled her saying.

This time around, she knows what to do, what to ask.

"God doesn't make mistakes," she said of Emir and Ayelén. "They are perfect for each other."

* * * * *

Like many young parents, Eliana Tardío has filmed, photographed and blogged her children's early years.

What started as a labor of love and a way to reach out to other parents is now a career, an invitation to the White House, two books, a private online network for the parents of special needs children, and several bilingual blogs.

Her articles and videos focus on the practical, educational and bicultural, with Ayelén and Emir in starring roles.With a million views of the San Carlos Park family's YouTube videos, the children are accustomed to their mom trailing them with a camera.

"When they go to bed at 8 every night, that's my time to think, 'OK, what did I do today? What did we achieve that will help other people?' It's a way of seeing that simple things make a difference in your children's lives," Tardío said.

A 7-minute clip on the family's YouTube channel features Tardío explaining to parents in Spanish how to encourage multiple language use at home and stimulate communication skills. The children are featured doing tasks around the house — helping out in the kitchen or with laundry — as part of learning about counting, colors, or measurements in another language.

Fast facts

From a background in public relations in Bolivia, moving to the U.S., where people had a hard time understanding her English and her advanced degrees carried little weight, Tardío had to re-establish herself.

Their lives wouldn't stand out — bus rides, swim lessons, iPad games, house chores — if it weren't for the online presence they have cultivated, and the lessons could apply to bilingual families in general, not just the ones with special needs.

"That's what has also helped this become a movement, that people even without special needs kids enjoy reading the articles, seeing everything, because it's not focusing on suffering or lamenting or what can't be done," Tardío said.

In addition to her personal blog, Walt Disney Company's parenting website Babble.com hired Tardío as a bilingual blogger this summer. Writing primarily in Spanish is an attempt to de-stigmatize special needs in the Hispanic community, she said.

From a background in public relations in Bolivia, moving to the U.S., where people had a hard time understanding her English and her advanced degrees carried little weight, Tardío had to re-establish herself.

"I came to this country knowing nothing about the laws or the education system ... I would go to the parent-teachers meetings and just say yes, because I didn't know how things functioned," Tardío said.

Ayelén, 5, is a now a kindergartner at the same Estero public elementary school where Emir, now 8, started first grade this school year. Tardío describes her children in storybook terms.

Emir is noble, she says. Quiet. An athlete who finds peace swinging in his backyard.

Ayelén is the "rebellious princess," prone to striking a pose with one hand on her hip, or going into a meltdown when the family's small dog wriggles out of her grasp.

While they are at school, Tardío works part-time as a family resource specialist for the Health Planning Council of Southwest Florida, and as an educational outreach liaison for Healthy Start Southwest Florida, pushing for the inclusion of special needs children in regular classrooms.

"In the beginning, you want to protect them from the world. You don't want anyone to say anything to them, anyone to hurt them. And you limit them in a way ... because you're scared. You still don't know their abilities," Tardío said. "As you evolve, you think, 'what am I doing?' The best I can do is open the world up for the kids and educate people."

People magazine blogger explains why blind chef Christine Ha won MasterChef reality show

From People magazine blogger, Joe Bastianich:

On the September 10 finale, we watched the culmination of a stellar and emotional season of MasterChef. The level of talent this year had an almost pioneering quality to it – and our final two, Josh Marks and Christine Ha, both exemplified this beautifully in the finale.

The last challenge from which we select the winner will always be a nail biting experience. However, this year felt a little different.

Since the finale was pre-taped, we had a viewing party with Josh, Christine and their families at Eataly in New York. I was able to relive the final day and its excitement alongside Christine and Josh.

When the challenge was happening for the last time in the MasterChef kitchen, we judges found ourselves experiencing an odd yet comforting sense of reassurance. They had both already nailed it. There was no worry of potential failure, no anxiety of a possible extreme mishap – not with these two.

In my eyes, they were already professionals on whom I could depend to produce food I knew I would not only enjoy but be proud of.

What was one of the toughest of tough calls, we had to reward Christine's performance over Josh's. The degree of talent she displayed overall in her menu surpassed his. But to be fair, it is difficult to think of what Josh put forth as something that "failed." Though the title might have escaped him, a career in the culinary world will certainly not. Youthful, ambitious and fiercely passionate, he has it all, including the chops to carry him through a very challenging field. I expect nothing but great things from Josh, and will always be proud of his performance on MasterChef, no matter what he goes on to pursue.

Midway through of this year's competition, my money would not have been on Christine for the win – and not just because of her disability – because she just didn't come across as the typical frontrunner. With Christine, slow and steady won the race. She subtlety climbed her way to the top by performing consistently well, triumphing over her own self-doubt, all the while maintaining her signature grace and integrity. It was thrilling to watch. And I can say with absolute confidence there was no one more deserving.

Needless to say, if you are considering coming out for MasterChef season 4, you had better be prepared because the bar has just been flung over the moon. Thank you for sharing in this journey with us, and be sure to encourage any exemplary amateur home cooks you know to try out – season 4 auditions begin this month! All info can be found at masterchefcasting.com.

NBC show "The New Normal" takes on theme of different is the new normal

By BA Haller

© Media dis&dat

"Abnormal IS the new normal" - that's the theme Ryan Murphy's new NBC show "The New Normal," which is about a gay couple wanting to become Dads and their surrogate and her family. 

Murphy, creator of “Nip/Tuck” and “Glee,” always represents some disability or physical difference in his shows and this one follows that structure.  On the one hand, "Nip/Tuck" had a story arc starring the talented LP actor Peter Dinklage as a manny (male nanny), who discusses acceptance when  a baby on the show was born with a physical difference. On the other hand, Murphy is responsible for "Glee," where a non-disabled actor plays wheelchair user Artie, much to the dislike of many people in the disability community.

A little person (played by Debbie Lee Carrington) appears 6 minutes into the pilot episode of "The New Normal." When the gay couple on the show utters that quote above, it is after a playground scene featuring a mother who is a little person with her non-LP daughter. Her statements have a taint of self-hatred, and her husband, who isn’t a little person, comes off as the “good guy.”

She says, “My husband’s regular sized, so there’s a 50 percent chance my daughter would be a part-time Christmas elf like me. I told my husband, we didn’t have to have kids. We didn’t have to risk it. My husband says he loves me, so why wouldn’t she be loved in this world. 

As she and her daughter climb into a child’s Barbie car, she says with a smile: “She’s going to be taller than me this year.” 

Cut to the gay couple, David, played by Justin Bartha, and Bryan, played by Andrew Rannells, who says: “Face it, honey. Abnormal IS the new normal.”

Did the LP mom and her daughter really have to drive away in a pink Barbie car? This doesn’t bode well for how other characters with disabilities or physical differences will fare.

That scene pretty much sums up how a Ryan Murphy show goes - sometimes it makes a great point about acceptance and other times it plays on horrible stereotypes.

The show has been attacked already by some conservatives, and a Mormon-affiliated station in Utah, KSL, says it won’t air it. 

NBC responded to that censorship saying the show makes "a statement about the changing definition of the nuclear family."

"The show is against bigotry and hatred in every form and will make that point whenever characters say outrageous or unacceptable things about race, religion, sexual identity, disability, or tolerance of people outside the definitions of `normal,'" the network said in a statement Sept. 10.

The other cast members are Georgia King, who plays single mom, surrogate hopeful Goldie, and her young daughter Shania is played by Bebe Wood. To ramp up more stereotypes, NeNe Leakes plays an over-the-top sassy assistant to the Bryan character, and Ellen Barkin plays Goldie’s grandmother, who spews bigoted remarks in every line of dialogue.

My biggest fear about the show is that in trying to satirize people who make bigoted statements, it lends a kind of back-handed acceptability to people who actually are racist, homophobic, ableist, sizeist, etc. That is a “new normal” we can all do without.

"Fighter" director tackles mental illness in new film, "Silver Linings"

From Reuters:

After Oscar success with 2010's gritty comeback tale "The Fighter," director David O. Russell is winning early praise for another movie about a man struggling to make the most of a second chance.

"Silver Linings Playbook," which had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, features "Hangover" comedy star Bradley Cooper as a mentally ill man trying to rebuild his life after losing his spouse, home, job and freedom.

Jennifer Lawrence, 22, who recently shot to fame in young adult action movie "Hunger Games," plays a widow in her own fight with depression who offers to help him reconcile with his estranged wife.

The script was informed by Russell's own experiences with people who have struggled with mental health problems, the filmmaker said on Sunday.

"That's definitely a big motivation in the story, to take off the stigma and that's a great thing for a filmmaker, to have something that's charged ... radioactive, that people are scared of," he told a news conference.

The film's lead characters, Russell added, are "two of my favorite kinds of people because they inevitably tell the truth, unvarnished, bluntly."

Still the director, who has also made darkly comic films like "Spanking the Monkey" and "Three Kings," said the issue of mental health shouldn't overshadow the film's focus on relationships.

"Just as 'The Fighter' to me was not about fighting, this movie to me is not about mental illness. To me, it's always about the people and the dynamic of the people," Russell said.

"That's what rivets me and grabs me by the throat for the whole movie."

The film's blend of family drama, comedy and unlikely romance has earned early praise from critics.

The Hollywood Reporter described the film as "wonderful" and said Russell "brings out the best in a superlative cast led by Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence, both of them showing unexpected colors."

Screen Daily praised the "the brave, resonant performances" from Cooper and a "never-better Jennifer Lawrence."

Strong performances also helped make Russell's 2010 movie "The Fighter" a critical hit, with actors Christian Bale and Melissa Leo both winning best supporting actor Oscars.

Cooper said he felt like he'd hit the jackpot when he learned he was cast by Russell, who he said worked intensely to ensure everyone captured the nuances of their often-complicated characters.

"All of us I can say, were very out of our comfort zone, every day, in a beautiful way, the way you want to be as an actor," Cooper said.

Lawrence said she was drawn to the project by the quality of Russell's script. She dismissed the idea that she might feel under pressure with this film given the box-office success of "The Hunger Games".

"I don't really feel that much pressure because, either way, I get paid," she joked with reporters.

In the future, International Paralympic Committee to scrutinize potential broadcasting partners more carefully because NBC didn't show any live 2012 coverage

From the BBC:

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) is to scrutinise potential broadcasting partners more carefully in future after US rights holders NBC failed to show any live 2012 action.

NBC scheduled four hour-long highlights programmes on the NBC Sports channel, followed by one 90-minute round-up.

IPC president Sir Philip Craven said of future media partners: "We'll examine their values as they will examine ours.

"If the values fit, we've got a chance. If they don't we'll go somewhere else."

The London 2012 Paralympic Games ended on Sunday with a spectacular closing ceremony featuring performances from Coldplay, Rihanna and Jay-Z.

Channel 4 aired 400 hours of Paralympic coverage in the UK, while Australia's ABC screened more than 100 hours.

In Japan viewers had a nightly one-hour highlights programme. Its capital Tokyo is bidding to host the 2020 Games.

NBC did not show any live action and its 90-minute round-up programme will not be broadcast until 16 September.

Yet the broadcaster said the total of five-and-a-half hours represented an improvement on the 2008 Paralympics in Beijing, when viewers got a single 90-minute highlights package.

"The people of the USA, for example, particularly the parents and families of the athletes, they are all ready for Paralympic sport," Sir Philip added.

"Take the plunge, take the risk and then you'll succeed."

NBC said its coverage of the London 2012 Olympic Games was the "most-watched television event in US history", with 219 million people watching over the duration of the event.

But it drew criticism for delaying the broadcast of popular events until prime time hours.

Viewers also complained of problems with online streaming and edited versions of the opening and closing ceremonies.

ESPN’s lack of coverage of Paralympics totally indefensible

From Slate magazine:

On Sunday, Paralympics superstar Oscar Pistorius placed second in the 200-meter dash, then accused a pair of fellow competitors of racing on unfairly lengthened prosthetic legs. A few days later, the South African hit the track again to run the 100 meters. Did Pistorius defend his gold medal from 2008?

If you went to ESPN.com on Thursday evening, you wouldn’t even know that Oscar Pistorius exists. In the hours after the race, there were no items about Pistorius on the site’s front page. (Among the top headlines: “Jets' owner: Circus label is driven by media,” “Holmes: Tebow deal initially floored Sanchez,” and “3rd-grader sent home for banned Peyton jersey.”) This wasn’t an atypical omission: There was no indication on the front of ESPN.com that the Paralympics were happening at all. To find the results of the 100-meter dash, you had to mouse over the “More Sports” flyout menu, then click on “Olympic Sports.” At the top of that page is a headline—“Pistorius surrenders another Paralympic title”—that leads to a 100-word wire story. The Blade Runner, it turns out, came in fourth.

ESPN’s decision to ignore the Paralympics is perhaps less shameful than TV rights holder NBC’s move not to broadcast any of the games live. But ESPN’s lack of coverage is still indefensible. There is no full-time ESPN staffer—online, radio, or television—in London to cover the world’s second-largest sporting event (4,200 athletes, 165 countries). The Worldwide Leader essentially defines what is and isn't sports news in this country, and the company’s call to disregard the Paralympics has relegated the event to eighth-tier status.

If my count is accurate, the ESPN family of Web properties has produced eight pieces of original, written content since the Paralympics began on Aug. 29: two blog posts by Paralympics fencer Cat Bouwkamp, four blog items by Grantland’s Dermot Hunt, one post in ESPN Playbook’s Tech blog, and a feature by ESPN the Magazine’s Ryan McGee on race car driver Alex Zanardi’s journey to Paralympics gold after a horrific accident. By comparison, the site’s Tim Tebow topic page—there isn’t a topic page for the Paralympics—indicates that there have been at least six original pieces of written matter in the last two days focusing on the Jets’ backup quarterback.

Rob King, the editor-in-chief of ESPN Digital Media, says he believes that ESPN is “honoring the event.” He notes that there are nightly highlights on ESPN3 and Paralympics images in online photo galleries. David Wetherill’s amazing table tennis shot also made the top spot in the SportsCenter Top 10. When it comes to parceling out coverage, King says you have to consider what the Paralympics are going up against: the start of college football and the NFL, the U.S. Open, the baseball pennant races, and NASCAR’s Chase for the Sprint Cup. “We’re making decisions all the time about things we deliver that can be excellent rather than just check the box,” he says. “We had to look at when the Paralympics were happening and where we can deploy folks.”

Even if it’s unrealistic to expect ESPN to be the all-knowing and all-seeing Sports Panopticon, it’s fair to demand more than what we’ve gotten from the media giant. The Washington Post had a great feature on a swimmer named Bradley Snyder who won gold in the 100-meter freestyle after losing his eyesight in a bomb blast in Afghanistan. The Guardian has a compelling interactive on the physics of running on blades. And most news outlets in the United States and abroad have run something on “boosting,” the terrifying practice in which athletes with spinal injuries harm themselves—that can include intentionally crushing their own testicles—in order to boost their heart rates and enhance performance. By comparison, ESPN has had no features on the triumphs of unknown Paralympians, no interactives, and nothing on boosting.

ESPN shouldn’t feel compelled to cover the Paralympics out of a sense of responsibility or do-gooderism. It’s also understandable that there’d be less coverage of the Paralympics than the Olympics—we’ve made the same editorial decision here at Slate. And the network surely faces coverage challenges on account of its limited access to video highlights, which have been parceled out primarily to NBC.

But outright neglect is not a legitimate journalistic strategy. Given the scope and importance of the event, the athletes’ remarkable stories, and the fascinating cultural and technological angles, ESPN surely could have spared a single blogger to cover the Paralympics. It could have asked Wayne Drehs, who wrote a bunch of great features during the Olympics, to stick around London, or perhaps sent Wright Thompson or some other longform wizard to do a couple of long takeouts on Paralympians. And at the very least, someone could have taken the five minutes to create a Paralympics topic page and a standing link on the site’s front page.

In the meantime, the Paralympics blackout has continued this morning, with no content from the games on the home page. Even on that hard-to-find Olympic Sports page, the Paralympics have been completely buried. The splash image at the top of the screen advertises a piece on Allyson Felix’s “four tips for a successful fitness regimen.” A wire story on Pistorius’ 200-meter contretemps is in the fourth position in that top promotional box. After this Sunday, the last day of the Paralympics, that story will likely disappear entirely. ESPN.com readers won’t miss it. Why would they, considering they never knew it was there in the first place.

New film drama, White Frog, spotlights Asperger's syndrome

From Voice of America:

An original young adult drama tells a story about tolerance that puts the spotlight on a problem not usually associated with the subject for a movie - Asperger's Syndrome, a form of autism. 

Those who suffer from it have difficulty in social interaction often with repeated patterns of behavior and clumsiness.  But for some, there is better than average language and cognitive skills.

Nick Young, the main Asian American character in a new movie called "White Frog" has Asperger's.  His situation is made more difficult by a tragic family crisis, the sudden death of his older brother Chaz, who is killed in a bike accident.

Nick, a high school freshman, reacts badly to losing Chaz, his protector and confidante.  He later finds out his brother had kept a secret from his family - that he was gay. The grieving parents struggle with the revelation about their deceased son in addition to never fully accepting Nick's behavioral problems.

"White Frog" is directed by 41-year-old Quentin Lee. The Asperger's Syndrome idea "was written into the character" Lee said and had special meaning for him.  Lee's younger sister "was diagnosed with Asperger's in Hong Kong, literally two weeks before the production, so that gave me more personal perspective on the movie and the role."

Now Los Angeles-based, Lee was born in Hong Kong and later emigrated to Montreal with his family as a teenager. Lee said the movie's gay theme might be a bit troublesome for the Asian American community. "I tend to think they're a little more conservative," Lee said, "hopefully the movie will help to open the community up more."

Although the film is centered around the life of a troubled suburban California Chinese American teenager, Lee explained that "the composition of the kid's friends is very multi-cultural" and  "hopefully is a very universal kind of thing."

The metaphor of the "White Frog," revealed late in the movie, promotes the idea that while people are different, friendship and understanding can overcome biases and rejection.

The Asian American community has responded positively to Lee's work. "For every artist it's your own struggle but support wise I've been playing Asian American film festivals since my first short films," Lee said.

"White Frog" opened in March at the San Francisco Asian American International Film Festival and also played at the Los Angeles Outfest in July. Negotiations are being held for wider distribution.

Take notice U.S. broadcast networks - Paralympics is a TV ratings winner in the UK

From Variety. Pictured are the Channel 4 Paralympics TV presenters.

LONDON -- The opening ceremony of the Paralympic Games attracted one of the biggest ever audiences in Channel 4's history.

The much-praised curtain-raiser, held at the Olympic Park Wednesday, and climaxing with an appearance by soul siren Beverley Knight signing "I Am What I Am," won an average 7.6 million viewers, a 40% share.
 

This was more than four times the web's average audience for a Wednesday night.

At one point, for five minutes between 8.45 p.m. and 9 p.m. local time, the audience peaked at 11.2 million.

The Paralympics' opening ceremony left Channel 4 in the unusual position of being the most watched channel for the night in Blighty.

Web achieved a 25.7% share of primetime viewing, compared with 16% for BBC1 and 11.1% for ITV1.

Channel 4's chief creative officer, Jay Hunt, said: "Last night's opening ceremony was a spectacular start to the London 2012 Paralympic Games, and I'm delighted that so many viewers enjoyed it with us. It kicks off 11 days of great sporting coverage on Channel 4."

However, there was criticism of the hefty number of commercial breaks, all the more noticeable because the BBC's Olympics coverage was free of commercials.

Some disgruntled viewers took to Twitter to complain about the constant interruption of the live event by ads.

While Channel 4 is state-owned it competes for ad coin with other private U.K. broadcasters.

Amputee snowboarder Amy Purdy will be competing on 21st season of "The Amazing Race"

From ESPN:

Snowboarders Amy Purdy and Dan Gale will be competing on the 21st season of "The Amazing Race," premiering Sunday, Sept. 30 on CBS, the network announced on Wednesday.

Purdy had both of her legs amputated beneath the knee when she was 19, after a battle with bacterial meningitis, and has since gone on to win three consecutive World Cup gold medals and a string of other titles as a top-ranked adaptive snowboarder. She is currently training with hopes of joining the U.S. Paralympic Snowboard team; she won silver at the World Championships in France in February, sharing the podium with gold medalist Bibian Mentel of the Netherlands and bronze medalist Sara Dorigatti of Italy.

"With a lot of hard work and creativity, I guess, I've been able to go on and become one of the highest-ranked adaptive snowboarders in the world," she says in an introductory video released by CBS. Purdy and Gale won't be the first snowboarders featured on the show: Pro snowboarders Andy Finch and Tommy Czeschin enjoyed a successful run during Season 19 in 2011, ultimately finishing in fourth place out of 11 teams.

Purdy and Gale co-founded the Adaptive Action Sports non-profit organization in 2005 and have been instrumental in bringing adaptive action sports to the X Games and other events, including the Paralympics. Gale, executive director of the Adaptive Action Sports organization, has served as sports organizer for X Games events over the past seven years including Adaptive Moto X, Adaptive Skateboarding, Adaptive Skier X and Adaptive Snowboarder X. In March it was announced that Para-Snowboard competition will make its debut at the 2014 Paralympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia.

"'The Amazing Race' is everything that you would expect it to be and more," Purdy told ESPN.com on Wednesday. "I think it's going to be a great platform for my message, which is that it's not really about me trying to show how able or how capable I am so much as that we're all able, we're all capable. We all have challenges and we all face adversities. We all have to adapt. 'The Amazing Race' is perfect for me because it's all about adventure and travel and taking risks and throwing yourself out there and challenging yourself. That's what I've been doing with my life anyways, so it's a beautiful platform to be able to take that to a bigger audience."

In addition to her record as an athlete, Purdy is known in the action sports world as one of the faces of Element Skateboards' Element Eden women's apparel line and a sponsored rider for Gnu Snowboards, Coal Headwear and Toyota. She is also sponsored by Freedom Innovations Prosthetics, Prosthetic Orthodic Associates and Southern California Prosthetics, among others. She was a featured speaker and skateboarding coach at the National Sports Center for the Disabled (NSCD) No Barriers Summit in Winter Park, Colo., in 2011, and her 2011 presentation, "Living Beyond Limits," was a hit at the TEDx Orange Coast conference.

Artists turn old prosthetic limbs into artworks for British show

From The AP:

LONDON — Prosthetics can change the life of an amputee. But when an old limb no longer fits or just gets worn out, it can be hard to part ways with an item that offered the liberating chance to jump, dance or simply walk.

Priscilla Sutton (pictured) has a solution: turn these "pre-loved" limbs into artwork. The Australian curator came up with "Spare Parts London," an exhibition of altered prosthetics that has opened in time for the Paralympics, which started August 29.

"I was cleaning my home and I found two old legs in my cupboard," said Sutton, a below-the-knee amputee. "I thought it was a bit crazy to keep hoarding my legs."

The exhibition, which includes works by artists from Britain, Australia, the United States and Japan, comes as people are paying new attention to the devices.

Public awareness of prosthetics has been heightened by the popularity of double amputee Olympic sprinter Oscar Pistorius, the South African known as the "Blade Runner." The exhibition will showcase the "Cheetah" — the carbon fiber running leg Pistorius uses that has a flex foot designed to replicate the hind leg of the fastest animal on land.

The show also displays arms and legs hanging from the ceiling and others in glass cabinets. A creation by British artist Rachel Ball features a little girl's leg covered in colorful crochet and painted with henna on the foot.

"It reflects the original owner's personality," Sutton said.

Since coming up with the idea, 33-year-old Sutton has collected prosthetics donated by amputees, their families or health services around the world.

"I got a box of arms from the NHS (Britain's National Health Service)," she said.

Owners change their prosthetics for a variety of reasons, including wear and weight fluctuations. For kids, the stump changes as they grow. For adults, muscles sometimes waste away.

While many keep their limbs for sentimental reasons — parents might keep the first leg of their children, for example — many limbs also end up on the scrap heap.

Sutton hopes the art show will lead to an open conversation about prosthetics, but others argue there are better uses for them.

"It seems an odd way to showcase it," said Penny Broomhead, a physiotherapist specializing in rehabilitation for amputees. "I would rather people look at it in a more practical point of view."

Broomhead thinks a better use for old prosthetic limbs would be to send them to developing countries, where their components could potentially provide prosthetics to those who can't afford them.

"Spare Parts London" marks the second time Sutton has used legs and arms as artwork, after a 2010 show on the same theme in Brisbane, Australia.

Sutton said the earlier exhibition made people ask questions they never dared to ask before, such as whether she sleeps with her leg. (The answer is no).

Sutton was born without a fibula in her right leg and the doctors wanted to amputate. Her family left it up to her.

"In my twenties, I took the decision to chop it off because it was getting worse and worse," she said. "It was the best decision of my life and I never looked back."

After her operation, Sutton had her leg cremated.

"It was a good form of closure," she said.

She has two "spare parts:" An "everyday" leg covered with a design by American pop surrealist artist Marc Ryden and a sports leg that displays a traditional Japanese print with gold flowers and cherries.

The curator said the exhibition was a therapeutic experience to produce.

"I think it's a wonderful way to celebrate and share my love of prosthetics," she said.