Making Empowerment Accessible

Three years ago Arlene Stern was sitting at home channel surfing when she first saw the CAN TV show produced by Americans Disabled for Attendant Programs Today (ADAPT).

“I stopped in my tracks,” she says when she realized these were disabled people, like her, on television.

That day’s show featured Equip for Equality, a statewide, cross-disability group. Stern immediately attended an Equip for Equality meeting.

Stern always knew she wanted to help people, but because of her disability, she was not sure how she could help or if people even wanted her help. Now Stern is on the Board of Directors of Equip for Equality and the Chairperson for an advisory council on mental health.

“We really encourage viewers to advocate for themselves,” says Barbara Wesolek, a member of ADAPT of Chicago Productions.

The ADAPT production team is a model for the independence they promote. The program is not just for and about disabled people but also entirely produced by disabled people. Everyone in the studio and control room – including host, producer, camera operators – has a physical or mental disability.

ADAPT Productions started seven years ago when Gloria Nichols, a long-time ADAPT board member, attended a media workshop where a local network television news reporter was speaking. After the workshop, she asked the reporter how disabled rights could make news. His response: ADAPT’s message was too boring.

“My first thought was we need our own show,” says Nichols.

ADAPT’s weekly half-hour program champions independent living, accessibility and other issues affecting disabled people. Former nursing home patients have shared their horror stories as abusive nursing homes were investigated and shut down. The show has highlighted the lack of adequate disabled-accessible housing in Chicago preceding City Council changes to the building code. The show has also featured works of art and theatre by disabled people.

People are paying attention to the program, including the City of Chicago Department of Human Services, the Mayor’s Office for Disabled People, senior groups and, of course, disabled people citywide.

Stern says working with Equip for Equality has been the most empowering experience in her life. She doubts this turning point would have ever happened if she had not seen the ADAPT show on CAN TV.

"A whole new world opened up for me,” she says. “The ADAPT show gave me real direction in my life and, most of all, personal validation.”

ADAPT of Chicago Productions airs Saturdays at 11:30 a.m. on CAN TV19. ADAPT produced their 100th show this summer.

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