Disabilities Beat extends reporting with support from Tower Foundation
Earlier this month, WBFO began providing weekly reports from the Disabilities Beat, which aims to promote equity and acceptance by elevating marginalized voices, holding corporations and government accountable, and combatting misinformation and stigmatization.
Long-form reports of between 7 and 8 minutes will air twice during Morning Edition and during All Things Considered every Wednesday for the next two years. WBFO Reporter Emyle Watkins who has been reporting on disabilities for WBFO for several years will provide a significant portion of the Disabilities Beat reporting.
“Emyle Watkins’ unique perspective and lived experience will be leveraged to bring you a look at disability through the social perspective,” said Managing Editor Brigid Jaipaul-Valenza. “While we will be exploring issues such as access, employment, housing, and education, we will also be diving deeper into what it means to be disabled – what is disability culture and how do we understand the experience of being disabled.”
Reports from the Disabilities Beat will provide Western New York residents with essential information about the challenges facing people with disabilities and content that promotes understanding. Coverage will contextualize regional and national news to consider the unique and often-overlooked implications of economic, education, policy and environmental impacts on the disability community. Reporting will also tie disability rights to discussions about the economy (e.g., wage gaps for employees with disabilities), civic participation (e.g., accessibility of ballot machines), mobility (e.g., paratransit availability), and more.
“People with disabilities are so often undervalued and underestimated, if they're noticed at all. The Disabilities Beat will remind the community that there's an entire group of people that we ignore, with lives full of triumphs and challenges, that we need to acknowledge and respect,” said Tracy Sawicki, Executive Director of the Tower Foundation. “It's our honor to help support this important work.”
The WBFO Disabilities Beat is funded in part by the Peter & Elizabeth Tower Foundation.
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Buffalo Toronto Public Media engages with our communities through exploration and entertainment –everywhere. Our member-supported services include WNED PBS, WBFO (NPR) (88.7 in Buffalo, 91.3 in Olean, 88.1 in Jamestown), WNED Classical (94.5 in Buffalo, 89.7 WNJA in Jamestown), WBFO The Bridge (88.7 HD2 and 94.5 HD2 in Buffalo), WNED Create, and WNED PBS KIDS. WNED PBS is also a national producer of award-winning documentaries. Additional information about Buffalo Toronto Public Media can be found at wned.org.