April 17, 2007
Dear Friends,
I want to thank you for the support you continue to offer to bring [with]tv to fruition. Your belief in and hope for this work is an important daily inspirational factor as we go forward and it is truly appreciated. This update will be placed on the web site for you to refer others to in the future. Much has happened so let me commence filling you in.
[with]tv has made remarkable progress in the past year and has been accepted into the Connecticut Innovations Accelerator Incubator. (http://www.ctipa.org) Our Business Plan and Budget are almost complete and will soon be in the hands of Allison Masters, our volunteer web designer and graphic artist. Once they are published we are ready to begin raising capital from a variety of standard and new investor streams. At present we are working on a Power Point presentation to use in our “pitch” meetings with potential investors. The timing continues to be in our favor.
On March 2nd. FCC Commissioner Deborah Taylor Tate told a Media Institute luncheon crowd in Washington one of her goals was to push the FCC, Congress, and the industry to do more to encourage media diversity. She bemoaned the fact that women, for example while representing 51% of the population represent only 4.9% of station owners. Even in discussions of diversity people with disabilities are omitted.
Dr. Olivia Raynor of UCLA, in a report commissioned by the Screen Actors Guild wrote on the state of people with disabilities in the film and television industry that even though they represent 20%+ of the general population they are less than 2% of the workforce. Even their product is not accessible to all people with disabilities let alone their workplace and workforce. Righting that wrong is embedded in our Corporate Mission and it will lead us to fiscal success.
During the same week, Senator Tom Harkin, long a champion of people with disabilities said in a disability policy briefing that Congress needs to restore the original intent of the ADA through The Americans with Disabilities Act Restoration Act of 2006, a piece of bipartisan legislation. It is obvious that the minds of government, business and advocacy are converging on the need for empowerment of people with disabilities.
This will not happen solely because of well-intentioned legislation. Attitudes must be changed. Laws seldom do that, but popular culture does, gradually eroding away the bonds of separation by sharing each other’s values and way of life and leading to acceptance of differences.
Chester Finn, [with]tv Senior Advisor, was in NYC at the UN for the signing of their statement on Disability Rights. He spoke with a few individuals from UN agencies and foreign nations who were quite interested in [with]tv. He feels in a month he will be able to do even more substantive work in this vein.
On a more immediate front Chester has also spoken with Sue Swenson, Executive Director of The Arc, and she has agreed to sign our Support Document in her position at The Arc and representing The Arc membership. Chester has done the same in his position as National Chairman of SABE, and Karen Moyes Stallings has agreed to do so in her position as President of NC Self Advocates. When this link is available on our web site I hope you will sign as well and urge all your friends, family, and everyone to do so as well. I will attach a mock-up support letter in this email for you to see.
It is my hope that the leaders of all advocacy organizations will recognize that [with]tv will not only be a resource of inclusive, accessible entertainment, along with vital news and information, but will be a platform where issues of immediate importance will be discussed daily. I clearly foresee a day in 2012 when all candidates for President and Vice President will feel compelled to appear on A Different Perspective, (ADP), [with]tv's original news program, to address questions from our own anchors and reporters with disabilities. That will be a day of true empowerment!
We are pleased to have made some recent additions to our team. As we go forward I will continue to serve as CEO and Chairman. Mitchell E. Marovitz is slated to become our COO, upon funding, and Anna Pakman will be our VP Business Development. Nadine Vogel is offering her advice as our VP Marketing and we have recently included Ron Levinson as our VP Programming and Production. Scott Rains, a long time supporter, will be helping in public policy issues, along with our travel show. He is very helpful in our work to reach out to Baby Boomers as a market. November he goes to Thailand for the International Disability Travel Conference. He will represent us there in addition to his many other duties.
We have a number of additions to our Advisory Group as well. Elayne Boosler is a standup comedian, television star, and producer. Viince Staskel has brought her into the advisory group where she will be involved with programming and content. Hal Rosengarten is giving us about 20 hours a week in research, etc. He is a retired schoolteacher who created the on line tutoring division at AOL and ran it for them. He is eager to help develop our “cyber school system” on the web site and to be involved with PWdBC’s Summer Institutes. John Box, President & CEO of Colours In Motion, http://www.colourswheelchair.com and another long time supporter, has offered to help [with]tv in any way they can. David Cassano has joined the Advisory Board. He is IBM Managing Director Global Markets, Altria Group. David is also on the Board of Connecticut Special Olympics. Ana Bergholtz is a citizen of Sweden and journalist who is blind. She reports for a number of European magazines and Swedish radio and television stations. Steven Krause is a standup comedian with cerebral palsy, also brought on board by Vince Staskel. He will be helping in a variety of ways including public relations. Bruce Jackson is an advocate for people with disabilities and a dancer. He utilizes a wheelchair. See our People section on the web!
The rest of us continue to work toward success. Thanks again to all of you. Together we will accomplish so much for so many. You are to be applauded.
We still have some key needs, which I will list.
When we are successful the lives of people throughout the world will radically change overnight. Toward that purpose with true appreciation,
Howard Renensland
President & Founder
[with]tv & PWdBC a 501 c 3
http://www.with-tv.com
HRenensland@with-tv.com