Highlights Archive

A New Leash on Life • WXXI-TV

See the impact of service-dog agency K9s For Warriors on the lives of American veterans.

A New Leash on Life airs Monday, November 11 at 9 p.m. WXXI-TV

The documentary features the impact of service-dog agency K9s For Warriors on the lives of three American veterans struggling with trauma. Founded by Shari Duval and her son Brett Simon, who served two tours in Iraq, K9s For Warriors matches veterans Adam, Shilo and Louis with companion dogs. Each learns to manage issues such as flashbacks, hypervigilance and invisible psychological damage.

This documentary is presented as part of WXXI and the Golisano Foundation’s Move to Include^TM, an award-winning national initiative to promote disability inclusion, representation, and accessibility in public media.

Carl the Collector • WXXI-TV & WXXI PBS KIDS 24/7

This new animated series for children ages 4-8 follows the everyday adventures of Carl, a warm-hearted autistic raccoon who loves collecting things.

Carl the Collector airs daily at 8:30 a.m. on WXXI-TV and on the Live Stream, daily at 11 a.m. on WXXI PBS KIDS & Live Stream and anytime on the PBS KIDS Video app

His talents – a laser-focus pursuit of his goals, attention to detail, and a distinctive way of looking at and experiencing the world around him – have helped him amass a collection for just about every occasion and come in handy for solving problems around the neighborhood with his friends. Carl has a lot of energy and is logical and precise, yet he often struggles with anxiety in new situations and has difficulty when things don’t go according to plan. Like all of his friends, he is learning that there is no right or wrong way to be himself.

Carl the Collector is presented as part of Move to Include^TM, WXXI and The Golisano Foundation’s award-winning national initiative promoting disability inclusion, representation, and accessibility in public media. Visit movetoinclude.org to learn more.

Photo: Carl the Collector
Copyright Fuzzytown Productions, LLC

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Renegades: Celestine Tate Harrington: Building a Legacy – On-Demand

Discover the story of a street musician, born with a condition that left her limbs unusable. In 1975, Tate Harrington won a custody battle against the Philadelphia Department of Child Welfare, which sought to take away her infant daughter, claiming that she could not provide adequate care. See how Tate Harrington’s fight to be a mother and earn an independent living was a revolutionary act.

Educational Resources: Celestine Tate Harrington: Building a Legacy PBS LearningMedia Video, Discussion Questions and Teaching Tips (Grades 9-12)

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More About Celestine Tate Harrington:

n 1975, Tate Harrington had her first daughter, Nia. When the Philadelphia Department of Public Welfare attempted to take away her infant daughter, claiming that Harrington was physically incapable of caring for a child, she successfully defended her right to parent. In the courtroom, Tate Harrington demonstrated her skills – dressing and undressing her daughter, and changing her diaper, using only her lips, teeth, and tongue – and retained custody. She went on to share her story on radio and television shows like Howard Stern, Sally Jesse Raphael, and Donahue. Tate Harrington even self-published a book which she wrote with her tongue on a typewriter titled Some Crawl and Never Walk (1995). Renegades: Celestine Tate Harrington demonstrates how Tate Harrington created a legacy by working every angle given to her and using the limited preconceived notions of others to change the narrative of who she was, and prove that she was capable of raising and providing for a family and breaking the cycle of poverty for generations to come.

The fundamental right to parent without interference has been argued in courts and is protected by the U.S. Constitution. But a recent study found that nearly 20% of children in the U.S. foster care system have a parent with a disability. Almost fifty years since Tate Harrington’s custody battle, 42 States and the District of Columbia have laws in place that cite parental disability as grounds for termination of parental rights. For Tate Harrington, fighting to be a mother and earn an independent living was a revolutionary act, and her struggles mirror those of the broader disability community today.

The episode features interviews with: Nia Tate-Ball and Coronda Tate, Celestine Tate Harrington’s daughters; Jannie Watson, Nia Tate-Balls’s godmother; Tamogene Tate-Ebataleye, Harrington’s sister; Alberto Esquenaz, M.D., Chief Medical Officer, and Nathaniel Mayer, M.D., Physical Medicine and Rehab Specialist at Jefferson Moss Magee Rehab; and Robyn M. Powell, Ph.D., J.D., Family Law & Disability Rights Attorney.

Beyond Debate: A Revolution in Education • WXXI-TV

Follow students in Boston and Chicago public schools to witness debate-based pedagogies in action.

Beyond Debate: A Revolution in Education airs Monday, October 14 at 9 p.m. on WXXI-TV.

In high schools across the country, there is a growing belief that debate-based pedagogies improve civility and academic success by encouraging students to think critically, engage in high-level academic discourse, and construct compelling arguments. We follow students in Boston and Chicago public schools to witness the methodology’s impact.

Billy Joel – Live at Yankee Stadium • WXXI-TV

Join the Piano Man for this 1990 concert recorded at the historic stadium in the Bronx.

Billy Joel – Live at Yankee Stadium airs Saturday, October 12 at 10 p.m. on WXXI-TV.

Shot in 16 mm color film, and meticulously remixed and re-edited, the program includes interviews with Joel and behind-the-scenes footage from that iconic night. The set list includes “Piano Man,” “We Didn’t Start the Fire,” “New York State of Mind” and more.

Renegades: Daniel K. Inouye: Life of Service – On-Demand

Explore the story of the U.S. Senator for Hawai’i who was injured in battle during World War II, resulting in the amputation of his right arm. Posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his lifelong public service, Inouye championed the cause of justice and equality for all Americans, including people living with disabilities.

Educational Resources: Daniel K. Inouye: Life of Service PBS LearningMedia Video, Discussion Questions and Teaching Tips (Grades 9-12)

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SOLD OUT! Celebrate 20 years of “Open Tunings with Scott Regan” • October 29 at Rohrbach’s Railroad Street Beer Hall

Since 2004 WRUR and WITH listeners have enjoyed spending the morning with Scott Regan on his three-hour weekday radio show Open Tunings (and his Best of Open Tunings on Saturdays from 10AM-12PM). In the last two decades, Scott has invited hundreds of local musicians and bands traveling through Rochester and the Finger Lakes area to the studio to perform and share their stories.

Scott loves all kinds of music and artists (Okay, Dylan is his absolute favorite), strongly supports the local music scene, and has an uncanny ability to beautifully string a group of songs together that just seems to make your day brighter. This is why Open Tunings is such a treasure.

Join us Tuesday, October 29 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Rohrbach’s Railroad Street Beer Hall to celebrate 20 years of Open Tunings with Scott Regan.

THIS EVENT IS NOW SOLD OUT!

Your $25 ticket includes:
• The Route pint glass – and one pint of your choice to fill it! (Cash bar thereafter),
• Live music with Big Blue House,
• Delicious appetizers from the Rohrbach kitchen,
• The opportunity to meet and mingle with Scott Regan and Route hosts,
• Route swag giveaways, and more.

Scott is also a musician and released his first solo album Autumn Moon in 2013. He is a member of Watkins and the Rapiers, an Americana music band with a folk beat. They mostly play original music written by the band’s four songwriters – of which Scott is one. In the band Scott plays guitar and percussion, and sings. He’s also an artist and released a book of sketches and haiku with retired arts reporter and friend Jeff Spevak called Jazz Lines. In 2012 Open Tunings was voted best radio program by CITY Magazine.

Mysteries of Mental Illness • On-Demand

Mysteries of Mental Illness explores the story of mental illness in science and society. The four-part series traces the evolution of this complex topic from its earliest days to present times. It explores dramatic attempts across generations to unravel the mysteries of mental illness and gives voice to contemporary Americans across a spectrum of experiences.

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