Hard News by Russell Brown

Attitude is a really cool programme. Every episode is inspiring without being sentimental, and I've come to realise that there are so many people with disabilities out there who live ordinary lives. Also, Curtis the presenter is hot.

I can't wait to see your segment, so do let us know when it's on.

But I also want to know when I'll be able to see This Is New Zealand! I want to experience it for the first time!

Attitude is a really cool programme. Every episode is inspiring without being sentimental, and I've come to realise that there are so many people with disabilities out there who live ordinary lives.

They did a story about the casting of a Downs Syndrome character in a recent episode of Shortland Street - followed the auditions and everything - but it's not online yet. I hope they put it up, because that ep was amazingly well-handled. The young woman who got the role had a lot of lines and was really good. Apparently she and all the other young women who auditioned are big Shorty fans, which makes it even better.

But I also want to know when I'll be able to see This Is New Zealand! I want to experience it for the first time!

Stay tuned. The Archives NZ people seemed quite open to the prospect of us organising a screening.

Congrats and thanks for opening yourselves up on this.
Any chance "Attitude" is or could be in the free download section of the on-demand site? It should be. TVNZ don't exactly have a record of giving good time-slots.
What I'd like to see- NZ on Air supplying programming they've solely funded on demand from their own site. World-wide. We have, after all, already paid for it.

[Leo]showed off his stuff in Gary's Mod.

Has he seen this?

I've come to realise that there are so many people with disabilities out there who live ordinary lives

Reminds me of a Documentry at the NZ Documentry Festivle on the love lives of the intellectually disabled.

What struck me as we viewed the trials and tribulations of a number of couples is just how everyday they were.

Affiars, Angst about children, finding love, all the things you expect to find in everyday life dosen't stop just because you have a disablity.

Oh and being the Doco festivel we got to meet the director and particpants afterwards which was great!

__[Leo]showed off his stuff in Gary's Mod.__

Has he seen this?

Yup. He says: "That's a great web comic - I've read it from beginning to end."

Rob, great idea about the NZ on Air site! I'm trying to watch a show that went out on One last year at 5pm on Saturdays (of course I missed all episodes), "New Zealand at Home" based on the book At Home – A Century of New Zealand Design. I just really want to see it. To get back on topic... John Key, you're looking silly. Don't stop though. It's rather amusing.

Thanks for the fantastic feedback re Attitude TV.
And thanks to Russell, Fiona, Leo and Jimmy for sharing their story.
As Russell says - the item will be airing in a few weeks; it will also include some of the flavour of "Hustle for Russell".
Yes, I became interested in the Brown family's story through reading Public Address. It's a little redundant to say they've faced - and still face, some extraordinary challenges.
I also met Tim the Tutor. In my opinion, He and Leo are going to make great strides together.

Re the story on Erin who won a significant role playing a young Down Syndrome character on Shortland Street - she's amazing.
I had a wonderful time folllowing her and five other young women with Down Syndrome through the Audition process - and when she won the role - I wasn't sure whether she was more excited or me!
Our Editor assures me that Erin's story will be posted on our website www.disabilitytv.com by the end of today.

Yes, we'd like a better time slot; Sunday's 9:30am on TVone -[straight after Praise Be] is a little challenging - but our audience share is up by 30% [of what you ask? ] dunno - sounds better this way. And people seem to be finding us.

Robyn, you made Curtis blush - not easy! Heh
Regards
Linda McLennan
Director
Attitude

Forgot to add - thanks to Colin. He's a star.

"As we've opened our lives to some degree in the last few weeks, some people have told us what great parents we are, which I'm not sure is warranted: you just do what you have to, and the fact of the fundraiser has actually given us a useful boot up the bum."

I think a lot of people just don't do what they have to, when they have kids with special needs. My wife and I got similar praise recently from our physiotherapists for our son, and it was embarrassing because we remember all the times we've been slack and didn't rigorously use all the exercises suggested. But from they way they told it, getting parents to not just give up on kids who are hard is half of their battle. So many apparently do, and of course the child doesn't make the progress they could. And in our case the excellent support from others, friends, family and the health system have all made it that much easier.

So be proud.

Thanks for the link, Linda- good to know there's some web access to these stories. I'd better not start watching them at work, however... there's only so much time you can kill without injuring employer/employee relations ;-}
Ben- yeah, I think this is quite right. We have a son with Down syndrome and ASD and I know I don't give him all he needs. It's not like we've given up, but (like most kids) however much you give, you can still feel you could give more. Quite a lot of it involves not lowering your expectations (too much) and keeping an open mind- while generally struggling to know WTF to think. (There's a real parallel to teaching in low decile schools.)
I could give a lot of excuses, but "it's just too hard" ain't a good one. Luckily he's had some great teachers!
So be proud indeed.

John Key's 40 Below doing-it-for--the-kids party

I may be out of line here but the last time Bridgette Saunders saw 39 was on a bus

It's not like we've given up, but (like most kids) however much you give, you can still feel you could give more.

I know that feeling. We have a daughter with a moderate to severe hearing impairment, and despite hundreds of hours of intense one on one work with her, we never feel that we've given her enough. We had to make major decisions that will affect her for the rest of her life when she was too young to be a part of them, that related to things we had no experience of, and there's a constant background worry that we've got things wrong. But in the end what it comes down to is getting up every day and doing what you have to, because what the hell else are you going to do?

I do feel that it would benefit my daughter more to see Deaf people in drama, rather than documentary, though obviously I think that's great too. Shorty's been remarkably good for that over the years when compared with just about anything else. A character like Joey Lucas on the West Wing does wonders for self-image.

"As we've opened our lives to some degree in the last few weeks, some people have told us what great parents we are, which I'm not sure is warranted: you just do what you have to, and the fact of the fundraiser has actually given us a useful boot up the bum."

I think a lot of people just don't do what they have to, when they have kids with special needs. My wife and I got similar praise recently from our physiotherapists for our son, and it was embarrassing because we remember all the times we've been slack and didn't rigorously use all the exercises suggested. But from they way they told it, getting parents to not just give up on kids who are hard is half of their battle. So many apparently do, and of course the child doesn't make the progress they could. And in our case the excellent support from others, friends, family and the health system have all made it that much easier.

So be proud.

soz for double post....my first ever!

That Lindsay Perigo at the childbeaters march certainly looks like someone I'd never let my kids go near to.

Having my first ever attempt at creating a link - through to the 2 Attitude stories discussed above.

Shortland Street Auditions.

Shortland Street Erin

Hope it works .. otherwise go the long way www.disabilitytv.com

I may be out of line here but the last time Bridgette Saunders saw 39 was on a bus

Um, yes you are and it was still funny any way. Still, nice to see Campbell Live have finally found some hard-hitting edgy current affairs journalism to keep Jackie Brown occupied.

Ye Gods, when is Pop Goes The Weasel coming back - that was deep.

Hope it works .. otherwise go the long way www.disabilitytv.com

Works now ...

I do feel that it would benefit my daughter more to see Deaf people in drama

Emma, I don't think this is quyite what you're meaning, but look out for a German movie called Beyond Silence, it's about a musician, born to deaf parents, who forms a relationship with a guy who teaches deaf children.

It was nominated for Best Foreign picture oscar, but didn't win, and is one of the most moving films I have ever seen. (the review I linked to gave it 4 out of 4)

But it's also really hard to find, I caught it at a once only screening at the Film Society a few years back.

"That Lindsay Perigo at the childbeaters march certainly looks like someone I'd never let my kids go near to".

Why, because he's gay?

Why, because he's gay?

Heh - if he was, I don't imagine he'd be seen dead in a t-shirt like that.

if he was, I don't imagine he'd be seen dead in a t-shirt like that.

Andrew I'm shocked at such stereotyping!

Are you suggesting only straight men have bad taste in clothes?????

i think LP would be the first to admit you don't have to be straight to have bad taste in clothes.

i think you do have to have bad taste in clothes to be a geek... but really that's just endeared me to bad clothes