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October 2008
National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM)

October 30, 2008
Dallas Fort Worth Metroplex
Contact: Barbara Baganz, 817-336-2491, ext. 236

Barbara Jordan
Media Awards

April 25, 2008
- Houston
Contact: Barbara Epperson


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2001 Barbara Jordan Media Award Winners

Details About 2000's Winners

TV Documentary - “Learning to Walk” (7:20)

Award Winners: Ginny Martin, Sarah Perry, and Susan Schewe
Contact: Susan Schewe, Producer, KERA-TV, Dallas, 214-740-9282, sschewe@kera.org
Nominator: Gila Espinosa, KERA-TV, 214-740-9305, gespinoza@kera.org

The television documentary “Learning to Walk” is a personal essay describing the process of walking. The producers Sarah Perry and Susan Schewe discuss how their lives, self-perceptions and worldviews were shaped by growing up with visible disabilities. Sarah Perry is an above the knee amputee and Susan Schewe has cerebral palsy. The show aired on the local public affairs program On The Record. “Learning to Walk” is the beginning of a larger body of work to examine attitudes our society has towards people with disabilities and how these attitudes shape communication, education and public policy.

Judges liked the way this classically styled television documentary covered many issues and highlighted individual accomplishments of producers with disabilities.

TV News Feature - “Tai Chi” (7:55)

Award Winners: Patricia Gras and Brad Burkons, PBS, Houston
713-743-8465 or 713-743-8937, pgras@houstonpbs.org, or bburkons@houstonpbs.org

Tai Chi is an ancient Chinese discipline of meditative movements practiced as a system of exercises. The teachers in this television news feature introduced people to the relaxing, refreshing and refocusing benefits of Tai Chi. This television news feature successfully introduced Tai Chi to people with disabilities.

Judges particularly liked the opening scene that focused immediately on Tai Chi, not the person’s disability. One individual, who had a stroke later in life, found this therapy to be very effective. Appealing, important, and well researched, the judges enjoyed the show’s approach to managing a disability.

TV Advertising - “Who Says?”

Award Winners: Jimmy Williams, Anderson Advertising, San Antonio, 210-223-6233, j_williams@andadv.com and Michael Bowie, 5 point 6 Studios, San Antonio, 210-558-6777
Nominator: Bill Winscott, 210-698-9341, cwinscott@msn.com

This 30-second advertisement aired on various San Antonio television stations. The message, “Who Says?” is a simple one -- accessible transportation made possible by VIA Metropolitan Transit buses. The attitude reflected in the ad projects an organization working to be as accessible for people with disabilities as it is economically feasible. The nominator described the ad as one presented with dignity and truth.

Judges were glad to see an advertisement like this as part of an overall ad campaign. The message is a library patron enjoying access to transportation like everyone else. The blindness of the patron is secondary. Clean and well produced, the judges rated this ad highly because of its focused approach to advancing transportation issues.

Photojournalism -- “Eagle Scout”

Award Winner: Taylor Johnson, Austin American-Statesman, 512-445-3685, tjohnson@statesman.com
Nominator: Zach Ryall, 512-445-3685, zryall@statesman.com

Not everyone becomes an Eagle Scout. It takes dedication, hard work and pride. This spirit is evident in Taylor Johnson’s portrait of Paul Eisenhardt. The beautiful light and simple composition lend a quiet dignity to a high achiever who happens to be a Scout with Down syndrome. The photograph appeared prominently on the front page of the Austin American-Statesman Metro & State Section.

Judges felt this single photograph captured the essence of an accomplished Eagle Scout and at the same time portrayed a regular guy with a good spirit. The photograph showed inclusion in its natural portrayal of an Eagle Scout.

Photojournalism – “For a Moment, Family”

Award Winner: Helen Jau, The Dallas Morning News, 214-977-7634, hjau@dallasnews.com

This series of photographs featured Shen You, an orphan from China. The photo display “For a Moment, Family” spanned more than three full pages in the Texas Living Section of The Dallas Morning News. Photographs were also on the DMN web page. These photographs brought increased awareness of Chinese orphans with disabilities seeking adoption in the United States. The photo story generated interest in orphans from China in the Dallas/Fort Worth community.

Judges described the photographs as stunning, powerful, dramatic, and inclusive. The photos told the story of a young boy enjoying a birthday party, dancing, and blowing a dandelion. Shen You’s personality visibly jumped out of the images. In the same series the realities of medical technology, a doctor, and a temporary host family are introduced as Shen You’s medical journey unfolds during his visit to the United States.

Print Article -- “Texas sound has Web home”

Award Winner: Jim Beal, Jr. San Antonio Express-News, 210-250-3435, jbeal@express-news.net
Nominator: Barry Robinson, 210-250-3355, brobinson@express-news.net

This San Antonio Express-News article “Texas Sound has Web home” featured a Texas businessman with an Internet success story. As owner and founder of lonestarmusic.com, Chad Raney operates a music clearinghouse with links, interviews and biographies of various Texas artists. Raney receives orders from around the world and is a fixture in Central Texas clubs as an astute entrepreneur who just happens to use a wheelchair.

Judges learned a lot about Texas music and wheelin’ down a hill by following Jim Beal’s visit with Chad Raney. Judges said Beal did an excellent job of creating public awareness in a regular guy running a successful dot.com business and presenting Chad’s disability as incidental to the story.

Print Article -- “Is a single psychiatric hospital enough to serve Austin patients?”

Award Winner: Mary Ann Roser, Austin American-Statesman, 512-445-3619, maroser@statesman.com
Nominator: Josefina Villicana, 512-445-3637, jvillicana@statesman.com

The news article, “Is a single psychiatric hospital enough to serve Austin patients?” focused on the mental health delivery system and addressed difficulties such as lack of access, choice and financial constraints. In it, the writer Mary Ann Roser states that the Austin area had four private psychiatric hospitals less than five years ago and currently has two. The article appearing in the Austin American-Statesman asserted a growing need for mental health services in Austin while the choices for consumers keep shrinking.

Judges liked the writer’s timely and respectful approach to dealing with complex policy issues concerning mental health delivery. It provided readers with clear, factual news coverage about whether a single psychiatric hospital could serve Austin citizens with mental health needs.

Special Contributions - Individual - “Pushing Forward”

Award Winner: Randy Snow, Terrell, 972-524-6791, randysnow1@aol.com
Nominator: Kristi Thomas, 972-434-0068, kjthomas@accessology.com

Randy Snow shares very personal experiences and insight in his book, “Pushing Forward … A Memoir of Motivation,” published by Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company. The 246-page book focuses on pushing forward in the face of adversity and succeeding. Snow has traveled the world to compete in athletics. Organized in three sections, the book is an autobiography “walking” you through Snow’s life, a series of stories along the way, and personal perspectives of living life as a wheelchair user.

One judge said that Snow let him into his world through insightful stories and refreshing prose style. Another judge with a disability said he related to Snow’s struggles and the frank descriptions helped put him at ease. The book was all Randy, a highly motivated and energetic person.

Special Contributions - Student - “All Access”

Award Winner: Adam Hasler, Austin/Washington, D.C., 512-347-1344, 202-885-8273, bongojimmy@aol.com
Nominator: Susan Maxwell, 512-327-8412, xam@texas.net

For this article Adam Hasler discovered first hand accessibility issues at his school. Using photographs and diagrams he reported on his personal difficulty with steep ramps, heavy doors, inaccessibility of portable buildings, and being unable to reach books on library shelves while using a wheelchair. Further, Hasler described a process to be used so that renovations using new bond dollars could result in accessibility for all at Westlake High School. “All Access” appeared in the Westlake Featherduster in May 2001, Hasler’s senior year.

Judges read the article with great interest and enjoyed Hasler’s investigative approach and writing style. This professionally produced article was well researched, easily understood, and the integrated layout worked well.

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