Television executives were skeptical about turning over a TV studio to a team of developmentally disabled adults, most of whom are mentally retarded-until Alan Dachman walked into a public-access station with an idea.
Dachman came to Chicago to film a documentary about the developmentally disabled at Little City Foundation, a national organization devoted to handicapped people. His trip resulted in Project VITAL (Video Induced Training and Learning), and its offshoot, ”Wishes and Ideas,” is airing at 8:30 p.m. Thursday on Continental`s Ch. 19
Project VITAL, operating in Palatine (as well as Wayzata, Minn., and Peekskill, N.Y.), prepares mentally disabled people for television production courses offered to the public by local public-access stations.
”People never believed they could operate all this high-tech equipment. It`s really great for busting stereotypes,” Dachman said.
”Wishes and Ideas” features Dachman as host to developmentally disabled adults who talk about their lives and aspirations.
The show`s subject matter should be familiar to talk-show viewers.
”Their wishes are like our wishes-I want to get married, I want a better job, I want to go on vacation. They have a whole culture. They have something to show us,” Dachman said.
The program`s format evolved when, in class one day, a camera jammed during a demonstration, and Dachman suggested staging a two-person talk show to fill the time. ”I never wanted to be on camera. My intent was to stay behind the scenes,” Dachman said.
Dachman said that the show fulfills the needs of two groups: the handicapped, who have a program about people like themselves to watch; and the cast and crew, who get the opportunity to embark on a cooperative, creative venture with other disabled people.
”It`s 100 percent legitimate. These people really do it on their own.”
The show, airing for the last 18 months, has been so successful that Dachman has been given a state grant for Project VITAL so that similar programs can get off the ground in Evanston, Champaign, East Peoria and Galesburg, Ill.
Northwest highlights
– Rhythm and blues band Deluxury performs on a new program, ”Shot at Shades,” a music program filmed at Shades, a Deerfield club (9 p.m. Friday, TCI-Ch. 13).
– Boys high school basketball sectional finals are featured in ”March Madness” (7 p.m. Saturday, Continental-Ch. 13).
