Special Olympics Health, made globally possible by the Golisano Foundation, is creating a world where people with intellectual disabilities have every opportunity to take full advantage of the same health programs and services available to people who do not have a disability. To achieve this vision, more organizations and people need to step up and choose to include.
Today, we are excited to share that public television station WXXI announced that it will lead a pilot project to expand its innovative Move to Include project to promote inclusion in five new communities across the country. Funded by a $645,000 grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), this 16-month project will scale up the multimedia initiative, developed by WXXI and the Golisano Foundation that combines content production, curation, and engagement to encourage dialogue about disability issues.
In 2014, with the support of businessman and philanthropist Tom Golisano and the Golisano Foundation, Move to Include was formed, enabling WXXI to dedicate its efforts throughout the year. WXXI has continued to expand production and add digital platforms to innovative programming with the support of $1 million from the Golisano Foundation, the nation’s largest private foundation devoted to supporting programs for people with intellectual disabilities.
“This is an important step forward in building communities that foster and celebrate inclusion and we are excited to see Move to Include expand across the United States,” said Special Olympics Chief Health Officer Alicia Bazzano, MD, PhD, MPH. “Our work in health is very much aligned with the spirit of this project.”