This month marks the 10th anniversary of our partnership with the Al Sigl Community of Agencies

It’s a new year, and January is a special month at WXXI as we host our annual outreach initiative with our good friends at the Al Sigl Community of Agencies. This is our tenth year hosting Dialogue on Disability: The Herman & Margaret Schwartz Community Series, which celebrates the amazing lives of people with special needs. We have selected a series of inspiring television documentaries and radio programs that we believe will encourage community dialogue about the abilities of people with disabilities and the importance of inclusion. The initiative runs January 8 through January 15th. On Thursday, January 12 at 8 p.m. WXXI-TV/HD presents For Once in Your Life, a film that will introduce you to a remarkable band of 29 musicians, all with a mental and  physical challenge, who want just one thing – a chance to shine. That same evening at 9 p.m. AM 1370/FM-HD 91.5-2 presents The Wild Child, which follows Erin, Eric, and Athena, along with their parents, doctors, teachers, and advocates, as they navigate puberty and adolescence with a serious mood disorder. 1370 Connection's Bob Smith also has several guests in this week to talk about disability issues, including Al Sigl Community of Agencies President Dan Meyers and Rochester Rehabilitation CEO Cindy Huether on Wednesday, January 11 at 1 p.m. For a complete list of guests, click here.

Partnerships, like this one with the Al Sigl Community of Agencies, help both organizations present a stronger and more focused effort to help bring about change in our community. We hope you get a chance to watch and listen to some of the programs we'll be offering. For a complete list of programs, you can visit the initiative's page here at wxxi.org. By the end of on the eight days, we suspect you will  begin have a clearer  perspective on the abilities of people with disabilities.