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Living the Life We Were Born to Live

February 2, 2017

By Joan Leotta

Born This Way, the Emmy award winning reality show featured on A&E, has set a new standard for people with disabilities in the entertainment industry. Now in its third season, the series grants a weekly glimpse into the lives and minds of people with Down Syndrome, as they experience the thrills and challenges common to all. In allowing millions of Americans to follow these thriving young adults, Born This Way fuses the ordinary with the extraordinary, as its fans learn to see people with the full or partial extra copy of chromosome 21 as capable, interesting individuals, and not as generic “Down syndrome” folks.

Born This Way Cast members

The cast of Born This Way: Top row (l to r): Sean, Jared, Steven and John). Bottom Row (l to r) – Rachel, Megan, Elena, Cristina, Caley and Cole

Development of Born This Way

Born this Way (BTW) was developed internally at Bunim Murray Productions (BMP) where founder Jon Murray also serves as executive consultant.  “Part of BMP’s mission,” Murray explains, “has been to feature people on TV who have been previously marginalized. We did it with The Real World on MTV where we feature 7 young adults of diverse backgrounds and we have done it in our casting of Project Runway on Lifetime.” As it turned out, BMP’s offices were located within a 10-minute drive of New Horizons of North Hills, a non-profit that provides services to people with developmental disabilities. In getting to know some of the clients of New Horizons, Murray and others at BMP realized that a community existed that was not being explored on prime-time television. Featuring the Down syndrome community was a project that fit the company’s goals and experience.

Casting the Show

In its search for cast members for the show, BMP benefitted from the support of local and national organizations such as New Horizons, Performing Arts Studio West, Special Olympics, Best Buddies, and National Down Syndrome Congress. Each assisted BMP in either the recruiting or the auditioning process. Still, as Murray points out, BMP approached selecting individual cast members as it does any other program. “We interviewed the potential participants on camera, getting to know them and their families. We also put them together with other potential cast members to see how they interacted with others.” As the selection process narrowed, the participants, who are paid for their work, “had an agent or lawyer negotiating their deal for them.”

Building Trust and Telling Stories

Sean

Born This Way cast member Sean

One factor in BTW’s success is the trust fostered between the cast and the production team. According to Murray, BMP lays this foundation “by reaching out to different organizations and non-profits that work with people with Down syndrome.”  In particular, New Horizons, RESPECTABILITY USA, and Gail Williamson of KMR Talent, who is also the parent of a child with Down syndrome have offered an invaluable expertise. The result has been groundbreaking programming that treats the cast as individuals and tells their stories with respect.

Though not without spontaneity, reality television does require direction. As Murray points out, “There is no script, but all of us (producers and cast) know what we are shooting each day. We don’t shoot 24-hours a day. We only shoot when specific things are happening that are part of the stories we are trying to capture.” Laura Korkoian who heads up the production staff “meets with the cast and their families at the beginning of each season to find out what is happening in their lives …We then work with the families and our principal cast to capture the story as it happens.” Meanwhile, behind the scenes, a team of people craft the gathered footage into a sixty-minute (minus ad time) show.

To determine which person will be selected for the single person camera cameos featured in each show, the production staff (consisting of Laura and her team) conducts regularly scheduled interviews with the cast and their family members. The staff then develops questions related to their observations during filming. It is at that point, Murray explains “we edit the episodes and decide which interviews to use”.  The lag time between shooting and airing is about three months.

In weighing the differences and similarities between BTW and other reality programming, Murray observes that “for the most part, this show is approached the way we shoot a number of our family based series. We work with the families to figure out what we will shoot and how we will tell their stories. The one difference might be that we have aligned with some non-profit organizations to help educate our team about people with Down syndrome. This alignment not only helps us tell our stories responsibly, it also sparks ideas for stories. Most of our cast and families already knew each other, giving Born This Way an authenticity many reality shows don’t have. That authenticity is further enhanced by the fact that our cast is very honest in their interactions with each other. I also love that the families of our cast are featured in the series. It is wonderful to watch our casts’ amazing parents who work so hard to help their children work towards full independence.”

Family Affair

Cast member Megan cries while her mother, Kris, embraces her

Bea, Megan and Kris

Some of the show’s most compelling moments took place at the Down Syndrome Association of Orange County when parents of cast members were filmed sharing their joys and challenges with the parents of toddlers with Down syndrome, all the while cast members interacted with the young children. As Murray explained, “we worked with the organization to plan the event. We thought it would be interesting for parents with babies and infants to hear from our parents and it would be interesting for our cast to take on the job of baby-sitting. Everyone who came to the event signed a release. Once the event was underway, we just filmed what happened.”

The episode was amazing not only in the absolute joy of the interaction between the toddlers and adults with Down syndrome, but also in the lesson of how much progress has been made in the public perception of people with Down.  The parents of the adults recalled being told to “give up” on their children in an era when services were limited. The toddlers’ parents received fresh hope as they were encouraged to believe that with hard work and persistence their children can achieve anything. The episode conveyed to the audience, too, that Down syndrome is not a limitation. It’s just a different path.

Success of the Show

Murray describes the Emmy nomination and win as great boosts for a show that began with only six episodes in its first season: “We were honored to be nominated and we were thrilled to win. It was definitely one of the top five moments of my career. And I know it was huge for our cast and their families. They were all warmly greeted by everyone at the Emmy’s including some of their favorite stars like Heidi Klum, Ryan Seacrest and Jane Lynch.”

The second season saw an increase to eleven episodes while season three will cap at ten. Murray also shared that, “Everyone is returning for season three. Plus, there will be a few new faces, but we’re staying mum for now the identity of those new faces.”

The Future

When asked what the success of Born This Way might mean for the future of people with disabilities in the entertainment business, the short answer from Murray is: “stay tuned.”

While this reply hints at what is to come, there can be no question of what has been accomplished. The producers and assembled cast of Born This Way have laid a rock-solid foundation for people with disabilities to walk out onto the world stage with greater confidence and independence. They have won over a viewership now capable of accepting people born with Down syndrome for who they are and who they can be.

Filed Under: Profiles in Excellence Leave a Comment

Tags: Born This Way, Down syndrome, inclusion, television

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Dreams, Hugs, Achievements

January 15, 2013

Wouldn’t it be great if you knew a place with delicious meals for breakfast and lunch, accompanied by the best hugs in town? And better still if you knew your eating-out dollars were going to a worthy cause, like supporting a person who has overcome his disability and inspires people to achieve their own dreams?  If you’re in Albuquerque, you can have all this at Tim’s Place.

Tim HarrisOwning Tim’s Place is a dream come true for Tim Harris, a young man with Down Syndrome. As manager of the restaurant, Harris puts into practice what he learned while in college studying food service and restaurant hosting. He also continues a rewarding career that he started while working at many different restaurants during high school, college and after college. The restaurant also allows him to also give back to the community as an employer and a sponsor of Special Olympics and the National Down Syndrome Congress.

It All Starts at Home

For Harris, making the dream a reality began with a loving and supportive family. His abilities were further nurtured in a school that recognized his talents and allowed him to develop in sports as well as academics. Says Harris, “Growing up, I always knew that [my family] loved me just the way I am. My brothers treated me like a brother, not like anyone special.” Tim is the second in a family of four sons.

He adds, “My brothers tried to let me do things for myself. Sometimes they let me hang out with them and their friends, but other times they wanted me to hang out with my own friends.” As with any siblings, this kind of close relationship, mixed with times of independence, helped Tim to develop strong interpersonal skills.

Although his brothers no longer work at Tim’s Place like they did in the beginning, the fraternal bonds continue to this day. “We are a very close family,” he says. “We like to travel together, go out to eat, play games and sometimes I like to go to parties at my brothers’ houses. I always know they are there for me when I need them.”

This close relationship at home bolstered Harris’ confidence and helped contribute to his success in school. Harris attended Eldorado High School in Albuquerque and was graduated in 2004. His enrollment and that of some peers encouraged P.E. teacher Michelle Chavez to add Special Olympics to the curriculum. The Special Olympics team during Harris’ high school career was the Eldorado’s first, Harris relates. He helped make it a success, winning medals in several categories.

Special Olympics

Tim poses with his medals from the 2012 Special Olympics

Tim poses proudly with his medals from the 2012 Special Olympics New Mexico Summer Games.

Harris played poly hockey*, volleyball, and track and field for his high school Special Olympics team, but it was his responsibilities as captain of the basketball team that gave him an extra opportunity to shine. This role proved beneficial for Harris’ future as a business owner and manager. “My coach , Ms. Chavez, taught me about being a leader,” says Harris. “I had to make sure my team did all their warmups and introduced them at our school assemblies. Ms. Chavez was very tough and taught me a lot about being responsible for my other teammates. I think everyone at my school was proud of their Special Olympics athletes.”

It may come as a surprise to some that high schools can field Special Olympics teams but, explains Erin Gallegos of New Mexico Special Olympics, “the high school Special Olympics program in New Mexico is available to any school that wants to take advantage of it. Athletes up to age 21 enrolled at the school can participate. However, high school programs are not as common as community-based programs in New Mexico.”

Harris’ high school achievements were not limited to the athletic field. He was also named Homecoming King and selected by students, staff and faculty as Student of the Year when he graduated in 2004. He accomplished all this while working after school in a local Red Robin franchise, where he first realized his love of working in the restaurant industry.

Making a Dream a Reality

With help from his dad, Harris found a postsecondary program at Eastern  New Mexico University at Roswell that would suit his career goals. “I knew I wanted to be in the restaurant business and chose to study food service and restaurant hosting,” he says. “Eastern  New Mexico had a program to help students learn the rules,” he relates. While a student, Harris worked at a variety of local restaurants including CiCi’s Pizza, Golden Corral, IHOP, and Peppers Bar and Grill.

Tim Harris and Tim's place employees

Tim (left) posses with Tim’s Place employees.

Harris stresses that in order to live on his own, he had to know how to keep a schedule and be on time, but these skills were already familiar to him. He also had to do his own laundry and clean up after himself—which he’d also already done while living at home. He notes that friends of his who did not really want to be in college or who weren’t as prepared to be independent were not as successful.

“My experience in college was fun,” Harris relates. “I made good friends that I will always stay in contact with. I was scared at first, but I decided to join in, make friends and work hard.” His dedication to his goal helped him succeed as well. “I wanted to own a restaurant when I was a kid,” he relates. “That was my dream and dreams come true.”

After graduating college in 2008, Harris worked as a host at Applebee’s restaurant in Albuquerque and then, living aboard a sailboat with his parents, he traveled throughout the Bahamas, where he first earned his nickname “Tim the Man.” When the family returned, Harris was ready to work again, and his parents were ready to help finance his employment dream of having his own restaurant.

Tim Harris speaking as a Special Olympics Global Messenger.

Tim Harris speaking as a Special Olympics Global Messenger.

Although at present there are no other people with disabilities working in the restaurant, Harris hopes to hire some in the future.  In addition to offering delicious food and free hugs seven days a week, the restaurant also supports Special Olympics of New Mexico and the National Down Syndrome Congress.

And, when he’s not at the restaurant, Harris is a popular speaker on the topic of achievements for people with disabilities. Anyone who talks to Harris can easily see why people seek out his public-speaking presentations. His positive attitude and desire to help others come through immediately. His love of his family comes through as well. For example, in conversation for this article, Harris was bursting with pride at the fact that  his brother had just graduated and became an Albuquerque firefighter. He can be reached through his speaker website, http://timtheman.com. Or you can check out the food, hugs, and positivity on the menu at Tim’s Place.

 

*Poly hockey is adapted from the game of ice hockey. It’s an indoor floor sport that gives athletes who live in warm climates the opportunity to compete in the normally winter sport of hockey. Poly hockey once was, but is no longer, a recognized Special Olympics Incorporated sport as is floor hockey, which is played with wooden sticks (without blades) and pucks that are large felt discs with an open center.

Filed Under: Profiles in Excellence Leave a Comment

Tags: disability employment, Down syndrome, self-employment, special olympics, Tim Harris, Tim's Place

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