“A World of Difference,” the Beacon College-produced television program that celebrates and supports the journey of neurodiversity from kindergarten to college, debuted August 2 on local television and in social media.
The premiere focused on providing actionable strategies to limit learning losses that students with learning and attention issues potentially faced emerging from the COVID cocoon and returning to in-person learning.
The program also honored its first “Difference Maker” — an award given to individuals with learning differences who have made a mark in society or advocates who’ve made a difference in the disability rights movement. The show’s inaugural honoree, Matt Morgan, a former WWE pro wrestler turned mayor of Longwood, Fla., shared about his lifelong wrestling match with attention deficit disorder.
Meanwhile, “A World of Difference” chalked up encouraging numbers: On Facebook, for instance, nearly 31,000 people saw the posting of the premiere, while 11,542 watched at least portions of the program. The show premieres on LakeFront TV, the Lake County public, educational, and government access television station, which beams into more than 260,000 homes in Central Florida — but public access television stations because of cost typically do not carry Nielsen viewership ratings.
“We are encouraged with the social media numbers for the premiere,” said Darryl E. Owens, Beacon director of communication and “A World of Difference” creator and host. “We’re trying to produce a show with a spirit of excellence and expect the craftsmanship and the viewership to improve with each episode. As word circulates that Beacon College is providing not only an engaging and edifying program, but one that communicates down-to-earth, actionable advice from experts that families can use and also stokes aspirations with stories of individuals who learn differently who perhaps found success in different ways, but, ultimately found success.”
September’s episode of “A World of Difference” commemorates the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The program features an up-close-and-personal interview senior correspondent Janet Sawyer conducted with September’s “Difference Maker,” retired U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin, the sponsor of the ADA and a tireless disability rights advocate. In addition, Haley Moss, Florida’s first openly autistic attorney, will answer frequently asked questions families have about the Americans with Disabilities Act.
For more information about “A World of Difference” or for viewing options in your area, visit the “A World of Difference” portal on the Beacon College website: https://www.beaconcollege.edu/news-events/a-world-of-difference/