Independent Perspective #1636

Guest:  Dan Colpoys

Topic:  Independent Living In-Depth

Duration:  5:36

Published:  March 11, 2021

Host:  Welcome to Independent Perspective, a public affairs presentation of Western New York Independent Living. Our guest today is Dan Colpoys, Chief Community Engagement Officer with Western New York Independent Living, and I'm your host Ernie Churchwell. Welcome to the program Dan.

Guest:  Hello there Ernie, thanks for having me on today.

Host:  It's our pleasure. If someone is listening to the show today, there's a very good chance that they've probably heard Independent Perspective at some time in the past, or if not, they should have. But we've been doing this for a while, about how long would you say the agency has been doing Independent Perspective that they're listening to?

Guest:  We've been doing the shorter version of the radio show for about 32 years now and we've worked with WXRL to air those shows, and we appreciate their support throughout all those years to get the word out, and the show out on a weekly basis. We are going to start a new foray, I guess we'll say, into longer radio shows. We're going to start doing 30-minute radio shows. While the five-minute shows kind of focused on the agency the Western New York Independent Living, family of agencies and the goings on within the family of agencies. The longer show, which we've just started this past Sunday was our first show, the longer shows will be more community wide issues related to people with disabilities even statewide issues related to people with disabilities. So, we expected to have guests on from county government, state government, from a local community based organizations, even elected officials. So, we're really excited to do this and work with Niagara Frontier Radio Reading Service to get the show on a weekly basis.

Host:  We should probably mention that the longer show is not going to be heard on WXRL but on Niagara Frontier Radio Reading Service for the benefit of people that aren't familiar with it. Just what is that organization?

Guest:  Sure, Niagara Frontier Radio Reading Service is one of Western New York Independent Living family of agencies. They are geared towards people who are visually impaired or print disabled who can't necessarily read the newspaper on a daily basis or read a magazine or read a book so they have volunteers come in and read newspapers and books and other publications so people can hear what's going on in the world of news, you know, on a daily basis. We give them special radio receivers, or they can stream the Radio Reading Service as well. So, it's a way to get the word out to people who don't necessarily have the capability of reading those publications themselves.

Host:  But of course, the longer show Independent Perspective In Depth, the first chapter had Frank Cammarata, Executive Director of the Erie County Office for People with Disabilities. But the second show with Mark Shaw, Advocate for Independent Living of Niagara County is going to be airing later today at 8:30, correct?

Guest:  It will be, right, on the Niagara Frontier Radio Reading Service website you can catch it, or on various streaming podcast services such as Apple or Spreaker, there's several of them but the website or the Niagara Frontier Radio Reading website is probably the easiest to listen to, not only our show, but all of their programming that goes 24 hours a day seven days a week.

Host:  And that's nfradioreading.org and the Independent Perspective In Depth is under Programming, Bonus Programs. We're running low on time, if people want to learn more how can they reach you?

Guest:  Sure they can certainly call me at 716-836-0822, and I'm at extension 166, or they can email me dcolpoys@wnyil.org

Host:  Thanks for being with us Dan.

Guest:  Thanks for having me Ernie.

Host:  You've been listening to Independent Perspective, a public affairs presentation of Western New York Independent Living. Our guest today was Dan Colpoys, Chief Community Engagement Officer with Western New York Independent Living and I'm your host, Ernie Churchwell.