South Dakota Public Broadcasting will feature three documentaries highlighting young people with disabilities from Rapid City and Spearfish in its Thanksgiving Day programming lineup.
The special programming block, airing Thursday evening, showcases stories of resilience and creativity among youth with intellectual, physical and developmental disabilities, according to SDPB Director of Programming and Communications Fritz Miller.
“FashionABLE,” the evening’s centerpiece documentary airing at 8 p.m. Central Time, follows 26 designers with various disabilities who partnered with community volunteers to create original fashion designs for a sold-out Rapid City fashion show.
The film documents the month-long creative journey culminating in a runway show at a Rapid City greenhouse, featuring designers from Flutter Productions, an all-ability dance company operated by Black Hills Works.
“FashionABLE shows how anyone, when given an opportunity, can create and contribute beauty to a community,” said Heather Pickering, artistic director for Flutter Productions.
At 10 p.m. Central, “Dominique” profiles a Spearfish family’s daily life, capturing moments from target practice and gardening to the title character’s work at a local restaurant. Dominique, who has Down syndrome, demonstrates independence and positivity throughout the intimate documentary.
“Dominique’s story is a reminder that joy, independence, and belonging are universal,” producer Christopher Larson said in the SDPB announcement. “Making this film was about seeing the person beyond the label — and I’m incredibly proud that audiences across South Dakota will get to meet Dominique and her family in their full light.”
The 9 p.m. Central slot features “I am disABLEd,” a documentary filmed in Rock Island, Illinois, following nine youth with disabilities and their families. The film emphasizes abilities and similarities with typically developing peers rather than focusing on disabilities, according to SDPB’s programming description.
The evening begins at 7 p.m. Central with “The Bob Ross Experience,” documenting the transformation of Bob Ross’s original studio at Ball State University into a museum. Programming concludes at 10:15 p.m. with “The South Dakota Kid,” an SDPB-produced portrait of Shane Van Boening, a hearing-impaired pool player considered among the best of all time.
All times listed are Central Time, with Mountain Time broadcasts airing one hour earlier.
SDPB operates nine television transmitters, 12 radio transmitters and multiple translators reaching approximately 98 percent of South Dakotans, according to network information.
The Thanksgiving programming lineup seeks to spark conversations about inclusion and challenge stigmas surrounding disabilities, Miller said in the release.
