UNC Charlotte’s Office of Disability Services will receive international exposure through a recent visit from Kazakhstan’s Astana TV.
The television crew visited campus to film a documentary in conjunction with the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act; the goal for the project is to demonstrate how various U.S. organizations, including a large, urban university, accommodate students, employees and visitors who have disabilities.
Astana TV interviewed Gena Smith, director of disability services, along with members of the Disability Services Student Advisory Board and the University’s captionist. The crew also toured the campus to film examples of how the University utilized construction techniques, signage and technology to assist individuals with disabilities.
Astana is the capital of the Republic of Kazakhstan, which is located in central Asia, bordered by Russia, China, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. With an estimated population of 835,000, it is the second-largest city in the republic. Astana TV is an independent source of news and programming throughout Kazakhstan.
The U.S. Department of State Foreign Press Center arranged for the visit by the Astana TV crew. The center uses cooperative media ventures to strengthen U.S. foreign policy objectives by enabling international crews to develop visually compelling and credible multimedia news productions of interest to overseas audiences.
Segments filmed at UNC Charlotte will be used in news programming on Astana TV and on social media by the U.S. State Department.