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The Untold Story of the Emmy’s

On September 21, 2003, Americans did what they do every year at this time: they tuned into the Annual Primetime Emmy Awards. We heard the usual acceptance speeches, laughed at the jokes, and watched clips from our favorite television moments, as we do every year. There was one aspect of the Emmy’s this year that was different from the previous 54 shows, and the majority of viewers probably did not notice it. But there is a community who felt the difference this year: people living with disabilities, and those that care for them.

This year, the TNT Original Movie Door to Door won six awards. Door To Door is based on the true story of Bill Porter (portrayed by William H. Macy), a door-to-door home products salesman who overcame the challenges of cerebral palsy to rise to the top of his profession. As a model for patience and persistence, Bill Porter teaches us to look at the person first, the disability second. Macy brings sensitivity, insight and great passion to this role, and his character, Bill Porter, comes to life.

Among the awards, it won: best TV movie; best actor in a TV movie (William H. Macy); best director (Steven Schacter); and Macy won again for co-writing the movie. Macy won best actor in a miniseries. The movie also won writing and directing awards, as well as hairstyling and (prosthetic) makeup awards.

After completing Door to Door, Macy was inspired by the story, and became the UCP’s national spokesperson and ambassador. Through Door to Door, Macy was able to show people living with disabilities, that they can overcome their condition and be accepted in society. Now he is spreading that message off-screen.

Later in the evening, the Emmy’s honored the late John Ritter. Everyone knew about Ritter’s talent and ability to make people laugh, but many did not know about the tremendous work that he did in the community. John Ritter was a leader in the cerebral palsy community for over twenty years. His brother, Tom, has cerebral palsy and his mother founded the Southern California UCP organization. John was the host of UCP’s annual telethon that raised millions of dollars for the organization. He also spent hundreds of hours raising funds and awareness for UCP.

Thanks to true professionals like Macy and Ritter, UCP has been able to increase awareness for the condition that thousands of people are living with. Along with awareness, they have also helped raise millions of dollars that directly impact the lives of people living with disabilities. Their good work has lead to better programs, housing and care for people with disabilities, which provides those people with the hope that they can and will overcome their condition.

UCP is grateful for the support it gets from everyone in the community. The organization would not be able to accomplish its goals without thousands of volunteers across the country. Thanks to professionals like William H. Macy and John Ritter, many more Americans are aware of the difference they can make in people’s lives by working with a worthy charity organization that is dedicated to improving the lives of Americans with disabilities.

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