Focusing on ability – Henry Holden is leading the battle against the exclusion and negative typecasting of persons with disabilities in the media and entertainment industries.

You can tell Henry Holden http://www.henryholden.com just about anything, just don’t tell him he can’t. The 50-something comic and actor, known for his roles in "Hill Street Blues," "T.J. Hooker" and "Knot’s Landing," among other shows, spent Wednesday in Helena, shaking hands and giving speeches.

With crutches that matched his purple tie, and with a jacket sporting reminders of his many accomplishments, Holden talked about his setbacks, his achievements, and what drives him to change the public’s attitude toward people with disabilities.

Needless to say, it’s a subject he knows something about.

Henry Holden is a ‘general’ in the battle against the exclusion and negative typecasting of persons with disabilities in the media and entertainment industries.

The event was co-sponsored by the Montana Advocacy Program http://www.mtadv.org/ , the Montana Council of Developmental Disabilities http://www.mtcdd.org , and the University of Montana Rural Institute Center for Excellence http://ruralinstitute.umt.edu/ .

By MARTIN J. KIDSTON – IR Staff Writer

Full Story: http://helenair.com/articles/2005/01/27/top/a01012705_01.txt