DRLC Helps Those with Disabilities

Jessamy Tang is a pioneering media professional and the former president and general manager of ESPN Radio 1250 and Radio Disney in Pittsburgh and ESPN Radio Boston. Prior to these roles, she led the development of ESPN-branded radio station under ABC Radio due to the business relationship between ESPN and ABC Radio. Jessamy Tang serves on a number of nonprofit boards, including the board of the Disability Rights Legal Center (DRLC). 

DRLC is an organization that provides disability rights advocacy and assistance to people with disabilities facing discrimination. One of the beneficiaries of DRLC’s work is Sunjay Smith. 

Sunjay was hit by a car when he was six years old, leaving him with quadriplegia. After the injury, his family had to fight hard to get him an education. School districts thought he was too disabled to be educated, but he defied the odds and graduated high school. 

He wanted to go to college, but had difficulty finding accommodation to take the SAT because of his paralysis. The SAT board was not sufficiently helpful, and testing centers denied him accommodation. That was where DRLC came in. The organization negotiated with the SAT board, persuading them to accommodate Sunjay. He took the test, did well, and was admitted to University of California, Riverside. 

During his time at the institution, he served as president of the Student Disability Union and did plenty of work for people with disabilities in the community. Even though he continued to face disability discrimination at the institution, Sunjay once again beat the odds to graduate summa cum laude with a 3.9 GPA. After his graduation, Sunjay expressed deep gratitude to DRLC for its help in enabling him to take the SAT.

Sports Radio History

Jessamy Tang served as the director of enterprises at ESPN, overseeing the company's relationships with new technology companies and keeping it in the forefront of sports and entertainment technology. In the 1990s, Jessamy Tang led ESPN to success through the creation and development of sports radio stations.

Sports radio has grown and developed for about a century. Early sports radio, rather than providing live broadcasts, reported results of events such as boxing matches and professional baseball. In the 1920s, the focus shifted to play-by-play descriptions, bringing sports into the living room rather than requiring lengthy travel to see sporting events in person. For a long time, however, this was the only medium in which sports radio was provided.

Beginning in the late 1980s, pure sports stations began to develop. Rather than simply covering games, these stations provided sports talk shows, news on sports, sports scores, and speculation at all hours. Groups like ESPN Radio and Fox Sports Radio give listeners the chance to listen to and call into sports-related programming, increasing engagement. Many stations also employ local sportscasters to host shows during periods without a nationally-syndicated program, providing distinct local flavor and more location-specific sports coverage.

World Down Syndrome Day (WDSD) and the WDSD Conference

A hedge fund executive, Jessamy Tang also serves on the board of trustees of Down Syndrome International. In this role, Jessamy Tang has chaired the World Down Syndrome Day Conference at the United Nations since 2013.

Created by Down Syndrome International and recognized by the United Nations since 2012, World Down Syndrome Day raises awareness about the condition while acknowledging the contributions that people with Down syndrome make to their communities every day. Communities all over the world celebrate the occasion with local events. In 2016, activities will include free portrait photography in Canada and a formal ball in Lancashire, England.

The World Down Syndrome Day Conference at the United Nations invites speakers both with and without Down syndrome to share their insights and experiences. In 2015, the conference addressed the theme “My Opportunities, My Choices - Enjoying Full and Equal Rights and the Role of Families.” Speakers and panelists used this theme to express the need for family and community support in advocating for individuals with Down syndrome. In March 2016, the conference will convene again to discuss the theme “My Friends, My Community,” an exploration of the importance of inclusive environments for children with Down's syndrome.

Down Syndrome and Its Effects on Children

A former executive for ESPN and ESPN Radio, Jessamy Tang devotes a lot of time to non-profit organizations. As the mother of a child with Down syndrome, Jessamy Tang supports numerous organizations that assist children and parents affected by Down syndrome.

Down syndrome causes more learning disabilities than any other birth defect. It also causes developmental disabilities. Children with Down syndrome exhibit several common facial characteristics, including somewhat flattened features. They often also exhibit truncated necks, smaller than normal heads, and eyes that slant upward. Other common physical signs include weak muscle tone and short fingers. Children with Down syndrome also grow at a slower rate than their peers.

A genetic abnormality causes Down syndrome. Most individuals with the disease have three copies of chromosome 21 in their cells instead of two. Some individuals have the extra chromosome in only some of their cells and this condition is referred to as Mosiac Down Syndrome.

Down Syndrome International

Jessamy Tang devotes considerable time to Down Syndrome International (DSi), a global charity based in the United Kingdom. DSi includes not only people with Down syndrome, but also their families, friends, caregivers, researchers, and other professionals.

DSi aims to improve the quality of life for people with Down syndrome and advocates for their rights in society. Founded in 1993, DSi has a mission that consists of three strategies. The first objective is to spread information about the condition via the DSi website, publications, and the World Down Syndrome Congress. The second is to encourage advocacy by giving people with Down syndrome a voice in societies worldwide. The third is to educate the public about Down syndrome and how people who have it can lead fulfilling lives. Fitting this goal is World Down Syndrome Day on March 21 each year.

Jessamy Tang serves as a Trustee for Down Syndrome International. She is also a fundraiser for the Down Syndrome Research and Treatment Foundation and is active with other local and national Down syndrome organizations.

Women in Sports and Events

A nonprofit organization, Women in Sports and Events, Inc. (WISE) represents professional women involved in the sports and events industries. Acknowledged as the voice of those professionals, WISE conducts meetings and other events, such as mentoring programs, offering its members unsurpassed insight into their respective industries.

WISE understands that its members want to advance in their careers. Toward that end, WISE develops and maintains numerous programs designed to develop members' skills. Offering many benefits, WISE provides members with opportunities for networking and exponentially expanding their contacts and knowledge base. Additionally, WISE grants its members access to exclusive industry events and leaders, as well as insightful discussions centered on industry progress and topics.

The organization also allows its members the opportunity to join WISE Within, which consists of WISE mentors and mentees. As a WISE mentee, members can receive information concerning the leadership role of women in the sports and events fields, as well as personal attention from their mentors, who strive to prepare them to become the next generation of pioneers. For more information on WISE, please visit WomenInSportsAndEvents.com.

The MIT Corporation Visiting Committees

As a Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) graduate and three-sport college athlete, Jessamy Tang remains involved with her alma mater’s athletic department. She currently sits on the MIT Corporation Visiting Committee to the Department of Athletics, Physical Education and Recreation. Visiting committees are a vital part MIT’s legacy, having been established in 1875 as advisory bodies to the administration and Corporation. In addition to the athletics program, the committees provide counsel to departments such as Economics, Social Sciences, and Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences. They also assist the Libraries, the offices of the Dean for Undergraduate Education and the Dean for Student Life, and the Sloan School of Management. The 31 total visiting committees represent the leading such system among major U.S. research institutions.

In serving on an MIT visiting committee, Jessamy Tang joins the ranks of over 400 professionals who serve in a wide variety of academic, scientific, entrepreneurial, and engineering positions. Each committee generally consists of 17 members, of whom 5 are corporation members. The remaining 12 members are evenly split between President-nominated members and Association of Alumni and Alumnae of MIT nominees. Jessamy Tang is 1 of 19 total members, including the Chair, in the MIT Corporation Visiting Committee to the Department of Athletics, Physical Education, and Recreation.

The written and oral recommendations and ongoing assessments of committees have direct impact, as they are conveyed to department heads, all levels of faculty, and senior administration. Outside evaluations of issues facing each department allows MIT to maintain a freshness and vitality within its institutional planning process that would not otherwise be possible. It also helps maintains a strong connection between past students and present faculty and administration. Many Committee members additionally volunteer their time in meeting with department members, guest lecturing, and providing other services at MIT. Jessamy Tang is no exception: in addition to her role on the visiting committee, she has served twice as a panelist at the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference.