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Born This Way Season 3 #BTWChat

Featuring Sandra Assimotos McElwee, mom of Born This Way cast member Sean – @purpose2inspire

Hosted by Lauren Appelbaum (@laurenappelbaum) of RespectAbility (@Respect_Ability), this Twitter chat will take a look at ideas explored in #BornThisWay by the young adults with Down syndrome and their parents.

Tuesday, May 16, 2017, 9:00-11:00 pm ET

Don’t have cable? You can livestream the show on A&E’s app.

You can find the questions for this chat in this post.

How to Participate

  • When the chat begins, search #BTWchat on Twitter for a series of live tweets: https://twitter.com/hashtag/btwchat?f=tweets&vertical=default
  • Follow @purpose2inspire@Respect_Ability & @LaurenAppelbaum on Twitter.
  • Use the hashtag #BTWchat when you tweet.
  • Check out this explanation of how to participate in a chat by Ruti Regan: https://storify.com/RutiRegan/examplechat

Introductory Tweets for 5/16 Twitter Chat

  • #BornThisWay starts tonight on @AETV. Don’t miss these incredible stories tonight at 9/8c.
  • Welcome to our Twitter chat. Please remember to use the #BTWchat and #BornThisWay hashtags when you tweet.
  • If you respond to a question such as Q1, your tweet should follow this format: “A1 [your message] #BTWchat”
  • When we say PwDs or disability, we’re talking about all types of disability. Feel free to speak about specific communities #BTWchat
  • For each domain, we’ll ask for your views, stories, potential solutions, recommendations #BTWchat
  • Please share other thoughts as we also livetweet the first two episodes of #BornThisWay during #BTWchat!

Questions for 5/16/16 #BornThisWay Chat 

  • Q1. Let’s talk about dreams! What do you want to see cast of #BornThisWay succeed in doing this season? Do you share any of these goals? #BTWchat
  • Q2. Cristina’s goal is independent living and moving in with her fiancé. What advice do you have for her? #BornThisWay #BTWchat
    • Q2 cont. To achieve her goal, Cristina’s been taking independent living skills classes. What skills are most important? #BornThisWay #BTWchat
    • Q2 cont. What factors of having a disability can make it harder for people with disabilities to live on their own? #BornThisWay #BTWchat
  • Q3. Between Cristina & Angel and Megan & Steven, there’s lots of romance on #BornThisWay season 3! Share your best advice for our lovebirds! #BTWchat
  • Q4. Previously Steven only dated “typical girls.” How is this a big deal for Steven to now crush on Megan? #BTWchat #BornThisWay
  • Q5. Cristina & Sean have a lot of family support regarding living on their own. What role does your family play? #BTWchat #BornThisWay
  • Q6. What advice do you have for parents whose adult children with disabilities are living independently for first time? #BTWchat #BornThisWay
  • Q7. Has any stigma or perceptions about disabilities & living independently changed as a result of #BornThisWay? #BTWchat
  • Q8. So excited for Steven & Megan. What relationship challenges exist for people with intellectual disabilities? #BTWchat #BornThisWay
  • Q9. How does real life dating compare to what you see on #BornThisWay and in the movies and on TV? #BTWchat
  • Q10. What was the most surprising moment of the first episode? What was the most powerful moment? #BTWchat #BornThisWay
  • Q11. Megan & Steven want to date alone. What advice do you have for parents who aren’t used to letting go? #BornThisWay #BTWchat #Stegan
  • Q12. How do you handle a situation when some friends are dating and others have yet to experience a relationship? #BTWchat
  • Q13. Many cultures are represented in #BornThisWay. Do you think disability is viewed differently across different cultures? #BTWchat
  • Q14. Cooking relaxes Elena on #BornThisWay. How do you practice self-care? #BTWchat
  • Q15. Letting go is hard! What advice do you have for parents who are afraid of their children failing? #BTWchat #BornThisWay
  • Q16. How does seeing #BornThisWay cast members succeed in their life goals help you work toward doing the same? #BTWchat

Meet the Author

Lauren Appelbaum

Lauren Appelbaum is the VP, Communications and Entertainment & News Media, of RespectAbility, a nonprofit organization fighting stigmas and advancing opportunities so all people with disabilities can fully participate in every aspect of community. As an individual with an acquired nonvisible disability – Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy – she works at the intersection of disability, employment, Hollywood and politics. She regularly conducts trainings on the why and how to be more inclusive and accessible for entertainment executives throughout the industry. Appelbaum partners with studios, production companies and writers’ rooms to create equitable and accessible opportunities to increase the number of people with lived disability experience throughout the overall story-telling process. These initiatives increase diverse and authentic representation of disabled people on screen, leading to systemic change in how society views and values people with disabilities. She has consulted on more than 100 TV episodes and films with A&E, Bunim-Murray Productions, NBCUniversal, Netflix, ViacomCBS, and The Walt Disney Company, among others. She represents RespectAbility on the CAA Full Story Initiative Advisory Council, Disney+ Content Advisory Council, MTV Entertainment Group Culture Code and Sundance Institute’s Allied Organization Initiative. She is the author of The Hollywood Disability Inclusion Toolkit and the creator of an innovative Lab Program for entertainment professionals with disabilities working in development, production and post-production. She is a recipient of the 2020 Roddenberry Foundation Impact Award for this Lab. To reach her, email LaurenA@RespectAbility.org.

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