George H.W. Bush signs the ADA into law.

Almost everyone has seen a different, more prosperous world because of the ADA. 33 years in, we know this journey is long and not yet over. Inaccessible programs and businesses still exist. People with disabilities still languish in congregate care settings for lack of funding for home-based programs. The employment rate of people with disabilities still lags far beyond our non-disabled peers, even in this era of full employment. Below, read reflections from our Policy team about what the ADA means to them.

“The ADA is a representation of the willingness of people with disabilities to seek justice for themselves and for those who came after them. Without those people willing to painstakingly push for the passage of the ADA, I would not have the privilege to be employed and do the work we do here at RespectAbility. For a visually impaired person growing up with the rights I had because people before me were willing to fight, the ADA is a reminder that I not only have the honor of pushing forward the work, but I have the responsibility to continue to build upon that work.” Rostom Dadian, Policy Associate [continue reading…]

The Faith Inclusion and Belonging Team traveled to Waco, TX to participate in the Institute on Theology and Disability at Truett Seminary at Baylor University at the end of June. Founded in 2010 by RespectAbility board member, Bill Gaventa, the Institute annually gathers theologians, researchers, thought leaders, practitioners, and clergy to learn from each other.

The Institute is where you can get a cup of coffee or a glass of cold brew and an enormous blueberry muffin from Bitty and Beau’s while listening to a world renowned scholar like Dr. Hans Reinders. You can grab a plate of Tex-Mex food from a buffet and have a bite with friends and colleagues from Canada, New Jersey, and Brisbane, Australia. You can get to know people in the evenings, sharing stories and a bottle of wine.

RespectAbility is an in-kind sponsor of the Institute and I am on the Coordinating Council that plans and organizes it. Our team participated in two multi-faith panels: Reflections on Theology, Disability, and Belonging; and The Practice of Interfaith Inclusion: How’s it Working in Your Faith Tradition? Associate Ben Bond moderated both panels as presenters shared Muslim, Jewish, Buddhist, Christian, and Hindu perspectives on disability and community. [continue reading…]

The disability community is built upon mutual flourishing. We know that our survival depends on each of us caring for one another in collective solidarity. As a disabled person I often feel quite lonely in my experience of disability. It can be a solitary endeavor to lie alone in your sick bed for days, weeks, and months at a time. One can be in a room full of people and feel alone trying to squeeze your disability into a box of normativity that helps others feel “comfortable” around you. We try to navigate these challenges the best that we can, but the social and physical isolation is exhausting.

While at Baylor University in Texas at the Institute on Theology and Disability, I felt the beautiful joy of being in community with other disabled people. It was a chance for us from our diverse disability experiences to come together and get to fully be ourselves. I hung on every word of the presentations I attended. Surprisingly, what happened outside the plenary rooms was just as educational. The learning happened as I walked to the dining hall accompanied by Cameron in his wheelchair calling out the best curb cuts for our friend Sarah to direct her guide dog Ursula to traverse down. It happened when I met with fellow disabled people like Jaime in the low sensory room who needed to rest from fatigue as I was laying down on the couch for pain relief as we talked about disability theology in Jane Austen novels. It was spending time at the AirBnB with Bekah, Greg, and Emma getting to unapologetically be out and proud of our disabilities. It was refreshing to socialize with people who just get it and don’t require an explanation for your non-normative existence. [continue reading…]

While more than 20% of adults in the U.S. live with a mental health condition, a new study has found that mental health conditions continue to be rare in popular films. This study, the third of a series since 2016, was conducted by the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative in partnership with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

Just 2.1% of characters in the top 100 films in 2022 experience a mental health condition including addiction (28 characters), anxiety/PTSD (24), mood disorder (21), suicide (14), significant disturbance in thinking (8), and obsessive-compulsive disorder (2). Some characters presented with more than one mental health condition. This representation shows little growth since 2019 (1.5%) and 2016 (1.7%).

“Our work has demonstrated that change has occurred in entertainment across a variety of indicators,” Associate Professor of Communications Stacy L. Smith said. “Yet when it comes to mental health conditions– which are reported by a significant portion of the population– there has been no improvement over time. Entertainment can play a role in shaping perceptions of mental health conditions, but the absence of these portrayals communicates that mental health conditions are invisible as are those who live with them. This must change.” [continue reading…]

Dances With Films (DWF:LA), now in its 26th year, champions the unflinching spirit at the very core of the independent film scene. Always prioritizing important storytelling above all else, this year’s theme of “Peace, Love, & Celluloid” is a nod to some of its powerful programming that promotes healing, highlights social justice, and celebrates inclusivity and diversity.

Several films that premiered at DWF:LA explicitly focused on elements of disability throughout. This included narrative films such as Heightened, with a focus on anxiety and OCD, and My Home Unknown, with a focus on schizophrenia; as well as documentaries Abled: The Blake Leeper Story, with a focus on an amputee Paralympian, Baldy for the Blind, with a focus on blind climbers, and You Have No Idea, with a focus on an autistic individual. In addition, shorts For the Safety of Theo had a focus on an individual with OCD while The Tea Party focused on a teenage girl with ADHD.

Several additional films featured disabled cast members but the film’s focus was not on the disability. These included Daruma (featuring Tobias Forrest and John W. Lawson), Proof Sheet (featuring Eileen Grubba), and The Unseen (featuring Jennifer A. Goodman and RJ Mitte). Neurodiverse multihyphenate Jennifer A. Goodman wrote, starred in, and produced The Unseen.

Below, please find a guide to several of the films featuring disability in the plot or talent with disabilities. DWF:LA is taking place through July 2 at the TCL Chinese Theater in Hollywood. [continue reading…]

Fall down seven times, get up eight. On June 29th, 2023, the indie feature Daruma had its world premiere through Dances with Films Film Festival to a sold out crowd at the illustrious TCL Chinese Theatre.

Described by the filmmakers as a dark comedy, the story follows Patrick (a bitter wheelchair user played by Tobias Forrest) who must enlist the help of his cantankerous neighbor Robert (a double amputee veteran played by John W. Lawson) to transport the daughter he never knew he had (a precocious four-year-old played by Victoria Scott) to live with her maternal grandparents on the other side of the country. The film was the recipient of the Project ReFrame stamp of approval from Women in Film and even received the Panavision New Filmmaker Grant which is typically reserved for shorts, and it’s not hard to see why. [continue reading…]

A collective groan could be heard across the world throughout the pandemic. COVID disrupted everyone’s lives and intensified inequalities. Among those hit hardest by the disease are people with disabilities, who are more likely to live in poverty and, for some, on the streets.

Filmed at the height of the pandemic, Yaz Canli’s directorial debut My Home Unknown brings attention to this pressing social issue. The film follows the journey of Mina (Yaz Canli) living on the streets of Los Angeles and experiencing the downward spiral of a mental health crisis, namely schizophrenia. Mina must wrestle with the abusive voices in her mind, while contending with the harsh realities of her present and grief of her past, to find her way home. [continue reading…]

Fall into young Canadian filmmaker Arianna Goarley’s gutsy and gleeful creative cavern as she invokes the wonders of ADHD paired with the world’s most renowned Alice. Her film, The Tea Party, is an Alice in Wonderland-inspired narrative short that explores ADHD and how it manifests in a young person’s life.

The short takes place at the classic tea party scene. Things go awry for Alice when everyone shows up to the party early. This sets in motion a storm of ADHD laden panic, leaving Goarley’s rabbit hole girl to take on her needs as a disabled neurodiverse person while also playing host to the people in her life. [continue reading…]

In a world where mental health is often stigmatized and misunderstood, the writer and director of “Heightened,” Sara Friedman, takes viewers on a transformative journey. The film, which is part of the 2023 Dances with Films festival, dives into what it is like to live with anxiety and borderline obsessive-compulsive disorder. As we are introduced to Nora, also portrayed by Sara Friedman, we witness the challenges she faces and the pivotal moment that catapults her onto a path of self-discovery.

During a panic attack while taking her Bar exam, the true depth of Nora’s challenges become apparent. She begrudgingly returns to her childhood home in Maine where she confronts a series of mental health struggles that have shaped her life. Amidst the turmoil, she finds solace and hope in unexpected places. [continue reading…]