LTC Library: Disability Pride Month: Videos

Becoming Helen Keller (American Masters)

Helen Keller, who was deaf and blind, used her celebrity and wit to champion rights for women, people with disabilities and people living in poverty. This program examines the complex life and legacy of this author, advocate and human rights pioneer. Distributed by PBS Distribution.

The Gang of 19 - History of the ADA Movement

The Gang of 19 - History of the ADA Movement
From Rocky Mountain PBS: Encouraged by civil rights movements of the 1960s, the Disability Rights Movement gained momentum leading to the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990. Decades earlier in 1978, 19 individuals tossed aside their wheelchairs and blocked city buses deemed inaccessible for the physically disabled. Discover how this one act led to years of advocacy in Colorado and inspired the nation.

Including Samuel

Photojournalist Dan Habib rarely thought about the inclusion of children with disabilities before he had his son Samuel. Now he thinks about inclusion every day. Habib documented his family's efforts to include Samuel in every facet of their lives, a journey that transforms each of them.

Khan Academy Ed Talks with Judy Heumann

Khan Academy Ed Talks with Judy Heumann
What can we do to foster a more inclusive society for people with disabilities? On the next Khan Academy Ed Talks, international disability rights activist, author, and featured person in the Academy Award-nominated film Crip Camp, Judy Heumann, joins Kristen DiCerbo, PhD.

CinemAbility: The Art of Inclusion

CinemAbility: The Art of Inclusion is an award-winning and star-studded documentary that takes a thought-provoking and often humorous look at the evolution of disability portrayals in entertainment. From the early days of silent films to present-day, this insightful film goes behind the scenes to interview filmmakers, studio executives, historians, and celebrities as it utilizes vivid clips from Hollywood's most beloved motion pictures and television programs to focus on the powerful impact that media can have on the societal inclusion of people with disabilities.

Shameless: The Art of Disability

Shameless: The Art of Disability
What does it mean to be disabled and how does it shape an artist’s work? This documentary explores what is known as the disability art movement, following five artists—including a painter, a writer, an actor, a theater director, and a filmmaker, all of whom happen to have physical disabilities—through their creative work. Intense group discussions of artistic and personal goals are also recorded. Dispelling the myth of tragic disability, the film depicts its subjects as, first and foremost, creative people. The result is a profound look at, and celebration of, the act of making art—viewed through the lens of disability and the rejection of its stereotypes. (49 minutes)

Autism in America

Putting the puzzle together, one beautiful piece at a time. This film is a genuine and straightforward look into the autism spectrum disorder as told by the families and individuals living with autism daily. Many parents are interviewed including Ruth Sullivan, Ph.D., the mother of a man named Joe who was the inspiration for Dustin Hoffman’s autistic character in the movie Rain Man. We also hear from a young woman named Alexis, the first autistic person to run for the title of Miss America. Autistic behaviors such as difficulty communicating, outbursts, etc. are examined in the film, as are the financial and emotional effects on parents. The film looks at young years, discipline, transition into high school and college, employment possibilities, and marriage for people with autism. Narrated by Chandra Wilson (Grey's Anatomy).

Lost Child? Living with an Intellectual Disability

Lost Child? Living with an Intellectual Disability
For a person with an intellectual disability, social communications and interactions can sometimes be limited or difficult. “We don’t always know how to get the feelings out,” says Alyssa Ruzzin, whose life is the focus of this film. Coping with the challenges of an intellectual disability compounded by epilepsy, she is an inspiring speaker and a forthright advocate for the rights of people with special needs. Over the course of this documentary filmed by her brother, viewers are given an opportunity to learn more about Alyssa’s rich interior life as well as her struggles and triumphs as she deals with going to work, being in a relationship, and other day-to-day activities. By opening up to Greg and his camera, Alyssa is hopeful that she “might be helping people realize what goes on in other people’s heads when they can’t speak about it.” (91 minutes)