I just watched the PBS independent video Lives Worth Living by filmmaker Eric Neudel. If you have not seen it you should. Comparable to the civil rights movement of the 1960s, the disability rights movement took courage, persistence, and the working together of many convinced individuals to realize dreams of accessibility and equality. It culminated on January 1st 1990 with the passage of the American’s with Disabilities Act.
Watching this reminded me of the words “you can’t know where you are going unless you know where you have been.” I now have a great appreciation and respect for those individuals who saw something wrong and did something about it, positively affecting thousands of lives.
And as I certainly didn’t retain all the information on the video, I appreciated the interactive timeline of the Disability Rights Movement on the PBS website.
Get your copy of Lives Worth Living
One more thing: I just read The Story of Beautiful Girl, and I join those who recommend it as another great resource for understanding disability and overcoming prejudices. It’s a beautiful companion piece to Lives Worth Living.
Back to Top