Everyone deserves stories about them.

Sarah is a registered drama therapist and leads the visual and performing arts program, Advocacy Through the Arts at Friends Life Community (FLC). Through the mission of providing opportunities for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities to grow personally, develop socially, and enjoy community as they live life together, FLC uses the arts to build skills in self-advocacy and confidence, and to promote community inclusion.

Film is one of the mediums in helping individuals 1) find their voice, 2) tell their story, and 3) connect with others through a shared experience. Filmmakers and editors partner with the individuals to bring their vision to a public platform. Twelve films were produced over the last two years that have been written and performed by individuals with disabilities at FLC. Ten new films are expected to premiere in 2022.

These films are personal, vulnerable, sometimes silly, and always authentic.

For 100% of the storytellers, this is the first time they have ever seen themselves on screen, literally and sometimes metaphorically. During the panel conversation, Bears noted that only 2.3% of the 100 top-grossing films of 2019 included a person with a disability in a speaking role. That percentage has actually decreased in recent years, according to a study by the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.

As we discussed further, individuals with disabilities are rarely shown on film as their authentic, everyday selves. When featured, they are often paired with a superpower moment, like the final minutes of a game when the captain passes the ball to the kid with a disability who makes the winning shot and gets carried out on the shoulders of their teammates.

The audience tears up and is overcome with emotion as they feel joy for the individual. They often see a person with a disability who defied the odds and became the hero in the story. 

Instead, what if a person with a disability is portrayed in a story so authentic that the audience sees themselves in that story? What if that story evokes an emotional connection, a shared experience?

In I Love You by Keonna Reed, she tells the story of a young woman searching for love and in the process, falling in love with herself through the guidance of strong women surrounding her.

In Bradley Mullis’ story, This Is Who I Am, he faces the stigma of disability — what it feels like to be bullied and to overcome what others say in order to define his own identity.

And in Anna Claire’s Enchanted Journey by Anna Claire Wert, she sees herself as her favorite Disney character as she retells the story of Belle in Beauty and the Beast.

“Everyone deserves stories about them,” stated Paul Jenkins in our panel discussion.

People with disabilities rarely get to see themselves portrayed on film, much less in roles that are normalized and mainstream. Just as important, the rest of society also lacks opportunities to see individuals with disabilities on film, particularly in roles to which they can relate. By telling authentic stories, even when they are fanciful, Keonna, Bradley, and Anna Claire have portrayed characters in which their diverse audience members can relate.

Maybe one reason it is often hard to relate in face-to-face interactions is because we have been socialized to dampen and disguise our true selves. But when we see the films of individuals who can freely express themselves and connect through emotions, thoughts, and even fantasies, we are closer to finding ourselves in that story.

And when we find ourselves in that story, we are closer to that which connects us as humans in everyday life.