Sunday, March 23, 2008

Vermont women use film to educate about disability

The Brattleboro, Vermont, Reformer reported March 22 about the inaccessibility of that town and the Women's Film Festival that would feature films about the experiences of women with disabilities and a panel discussion from local women with disabilities about the issues facing them.

"It's about how can we educate and understand our friends and neighbors," Evan Mondon, 67, said in the Reformer. "I would like people to understand that, in the blink of an eye, they can become disabled too."

The three films presented were:
* "Inside Out," an eight-minute film about a women with Bells Palsy.
* "Multiple," about a European actor and director who hides her multiple sclerosis from work colleagues.
* "Body and Soul," the story of two women with disabilities who decided to leave an institution and live together 35 years ago. The women become leaders in advocating for disability rights, earning them the Illinois Governor's Human Rights Award.

Films are an excellent way to educate the general population about disability. Way to get the dialogue started, Brattleboro.