I Am Disabled and I Am Proud
"Polite society often tells us that we need to take the 'dis' out of disability, but maybe... just maybe, we should spend some time putting it back in. Take the "dis" out of disability and you remove the core of what has shaped my life. Disability puts the "D" in diversity, but in order to make that a real difference we've got to own that spot. It took me 35 years to respect and honor that truth. Others shouldn't have to wait that long..." Lawrence Carter-Long
Ollibean Talks to Ray Ellis, director of “Certain Proof: A Question of Worth”
"All of these children have one thing in common. They were always having to prove themselves, over and over and over again." Ray Ellis
Deaf Teen Filmmakers Interpretation of Phillip Phillips’ “Home”
Acceptance, connection, and belonging. Home. Thank you Deaf Film Camp for making such awesome videos!
Disabilty and Civil Rights: Standing On the Right Side of History
"If we were to go back to the 1960s and we were to talk to those leaders who were vehemently against desegregation, we would hear the conviction in their voices of them stating why they believe their decisions and what they were doing to those children were just. Just as I believe that some of you and some of the board members that have spoken believe that their decisions are just. But, I fear that the Hillsborough County School Board is standing on the wrong side of history."
I have Tourette’s. Please tell everyone.
This powerful performance by Jamie Sanders, spoken word poet and actor with Tourette's, covers bullying, shame, self-acceptance and empowerment in the best 150 seconds you'll watch this week.
The Importance of Opportunity
Dillan Barmache, a 14 year old autistic student, delivers his powerful 8th grade commencement speech using his iPad and brings the crowd to their feet.
My Valentine by Paul McCartney- Featuring Natalie Portman and Johnny Depp
Paul McCartney Directs His Own 'My Valentine' Videos Featuring Natalie Portman and Johnny Depp using ASL.
All the people saw my intelligence. No test first.
My family saw. I had hopeful times . Tracy invited me home to Vermont
Pharrell’s “Happy” in Sign Language
Beautiful American Sign Language interpretation of Pharrell Williams's "Happy." An expression of music
The Importance of Supports
"If we invested a mere one-tenth of the amount of money that we currently pour into causation into empowering Autistic people to communicate, that young man and hundreds of thousands more like him would be able to communicate their needs to us today. I am not here today to speak for every Autistic person – that’s impossible. What I am here for is to argue for every Autistic person to have the same opportunity to communicate that I have come to enjoy thanks to the support that I have been lucky enough to receive in my life." Ari Ne'eman
The Loud Hands Project
Love this video published by the Autistic Self Advocacy Network. Share it, Post it, Donate at http://www.indiegogo.com/The-Loud-Hands-Project?a=351448 so they will make more:)
Judith Snow ~ Relationships & Inclusion
"The research shows that when a child who is not academically gifted is included in a regular school, not only do the academics improve across the school, and I did say that, I didn’t say “in the classroom”, I said “across the school”, not only do the academics improve, but drug use and violence goes down."