“all Humans have the Potential of Disability”
A creative community redefining disability through
storytelling, reflection, and connection.
What is Disability Reflections?
The mission of Disability Reflections is to foster self-expression, skill development, and personal agency among disabled individuals through the power of storytelling. By integrating embodied practices, identity exploration, and collaborative learning, the project creates a space for healing, visibility, and connection. Participants are supported not only in developing media literacy but in building narratives that are nuanced, honest, and rooted in disability pride.
Our Program:
Education:
The “Disability Reflections” workshop series promotes disability rights by enabling participants to craft and share their authentic stories through film.
Media:
Utilizing a documentary format the series offers an in-depth look at the filmmaking process and the personal journeys of each of the participants.
Our Impact:
At Disability Reflections, we are committed to building an ongoing stream of personal video narratives created by people with a wide range of disabilities. Our goal is to showcase the diversity within the disability community and challenge the notion that disability is a singular or monolithic experience. Through these stories, we aim to foster mutual learning, empathy, and recognition of the infinite ways people live with and understand disability.
We explore what compels someone to tell their personal story—with agency, on their own terms, and through a lens that emphasizes resilience, creativity, and truth.
Healing:
Personal narratives can serve as a powerful tool for emotional and psychological healing for those who share them.
Empowerment:
They affirm the agency of disabled individuals and invite engagement from others in the community.
Education:
These stories offer insight to non-disabled audiences, expanding understanding and reducing fear or bias.
Cultural Shift:
Increased visibility challenges harmful stereotypes, enriches public discourse, and promotes more inclusive attitudes.
Policy Impact:
Greater awareness can influence public policy, contributing to systemic change that supports disabled communities and reduces stigma.
Why Disability Reflection Exists?
%
of the U.S. adult population identify as having a disability
%
of media titles feature disability related themes
%
less than 1% of actors in TV and Film are disabled
%
of writers who are disabled are hired
%
The employment-population ratio for disabled individuals is 22.5%, compared to 65.8% for non-disabled people.
health complexities
Health data indicates that there are higher chances of experiencing chronic health issues, having reduced care access, and life expectancy.
Effects
There are attitudes that exacerbate the impact of stigma, systemic ableism, and exclusion.
Reference: Bruce & Phelan (2014), Stigma Power.
“only I can tell my personal story—nobody knows all the little details”
Andrew Donohue
“For your story to be told the way you want it to be told, you tell it. [Other] people just want to do it the way they see it, and they weren’t there”
