The Ability Exchange

This is a very poignant, informative movie about a university course that includes local community members living with disabilities. It is an innovative effort by NYU-Tandon. This full-length feature follows teams comprised of Tandon students and the community members as they create person-centered digital stories. Moments with Professor Allan Goldstein, who teaches the disabilities course, are interspersed to connect and guide students' thoughts, and also to guide them in dealing intelligently with peoples with disabilities. A book reading by Harilyn Rousso, an eloquent lady with cerebral palsy shows how some people could at times unknowingly sound condescending while dealing with people with disabilities. In the end, we see that most of the students in the course had not only taken the time to attend the Disabilities Pride Parade two months after the end of the semester, but had become emotionally attached to the person with disability assigned to their group - thus making the point that if we could make an initial effort to include disabled people in society, it will enrich the lives of everyone involved.