The Eyes of Me

The Eyes of Me, which tracks a year in the life of four teenagers at the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (TSBVI), had its world premiere at the SXSW Film Festival in the School's hometown of Austin, TX. It is a lovingly crafted film that presents the trials and tribulations of 4 TSBVI students. The film tries to both present their unique struggles and also to present these young people as more than just their disabilities. It shows them as normal teenagers who struggle with all of the financial struggles and relationship angst that everyone else deals with in addition to the added burden of their disability. The film is a tribute to their ability to overcome their limitations and still work to achieve their dreams of doing great things. The film makers make sure that we get to know them individual human beings and this is very important for each of us. In the 20 years since the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was passed we have made great strides in creating opportunities for the Disabled, but we still have a long way to go. I hope that many people get to see this film, which is also a great tribute to the work being done by the staff at TSBVI and schools like it that strive to create new opportunities for the disabled.