Movies

I just got a Flixter account and wanted to highlight movies that I think do a fair job of portraying entertaining stories of people around the theme of disabilities. I'll admit, there's some decent movies with actors who do not have labels portraying characters who do: like Tom Hanks in Forrest Gump , and Dustin Hoffman does okay in Rain Man, and Michael Keaton does alright in The Dream Team, and I did like What's Eating Gilbert Grape despite the unusual movie combo of both Leonardo DiCaprio and Johnny Depp together, and I do want to see The Other Sister. But for the cream of the crop, the best of these films in my opinion are the ones where the actors are people in real life with labels of disabilities portraying characters with labels of disabilities. Have you ever seen Pascal Duquenne in The Eighth Day? Wow! I just love this movie. Here's a clip from Youtube (what is a blog without YouTube these days?)

Inspiring. I wasn't into the ending, this French director had a flare for an absurdly trajic ending that was supposed to be happy? Regardless, the movie was laudable for the character interactions throughout the movie that attempt to emphasize the parallels in the main characters lives despite the apparent difference of disability labels. Paula Sage does an equally magnificent performance in Afterlife, a movie about a woman whose brother returns home to look after her when their mother becomes ill. Lastly, there's Wu Jiang in Shower. I just don't know if he's someone with who has a label in real life or not. I like not knowing where his acting his coming from, the mystery makes me wonder even more about his character. In real life, I also like to think that a person's label is less significant than getting to know their story. Their label is not the sum of who they are, there's a whole lot more to people than that, and there's a whole lot about people to relate to regardless of what their label is. Isn't that one reason why we watch movies and cry or laugh? Because we can relate to some of the characters and what they are experiencing? Not in a very interactive way, but it's entertaining that way nonetheless.
This list is hardly exhaustive, I wonder if you've come across some movies around themes of disabilities that you'd like to share?

My heroes

I like to be surprised by hearing about what the Lord is doing through people who have been labeled with a diagnosis.
Last summer I had the opportunity to hear Daniel McMullen (page 3 of the link) speak to Supports Coordinators at a training in Center City Philadelphia. He played a video for us from his website (which I'm still searching for). In the video he gave a passionate message about Jesus keeping our feet from slipping (from Psalm 66:9). He trusted God enough to take risks for God and not be inhibited solely by his label. One of his motto's is "I have autism, but I am not disabled". Dan is active with his church and aspires to be a youth minister. He's also an advocate of Speaking for Ourselves.
I've heard of the works of half-a-dozen others so far who are living from the grace given them despite the labels given them. They are regularly worshippers and members with their congregations. One tells me he left a cult to be a part of his church. Another plays a tamborine during worship. One makes cards and sends them to friends. Others are ushers or have other roles in their church.
I am encouraged that they have decided to give of themselves even while others threaten to minimize their gifts because of their labels or outward appearance. It feels good to be alongside them routing them on and expecting that God will bring fruit to their works of faith. They're my heroes.

Trying something new

Last week something wonderful happened. I was on a visit with a woman who had a particular block: she didn't address people by their names. I'll call her Jane. Ironically, I'm not going to say her name on this blog because of privacy. Jane knew other people's names, and when they weren't in the room, she could even say their names, but in front of them, she didn't do this. She'd say "Hi". She had a reputation that way, people didn't expect her to say their names anymore, and as someone new came in, it was talked about in front of her that she couldn't do this.
I'd been practicing with her. I'd say "Hi, Jane!" , and asked her if she would say "Hi, Art!", mostly she laughed at me. I laughed, too, very funny. Then last week we were sitting together, and I said "Hi, Jane!", she smiled and said "Hi, Art!" Other people in the room gasped, then we all laughed and applauded her.
I like to test the reputation that other people give to people with labels of disabilities. "They can't", "they never do", and "they never will" are not words that I take for gospel. Yeah, I have assessments, and those are useful to a point for describing someone's needs and planning for their support. But that's not who they are. Who are they? Who am I? Who are you? Paul , in the Bible, wrote that "We are God's artistry, created for good works in Christ, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them (Ephesians 2:10)."
I like to find out who people are by seeing something good in them, and trying something good together. With Jane, we got started by calling each other by our names.

First blog entry

So here's a my first blog about being a Christian and doing Supports Coordination work.
Let me explain why I am blogging about working my day job as a Supports Coordinator by attempting to answer a few questions here:

Why blog about Supports Coordinating?
I think we need to connect with each other more. I take that title of "Supports Coordinating" seriously, and expect that if I signed up for this job and I have a shared responsibility to the people who I am assigned to support with others who support, then maybe we ought to get to know each other better and support each other doing this work. That takes communication.
There are a lot of communications out there:
Some come from Harrisburg's Office of Developmental Programs (ODP) in the form of bulletins with mandates, some come from e-mail groups too, like with Mentors for Self Determination. Some come in the form of trainings. Lots of information, lots of resources, and you are a resource, too. So let's talk. Let's blog. Let's comment. I'm using a blog as a bit more of a level playing field than a mandate or a training, we're sharing. The more we can share the closer we can work together.

What to blog about?
I want to tell the stories of coming into contact with people who are supported to live more than your your average everyday life, but really called to live an extraordinary life. I thank God for each person I'm asked to support and for their team, and I thank him all the more when I see people working together and not just "independently", people working out their problems and not just controlling them or being controlled themselves. People who come of out of confinement and into community. People brave enough to share their faith and their hope and then work towards the same. I don't plan on publishing names or details of people who don't want them published. Do I think that the state and services or even families and people's own self-determined-will can accomplish this? I trust God, God in Christ Jesus. But like I said, this is my day job and I believe Jesus is with me all day long.

So what do you think?
Supports Coordinators have a job to do. Maybe I came in contact initially with the people I work with who have labels of disabilities because I needed a job and they needed a Supports Coordinator to do a job. I can start from there, and I can do that job. Eventually, though, after meeting someone, the labels and titles aren't as important to me as wanting to know each other's names and something about each other's lives. What's your name? What do you want to share about your life?