Disability

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Disability, Subminimum Wage, and Sheltered Workshops

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Disability, Subminimum Wage, and Sheltered Workshops

This powerful documentary examines the controversy surrounding sheltered workshops in the United States, which employ people with intellectual and developmental disabilities at subminimum wages under the 14C provision of the Fair Labor Standards Act. The debate highlights a clash between two competing frameworks regarding the lives of disabled individuals. On one side, activists and some former workers argue that these facilities enforce segregation and institutionalization, denying individuals the autonomy and fair compensation they deserve in an inclusive society. On the other side, many workers, families, and workshop operators view these sites as essential social safety nets. They provide a sense of community, structure, and purpose that some individuals may not find in the competitive marketplace, where they might face isolation or exclusion. After watching the video, do you support sheltered workshops?

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Mommy Dead and Dearest (2017)

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Mommy Dead and Dearest (2017)

The documentary Mommy Dead and Dearest (2017) explores a fascinating case of “Munchausen syndrome by proxy” (aka factitious disorder imposed on another), an abusive situation whereby a parent or guardian forces an imagined illness onto a vulnerable dependent. As a result, the once-healthy person often becomes sick from forced treatments and/or unnecessary medication.

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The Right to Sexuality

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The Right to Sexuality

The Atlantic, 2019, 13:28… Paul and Hava met at a performing-arts social event for people with intellectual disabilities. With the assistance of their parents, they went on a few successful dates. The connection was immediate. After some time, they decided to make their strong, loving bond official. The couple made each other so happy that their parents saw no good reason to deny the proposal. The group homes where Paul and Hava lived, however, stood in the way of the couple’s union. “They want us not to get married—not to live together,” says Paul in a new short documentary.

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Disability Activism

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Disability Activism

Vice, 2018, 15:13… A new wave of activism by disabled Americans has quickly gained momentum under the Trump administration in response to federal policies they feel are threatening their community on issues ranging from healthcare, to education, to fundamental civil rights. VICE’s Ryan O’Connell, who lives with cerebral palsy, joined hundreds of activists from ADAPT, the largest organizer for disability rights in the U.S., as they staged several days of protest and civil disobedience in Washington D.C.