Intellectual Disabilities - Videos - Neurodiversity - Library and Academic Services at RRC Polytech

Featured Streaming Videos: NFB.ca

Alphée of the Stars
Alphée has a rare genetic disorder that hampers her development. Yet she continues to defy medical expectations. In a moving declaration of love for his daughter, filmmaker Hugo Latulippe and his family steal away for a year, focusing on his daughter's learning, so that she can integrate into a regular classroom when they get home.
David with F.A.S.
David Vandenbrink seems like a healthy 21-year-old, bright and articulate young man. There is little to suggest that while in his mother's womb, he suffered permanent brain damage. His condition, fetal alcohol syndrome (F.A.S.), went undiagnosed for the first 18 years of his life, causing confusion, anger, and pain for both David and his non-Indigenous adoptive family.
F.A.S.: When the Children Grow Up
This documentary tells the stories of three adults living with F.A.S., along with commentary from experts in the field.
John and Michael
This animated short pays tribute to two men with Down syndrome who shared an intimate and profoundly loving relationship that deeply affected the filmmaker. Narrator Brian Davis brings the characters to life with great sensitivity.
The Artisans
“We’re beautiful, the whole gang. We’re special,” says Jean of the 15-odd employees at The Artisan—a workshop employing people with intellectual disabilities. Jean is the self-described “handyman and best-looking” member of the group. A moving celebration of difference, The Artisans captures daily life at an organization where the workers are as courageous as they are colourful.
Tying Your Own Shoes
This short animated documentary offers an intimate glimpse into the exceptional mindsets and emotional lives of four adult artists with Down Syndrome.
Wipe Out
Narrated by Olympic gold medalist Ross Rebagliati, this film tells the story of three young men living with permanent brain damage as the result of head injuries they suffered pursuing extreme sports.

Featured Web-Based Videos

3 things I learned from my intellectually disabled son | Emilie Weight | TED Institute

As a mother with a son affected with Fragile X syndrome -- a genetic disorder -- Emilie Weight believes that a diagnosis of disability can create opportunity, not despair. Her son’s differences compelled her to question her inner self and her role in the world. With this new mindset she discovered his true superhero qualities when she stopped treating him like a patient and started treating him like a partner, leading her to three essential tools for how to approach life.

How much do you know about intellectual disabilities? | Matthew Williams | TEDxVancouver

In a talk that garnered a tearful standing ovation, Matthew Williams demands equality and respect for individuals with intellectual disabilities, told from the perspective of a Special Olympics athlete. Matthew Williams is a firm believer in the power of sport to transform lives. He experienced it firsthand when he joined Special Olympics in the eighth grade. Williams has achieved a great deal in his decade with Special Olympics. He competed in the 2015 Special Olympics World Summer Games in basketball, where the first-ever Canadian basketball team to participate in a World Games finished fourth. He has also participated in track and field, swimming, floor hockey, and curling.

I have one more chromosome than you. So what? | Karen Gaffney | TEDxPortland

Karen Gaffney left the Rose City and the World in awe with a captivating talk that explored the history, current state and progress of Down Syndrome. Her idea? Inclusion. Further, we must refine our vocabulary and eradicate “the R word” as the word “retard” has no place in our daily language.

Invisible Disabilities: Seeing Others With Compassion | Valerie Kosson | TEDxYouth@Lancaster

An accomplished musician, Valerie may seem like a normal twenty year old college student. However, she has invisible disabilities as a result of being a preemie baby. Valerie explains what “parts” she has missing and what she has to do on a daily basis just to function. Her story will make us all a bit more compassionate.

Let's Talk About Intellectual Disabilities | Loretta Claiborne | TEDxMidAtlantic

Loretta Claiborne's story is remarkable — from Special Olympian to inspiring speaker and advocate for others. Her work has ranged from supporting people with disabilities to working to help end bullying. In 2000, Walt Disney Productions created The Loretta Claiborne Story. "I figured if my story could change a person's mind about another person, or especially a child's mind about another child, then it was the right thing to do," Claiborne says. Loretta is a world-class runner and gifted motivational speaker who happens to also be a Special Olympics Athlete and a person who has an intellectual disability.

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