Whether it be at school, a future job, or a film- and theatre-related project, you may have the opportunity to work with a person with a disability! A person with a disability may look, speak, or walk differently than you. They may process information and think about things differently than you. And that’s okay! Sometimes, we feel like we need to act differently or speak differently to people with disabilities. However, truly the best thing to do is just be yourself!
If you haven’t worked with people with disabilities before, you may feel nervous or hesitant when working with a person with a disability. Just remember- everyone can use a friend. We all share that same desire to feel supported and understood. If you’re looking for a good place to start, start by being yourself and being a friend. Here are some strategies for making a new friend and being a good friend to others:
- Be open-minded about their thoughts and opinions.
- Speak and act with courtesy.
- Advocate for them! Stand up for them when they’re not around and support them.
- Make getting to know them a priority.
- Ask “get to know you” questions like: “What are some of your favorite hobbies?” “What’s your favorite movie, play, or musical and why?”
- Encourage them to aim big and reach for their goals.
Students With Disabilities Scenario #3
In a group with 1-2 of your friends or classmates, read the following scenario and discuss the questions.
You are in your film class and your teacher, Mr. C, pairs off all of the students into partners. Mr. C assigns you to be partners with James. Your teacher asks everyone to come up with an idea for a short film and to start storyboarding with their partners. James has a developmental disability called Autism. When you start talking with James trying to brainstorm an idea for a short film, you quickly discover that James loves movies. James is very passionate and likes to discuss all of the different aspects he enjoys about each movie to you in detail. He is very talkative and sometimes gets distracted or stays on a side-topic for too long. You start to worry that you might not be able to complete the project since Mr. C only gave you 30 minutes to come up with a short film idea and start storyboarding.
What Would You Do?
- If you were in this situation, what would you do? Explain why you picked your choice with your classmates or friends.
- Choice A: Get frustrated at James and tell him to stop talking so that you both can focus on your project.
- Choice B: Go to Mr. C and ask for a different partner.
- Choice C: Ignore James as he talks to you and do the project yourself.
- Choice D: Ask James what genre of movies he likes best and make that the genre for your short film idea.
- If you chose Choice D, how do you think that that choice would help you and James complete your project, while also getting to know James better?
- Do you think choosing any of the other choices might hurt James’ feelings?
Download Learn More About: Being Yourself & Being A Friend (English) here.