Movies and shows about people with mobility impairments
Here, we have compiled movies and shows about individuals with mobility impairments that can provide insight into what their daily lives are like.
Movies
The Remarkable Life of Ibelin is a film about Mats Steen, who was born with Duchenne muscular dystrophy and died from it at the age of 25. For his last years, he lived mostly inside the walls of his home because of the disease. He played the video game World of Warcraft, where he created his character Ibelin, and there he made many friends and allies. He was a strong personality who had everything that Mats had lost. Without his parents knowing, he was popular in the world of the video game, which was revealed when he passed away. This picture gives an idea of how online friendship works and the impact of technology on people's social lives.
Philippe is a wealthy Frenchman who is severely injured in a paragliding accident, leaving him paralyzed from the neck down. This is, of course, a huge shock to him, not least because of how much of a fun-loving outdoorsman he was before the accident. When Philippe and his assistant are hiring a caregiver, a young man named Driss applies for the job. He has a rather questionable past. To Driss's great surprise, Philippe hires him, despite the fact that it's clear he has no professional experience in caring for disabled people. But Philippe has his reasons for liking the man who had no chance of getting the job. It later turns out that his intuition was right, and little by little, a unique friendship develops between these two very different men, one that benefits them both.
Cystic fibrosis is a congenital genetic disease. The symptoms of the disease are caused by the malfunction of exocrine glands, which include sweat glands, the mucous glands of the respiratory tract, and the pancreas, which produces digestive enzymes. Symptoms vary from person to person, but they primarily affect the lungs and/or the digestive system. As a result, individuals with the disease are more susceptible to illness and have a weaker immune system than usual. Therefore, it is difficult for these individuals to be together, and they must maintain distance. This film deals with the difficult situation that arises when two people with the disease fall in love.
The movie is about a young man, Leo, who breaks up with his girlfriend. When he is on his way to see her for the last time, he is in an accident. Following the accident, he lives with a physical disability that affects his entire life. The film deals with the difficult situation he is in regarding their relationship after the accident.
Melody Brooks is an 11-year-old girl with cerebral palsy who uses a wheelchair and also lives with a speech impediment. However, she doesn't let that stop her and uses assistive technology. She begins her schooling in a special education program, but it soon becomes clear that she is a good student and she is transferred to a mainstream school. The film shows the challenges she faces in the mainstream school, where she has to adapt to a new environment and get people to listen to her.
Stuart: The Day My Life Changed is a 2010 documentary about Stuart Mangan. It tells the story of how his life changed when he was injured playing rugby. The film covers the process that begins when he is discharged from a rehabilitation center and moves into his own home. The film effectively shows how the community receives him and how he develops his own independence.
This video is about, as the name suggests, the ADA, its origin, and its purpose. The ADA was enacted in the United States in 1990. The full name of this act is An Act to Establish a Clear and Comprehensive Prohibition of Discrimination on the Basis of Disability. Their purpose is simply to prohibit all discrimination against people with disabilities. The film covers their history and how they affect accessibility issues and more.
Haraldur Ólafsson (Halli) is a man with a physical disability who was institutionalized as a child at Kópavogshæli and remained there into adulthood. The system wrote him off, deciding he could learn nothing. But Halli is talented and possesses unbreakable perseverance and courage, a will to live, and a fun-loving spirit. He made friends and met kind people who supported him. Halli moved out of Kópavogshæli and pursued his education, including in the electrical trade at the Reykjavík Vocational School. He also got his driver's license, which greatly changed his life.
Rare diseases affect thousands worldwide, and several hundred have been diagnosed in this country. Although they are different, many of them have in common that people are at risk of falling through the cracks in society's public systems. This documentary provides an intimate look into the lives of three families of children with rare diseases and the challenges they face.
Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story is a 2024 film about Christopher, who dreams of becoming a movie star after his life changes following a horseback riding accident that leaves him paralyzed.
Episodes
Team Pølsa are a series made by the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation. They are about Øystein "Pølsa" Pettersen, who puts together a team that trains together in cross-country skiing. Each member does so in their own way, as they all live with a disability of some kind. Their biggest goal is to qualify for a major cross-country skiing competition. It's best seen firsthand.
Sånn er jeg, and sånn er det are series that were produced by the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation. In these, children with disabilities or illnesses provide insight into what their lives are like, the challenges they face, and how they cope with them. The programs are made with the children's voices and from their perspective. Among other things, several programs were made about children with motor impairments.
