Films Involving or Featuring Disabilities
Author: Thomas C. Weiss
Published: 2009/05/12 - Updated: 2019/03/30
Contents: Synopsis - Introduction - Main - Related Publications
Synopsis: Films Involving Disabilities presents listings of feature films and documentaries which involve persons with disabilities.
Introduction
The Films Involving Disabilities website presents detailed listings of over three-thousand feature films and documentaries which involve persons with disabilities.
Main Content
The films the site lists are separated into two different categories - major films and minor films. The films are often reviewed, or include a summary as well as links to further information.
The site is directed towards teachers, students and anyone who has an interest in how disability is represented in films. The Films Involving Disabilities site has a number of categories of disability-related areas it focuses on, to include:
- Polio
- Blind
- Deaf
- A.I.D.S.
- Cancer
- Autism
- General
- Amnesia
- Amputee
- Dwarfism
- Stuttering
- Limb & Spinal
- Disfigurement
- Mental Disability
- Documentaries
- Learning Difficulty/Retardation
The Films Involving Disabilities site also presents books and articles related to persons with disabilities, film, television, and the media. There are many different and worthwhile book titles shown on the site; a few examples include:
- Disability Drama in Television and Film. Lauri E. Klobas
- Media Madness: Public Images of Mental Illness. Otto F. Wahl
- Images of the disabled, disabling images. A & Joe Gartner (Eds.)
- The Cinema of Isolation: A history of physical disability in the movies. Martin F. Norden
- Hollywood Speaks: Deafness and the Film Entertainment Industry. John S. Schuchman
- Extraordinary Bodies: Figuring physical disability in American culture & literature: Rosemarie Garland Thomson
Two of the many examples of articles available on the Films Involving Disabilities website include:
- Short articles called "I Hate Tiny Tim"
- Multiple Personality Disorder: Witchcraft Survives in the Twentieth Century
- August Piper Jr.
The creator of the Films Involving Disabilities website, David Greenhalgh, experienced a disability himself in his mid-forties, being diagnosed with Cervical Spondylosis. After becoming disabled he decided to create a database of disability resources involving his hobby related to films and books. David designed Films Involving Disabilities in 1994 and the site remains unique in its scope of presentation today. In relation to his website David stated, "There are hundreds of disability-related sites offering general information, but I think the more specialized ones are the most useful."
David was a teacher for many years and continues to educate others. While he is not published, he has written several items; to include a novel about a rabbit, a detective novel, a radio play, as well as short pieces concerning disability. Along with the website he has created on Films Involving Disabilities, David continues to both educate and change the world in constructive ways.
Author Credentials: Thomas C. Weiss is a researcher and editor for Disabled World. Thomas attended college and university courses earning a Masters, Bachelors and two Associate degrees, as well as pursing Disability Studies. As a CNA Thomas has providing care for people with all forms of disabilities. Explore Thomas' complete biography for comprehensive insights into his background, expertise, and accomplishments.