- Hello, it's just
about seven o'clock
and we're gonna get started
with tonight's presentation.
Thank you for joining
us this evening.
I am Chris Hastings,
executive producer
for World Channel,
and I wanna thank
you for joining us
for this special event,
for the film,
"Intelligent Lives"
from our series,
"America Reframed."
We are so excited to be able
to have you with
us this evening.
July 26, 1990,
the Americans with Disabilities
Act was signed into law.
This year is the
30th anniversary.
For those of you who are
fans of the World Channel,
you know every month we
do a different theme,
a curation theme.
And this year we
decided to dedicate July
as a month where we
wanted to honor this law
that really is
about guaranteeing
the same opportunities for
people with disabilities.
Special with this theme
is we're partnering
with a number of stations
across public media.
And I wanna acknowledge them;
IOWA PBS, Oregon Public
Broadcasting, WCNY,
WGCU, WFYI and WXXI in
Dorchester, New York.
Each of these stations are
part of a PBS initiative,
public media initiative,
called Move to Include
where they too, are
looking to promote
inclusion of people with
disabilities across the country
and honoring the ADA,
Americans with Disabilities
Act, this month.
And so we're so
thankful for them
and our funders, Corporation
for Public Broadcasting
for funding us and allowing
us to work together
to present to you
"Intelligent Lives" tonight.
World Channel, as you know,
is broadcast across the country.
We are accessible in
about 70% of the country
and online across the country,
which is why we're
doing this event.
Thank you for joining us.
And part of what
we do year round
is making sure that we're
spotlighting content
that really is inclusive.
The film that you are gonna see,
clips from this evening,
"Intelligent Lives"
is part of our award winning
series, "America Reframed."
"Intelligent Lives" is probably
one of my favorite films
that we've been able to curate
and with partners
that we've worked with
for a better part
of two years now.
And so any time
when we get a chance
to spotlight the
team in the film,
I always think it's a
great opportunity to do so.
Tonight, I'm not
moderating this.
I've asked a friend to join us.
And so I thought it was
important to make sure
that we brought
somebody in who is new,
maybe to the World
Channel audience,
but is familiar with the
public media audience.
Mickela Mallozzi,
who is the host of Bare
Feet with Mickela Mallozzi,
is gonna be gonna be your
moderator this evening.
And Mickela how are you?
- Hi Chris, how are you?
- Mickela is gonna be
your moderator tonight.
She is a friend
of World Channel.
Maybe you've seen her
film across public media.
You've definitely seen her show
on our sister channel Create,
but Mickela is very, very,
very interested in this theme.
Very, very interested
in this film
and she's really
fun to work with.
So I'm gonna kick
it over to her.
She's gonna be your emcee
for the rest of the evening.
I'm gonna be in the chat.
And so if you have questions
for me, I'm around,
you can also send me a tweet
and you can see that
underneath my name I think,
@ChrisHastings if you
have any questions at all.
And Mickela, it's your show.
- Thank you so much, Chris.
And thank you to everybody
who's joining us this evening
or this afternoon, depending
where you're tuned in from.
For me, the topic of inclusion
is really close to my heart.
My older sister,
Adrianna Mallozzi
and I have a little
picture of her right here.
She, we are almost
identical looking.
She was born with
cerebral palsy.
So I feel very closely connected
to this topic of inclusion,
celebrating the 30th
anniversary of the ADA,
of the Americans with
Disabilities Act.
So I'm really honored to be
part of this entire evening
and really spotlighting
this incredible documentary.
And for everyone
who's tuning in,
we hope you can watch
it if you haven't yet.
So a little housekeeping
before we start,
you can please use
the Q and A tab
at the bottom of your screen,
to let us know where
you're joining from,
and also to send
us your questions
and comments
throughout the night.
We'll be answering
your questions
all throughout the night,
while we're having this
whole conversation.
We really wanna keep
it as interactive
and inclusive as possible.
And you can have access
to closed captions
by clicking the
close caption tab.
So we do wanna make
this as accessible
as possible as well.
We will screen sub segments
of the documentary,
"Intelligent Lives,"
which had descriptive video.
So that's accessible
as well to all.
We will have some of
the stars from the film
who will share
their experiences.
We're so lucky to have
them here with us tonight,
and we will have a Q and
A at the end as well.
So you can ask any of
your questions at the end.
So we do want to
have you participate
and really engage as much
and as comfortable
as you feel with us.
So tonight, who
are you gonna meet?
You are gonna meet Intel-
excuse me, "Intelligent
Lives" filmmaker, Dan Habib,
Chris Cooper and
Marianne Leon Cooper,
who are the executive producers,
Naieer Shaheed and his
mom Donna Richards,
one of the stars of the film,
Trisha Lampkin from the
Boston Public Schools
and Steve and Naomie Monplaisir,
other stars of the film as well.
So we're gonna start by
just an introduction
to this wonderful film,
to kick us off.
(upbeat music)
- [Man] I googled
whatever IQ is,
they like said that somebody
who can't really like move
from their parents'
house, probably.
- [Woman] Millions of Americans
with intellectual disabilities
are excluded from classrooms
and the workforce.
- [Woman] What we're doing
is fighting against
segregation again,
with segregation
based on ability.
- [Man] The IQ test measures
a very limited potential
of our brain to learn
and misses all the other stuff.
- [Woman] Three young adults
challenge perceptions of
intelligence and ability.
- [Man] Lots of
people in society
still think that people
with disabilities,
still have the mindset
of sending them away.
- We have to broaden
our understanding
of what intelligence is.
- [Woman] "Intelligent
Lives", on "America Reframed".
- Wonderful.
Well, thank you so much
for playing that trailer.
For those of you who
haven't seen it yet,
I hope this entices you to
watch this incredible film.
And we are so lucky
tonight to have Dan Habib,
who is the director and
producer of "Intelligent Lives".
He's also the creator of the
award winning documentaries,
including, "Samuel,"
"Who Cares About Kelsey,"
"Mr. Connolly Has ALS"
and many other films.
Dan is a project director
at the University
of New Hampshire
Institute on Disability.
In 2014, Dan was appointed
by president Obama
to the president's committee
for people with
intellectual disabilities.
Thank you so much for
your being here Dan,
and for all of your work.
Good evening.
(laughs)
- Oh, thank you Mickela,
it's great to be with you
and happy ADA
celebration a week.
It's really an
amazing opportunity
to partner with World
Channel in "America Reframed"
on this webinar, so
thank you for hosting.
- Well, thank you.
So we wanna get, we
wanna dive right in.
Can you tell us first,
a little bit about
your earlier work,
these films that we
have up right now
and what made you focus on
the people and their lives?
- So, "Including Samuel,"
my first film really
is the heart of everything
because it's about
my son, Samuel.
And really all the
work that I've done,
including "Intelligent Lives",
grows out of my parenthood,
grows out of my parenting,
a young man now named
Samuel, who is 20 years old,
who has a really vibrant
educational life.
He's going to college.
He graduated from high school,
he's got a great
circle of friends,
but Samuel also has a lot
of serious challenges.
He has a specific
disorder called GNAO1
a very rare movement disorder.
He uses a wheelchair,
he uses a communication device.
And what we've noticed
in the last 20 years
is that people underestimate
Samuel all the time.
And even though he's
a college student,
even though he's doing
all these great things,
they often people talk to
him like as a five year old,
sometimes-
- Yeah.
- It happens just every day,
when we were at a
medical appointment.
So that really said to me
that there's this real
problem in our society
around low expectations for
people with disabilities.
And that's what
I wanna challenge
in all the work that I do.
- Yeah, I love it.
And that's, we're
gonna be talking a lot
about that tonight,
about expectations.
They're pretty subjective.
So how does a clinical test
impact this idea of expectations
for the disability community?
I mean, actually before
we dive into that,
what made you decide to
start with the IQ test
and then go into that?
- Yeah.
- Yeah.
- Well, I mean,
there's so many ways
that the IQ test impacts
and it's obviously
just one element
in the way that
people are measured.
But it has been
used systemically
to segregate people over
the last hundred plus years.
And it's still being
used to segregate people.
I mean, people who know me know
I'm a huge believer in
inclusive education.
Well in many school
districts around the country,
if you score a certain
score on an IQ test,
you will not be in an inclusive
education environment.
And we know that
inclusive education
helps students have better
communication skills,
higher academic achievement,
access to college, employment.
And so you're depriving people
of something very profound
if you segregate them.
And so, I think if you
went downtown Boston
and asked 10 people, how do
you measure intelligence?
Nine of them might say,
well, I guess the IQ test.
And they may not know that
there's this incredible,
awful history of the IQ
test being used to oppress
and marginalize millions
and millions of people.
- Yeah, and we're gonna
see a clip about that
a little bit, in
just a little bit.
Going on that,
how did you choose the subject
of "Intelligent Lives"?
Because it really
focuses on the IQ test,
but then sort of
debunking the myth
of what the IQ test
can actually tell us.
- Right, I mean IQ test
for this film in some ways
it's more of an entry
point to challenging
our perceptions of intelligence.
Because I think that
perceptions of intelligence
is perhaps the greatest barrier
for people with disabilities,
having access to education,
employment, relationships,
all aspects of society.
So I felt like I had to
tell that history first
to kind of get
people's minds open,
to experience the lives
of these incredible people
that I was able to film.
Micah, Naieer, Naomie
and their families.
And I was really fortunate
to have this friendship
with Chris Cooper and
Marianne Leon Cooper
and Chris the actor that
many people will know
was willing to narrate the story
and also talk about their
own personal experience
of parenting Jessie
and how IQ testing
came into their lives.
So I really feel
like their story,
my own personal
perspective as a father.
And every three
individual stories
opens up this door for
people to see intelligence
in a completely
different framework.
And I feel like
that's starting point
to raising expectations for
people with disabilities.
- Yeah, for sure.
Let's actually, if we
can cue up that clip,
'cause I think it
says a lot about
what we're talking
about right now.
It'd be great for the audience
to put that into perspective.
- Sure.
- [Narrator] Naomie,
Micah and Naieer,
three young adults
with disabilities
unlocking their potential
and finding work they love.
- Would you like to invite her,
so then she can also see it?
And you guys can see
what it looks like?
- [Narrator] Not long ago,
it was common for doctors
and social workers
to counsel families,
to send their children
away to institutions.
And a child's low IQ
was often their one
way admission ticket.
- [Woman] Naomie
chats with a woman,
a black and white photo
of a bespectacled man
beside children appears.
- [Narrator] Dr. Alfred Binet,
the French psychologist,
published the first
intelligence test in 1905
to identify children that
needed educational assistance.
He stressed that intelligence
was a fluid quality
shaped by one's
environment and culture
and subject to change over time.
His intentions were
soon distorted.
- [Woman] A man in a bow tie.
- [Narrator] The
American psychologist,
Henry H, Goddard,
altered how the
Benit-Simon test was used.
He insisted the test was
a scientifically valid way
to identify the
feebleminded in our midst.
- [Woman] A crowd waits
outside a building.
- [Narrator] By 1913, the
United States government
was using Goddard's methods
to test 29,000 immigrants
a week at Ellis Island.
Goddard said the result showed
that 79% of Italians,
83% of Jews and 87% of
Russians were feebleminded.
During World War One, the
military used an IQ exam
to determine a soldier's rank.
Men who scored lower
were fit to be privates
but not officers.
Privates where the
most likely to end up
on the front lines of battle.
- [Woman] A sign reads,
"Eugenic and Health Exhibit."
- [Narrator] IQ testing was
used to fuel a pseudoscience
known as, "Eugenics."
Which called for eliminating
the menace of the feebleminded
through marriage restrictions
and warehousing of hundreds of
thousands of disabled people.
By 1950,
it has been estimated that
more than 60,000 people
have been forcibly sterilized.
Eugenics had the support
of prominent physicians,
professors,
governors, presidents,
and even the United
States Supreme court.
- [Woman] An article,
"Decision held step
toward a super-race."
- [Narrator] Adolf Hitler,
cited the U.S. eugenics research
as justification for sterilizing
and murdering nearly a quarter
of a million disabled Germans.
- [Woman] A field
of identical grave
stretches into the distance.
- [Narrator] Meanwhile,
so-called, "training schools"
founded with good intentions
as early as the mid 1800s,
were established as safe places
where adolescents and young
adults with disabilities
could learn skills and
integrate into society.
But over time,
these schools devolved
into restrictive
hospital-like institutions
with few opportunities
for growth
and little hope for release.
- [Woman] A child
crouches on a bench.
- [Narrator] Notorious
institutions like Willowbrook,
more closely resembled
prisons than schools.
- [Woman] Seven children
sit in a single crib,
a man proctors an IQ test.
- [Narrator] And yet
despite its ugly history
and inherent flaws,
intelligence testing
and the resulting IQ
score is alive and well.
In response to consistent
criticism over many years,
the tests have been
modified enough
to retain their status
as the standard measure
of intelligence
throughout the U.S.
- [Woman] A child takes a test.
- [Narrator] Research tells us
that IQ test results
can be biased
by factors such as
socioeconomic status
and cultural background.
African American students
are almost twice as
likely as white students
to be classified with
intellectual disability.
- Dan, it's just a
chilling when you watch
this portion of the documentary
to think not too long ago,
that that was really the case.
Can we talk about how, you know,
does IQ testing still affect
the lives of people
with disabilities
and how, and what's
the alternative?
- Yeah, it very much does.
I mean, I think that
number that you get
that people often
get in that IQ test,
is still somewhat
of a Scarlet letter,
you know, that sticks to them.
And certainly there are,
if there's information
that could be gathered
through these assessments
that could
potentially be helpful
in designing
educational programs,
but most of those reports
are not written in a way
that anyone can
really understand them
other than other
psychologists (laughs)
And they're not
really translated
for the education for families.
And plus they're
measuring things
that don't necessarily
have any indication
of whether a student
could be successful
in school, in a job,
in a relationship.
So they really do
profoundly limit people.
And I tell you, there
was a couple of examples
that came up very
recently from me.
In one case, I met a
man in Pennsylvania,
who's in college, who uses
a communication device
with an eye gaze technology,
where he uses his
eyes to communicate.
He's a really sharp guy and
he's doing well in college.
Every year, his
doctor has to certify
that he has under 75 IQ
in order for him to access
adult services and funding.
And that happens all
over the country.
And then I have an extended
family member, that's a teacher
and she was actually doing tours
of some different
school buildings.
And there was one
building that had kids
with and without disabilities
included, integrated together.
Another building
where all the kids
with disabilities
were separated.
And she said, "why are
some kids separated,
some kids included."
And the superintendent said,
"Oh, if you score 55 or below
in your IQ, you're segregated,
If you score 56 or
above, you're included,"
this was like last year.
- Wow.
- So, I mean, they've
very, very much,
this is a very
current day issue.
- Yeah, yeah, wow.
You know, going, you know,
we start off with the
film talking about IQ,
but then you really dive into
three incredible characters.
And a few of them, we're
gonna be meeting tonight.
How did you choose the subject
of "Intelligent Lives"?
Where did you find these
wonderful people to begin with?
- Yeah, they are incredible
Micah, Naomie, Naieer,
their families.
I mean, with any film
project I take on,
and I had 20 years of journalism
before I became a filmmaker.
And the most important thing
is finding the right
people to film,
to document, to work with.
And so I spent a lot
of time researching
and I met Micah, who's
not with us tonight,
but you saw in the film.
Probably eight or nine years ago
and realized right away what
a paradigm shifter you know,
he was given an IQ of 40
and is now at Syracuse
University taking classes,
co-teaching classes, working
really a great paradigm shifter.
And then the Henderson School,
where you're gonna meet
the principal, Patricia
Lampkin tonight
and Naieer Shaheed, a
student and his mom,
they're nationally known
as this incredibly
inclusive school.
When I asked Trisha,
can you introduce me
to some of your students who
might be good for this film?
And as soon as I met Naieer,
as I'm sure you'll see tonight,
it was just somebody I
knew I wanted to follow
and to show that high
school inclusion experience.
And then lastly, I
wanted to find someone
transition to employment.
And after many many
months of research,
I found Naomie who
was transitioning
from what's called
a shelter workshop
into competitive
integrated employment.
Then again, fortunate to
have Chris and Marianne
involved as a narrator,
executive producer.
So you have to build
a really strong team
for these multi-year,
you know, big projects.
- Now I know we're gonna be
talking to Naomie and Naieer,
but Micah couldn't
be with us tonight,
but I wanna talk about,
because in particular for him,
it really, there was
something he stressed
that I thought was so important
and it was about his own
independence and self advocacy.
Can you talk about why
that was so important
to show in the film
for self-advocacy,
for someone with a disability?
- Yeah, I mean, I'm not
a person with disability,
even though I'm a
parent of someone.
I don't know the
experience firsthand
of having a disability.
And I am a
storyteller that tries
to let other people
express their experiences.
But I think that everything
comes down to self-advocacy.
I mean, you know,
and this doesn't happen
when someone's a teenager,
we've been trying to give Samuel
choices about his own life
since he was one
or two years old.
And for people
with disabilities,
there's this reality in
society where many people
are being told what
to do, where to be,
where they need to go,
and that takes away a
lot of their agency.
And so I think the more
we can proactively create
opportunities and structures
where people with disabilities
are in direct control
of their own lives,
without that, they're
not gonna be able
to fulfill the dreams
that they have,
just like anybody else has,
whatever that might be.
To work, to be in relationships,
to be living in the community.
So it has to be very
intentional to make that happen.
- I love that,
and through Micah,
you really see that it's so
powerful, it's so wonderful.
- Yeah.
- Last question for now,
but how does "Intelligent
Lives" reframe America?
Since we're here with WGBH
and World and Reframe America,
excuse, "America
Reframed" (laughs)
- Of course, well
there's a lot of,
as we see in our
society right now,
there's a lot of reframing
of America happening
through the Black Lives
Matter protests and movements,
ongoing efforts for women's
rights for LGBTQ rights.
And I think that this
is similar in the sense
that you can't understand these
modern civil day
movements and efforts,
unless you understand
our history.
And you can't understand
Black Lives Matter
if you don't know
that we are a country
that comes from slavery
and segregation.
You can't understand
women's rights,
if you don't understand
that women have to fight
for the right to
vote and to work
and, you know, against
sexual harassment.
You can't understand,
you know, gay rights,
unless you understand the
violence and discrimination
that people have faced
for so many years.
You can't understand
disability rights
and the importance of the
Americans with Disabilities Act,
unless you understand
this history.
And so part of my
mission with this film
was to show that history
and what can be a
very painful reality.
But also show the
possibilities going forward,
if people like Micah near
Naomie have the supports
that they just need
to be successful.
Just the equal access,
just the open doors,
to these different
parts of our society
and how much they contribute
and are contributing
to their schools, their friends,
their communities,
their families.
So that's, my job is to
show just how palpable
and powerful that can be.
- And it is so
powerful, so thank you.
- Thank you.
- Thank you Dan.
We're gonna, we'll, we'll
have you back in a bit,
but I just want to,
we'll have a chance to
talk with you later.
But now we wanna show you
another segment of the film
and introduce you
to Chris Cooper
and his wife,
Maryann Leon Cooper.
They are executive
producers of the film.
- Our son, Jesse had cerebral
palsy and could not speak.
When Jesse was four,
the neurologist told
us in front of our son
that he would never be
intellectually normal.
And we should be thinking
about having another child.
- [Woman] Chris Cooper actor.
- [Chris] When he was six,
the special education director
in our local school district,
said we should send Jesse a way
to Massachusetts
Hospital School.
That is not what we did.
We fought to have Jesse
included in general education.
- [Woman] Family photos.
- [Chris] During the
struggle, the school insisted
that Jesse take the
Stanford-Binet IQ test.
The test contained absurd
antiquated questions like,
"Jesse, do you dust a dresser?"
And Marianne and I
are thinking dust,
my wife, I don't dust.
We call dressers bureaus
and anyway, dusting
wasn't a chore
I had thought to give to
my child with quadriplegia.
Jessie learned to use the
computer to communicate
and he learned to read
and he had developed
close friendships.
But Jesse became a straight
A student in high school.
He wrote poetry and he aced
every one of his Latin tests.
- [Woman] He poses
with classmates.
- [Chris] The IQ
test told us nothing
about my child's potential,
about who he was as a person.
- [Woman] Jesse laughs
as his father smiles.
- Can any attempt to
measure intelligence,
predict a person's
value or ability
to contribute
meaningfully to the world?
- [Woman] Painted words read,
"A Film by Dan Habib,"
a painting forms a hand
holding a puzzle
piece over a puzzle.
- [Narrator] IQ testing is
still used in 49 of 50 States.
As one of the ways to determine
if a student will
carry a lifelong label
of intellectual disability.
- [Woman] Paint drips
from more words,
narrated by Chris Cooper.
A student covers his
face with his hands.
- [Narrator] Only
17% of students
with intellectual
disability are included
in regular classrooms.
- [Woman] A woman's
strings, colorful beads.
- [Narrator] 6.5
million Americans
have an intellectual disability.
Only 15% are employed.
- [Woman] A school
bus pulls away
from Dr. William W.
Henderson Public High school
Dorchester, Massachusetts.
- [Narrator] There are
different ways. Better ways.
- [Woman] A student climbs
the school's front stairs.
Then a title appears
in painted letters,
"Intelligent Lives."
A hand reaches out and
underlines the last word.
The student glances
up as he paints.
- Thank you so much,
Chris and Marianne.
People are familiar with
your work on the screen,
"Adaptation, "August: Osage
County' and "Little Women."
And you Marianne with "The
Blue Line" and "The Sopranos"
and you're also a writer,
including your book,
"Jesse a Mother's Story."
Now we get to know you
both as Jesse's parents
and as executive producers
of "Intelligent Lives".
Thank you so much
both for joining us.
So such an honor
to have you here.
- Thanks an honor to be here.
- Thank Mickela.
- I also just wanna
add a personal note.
I feel quite connected
to your family story.
My parents are both
Italian immigrants
and Marianne I know
you've mentioned
in prior interviews-
- (indistinct) Because I
thought your first name
seemed a pretty ethnic (laughs)
- Mickela, right?
And I have two z's
in my last name.
It's a little hard
to avoid the Italian,
but my parents came
here, you know,
English was their
second language.
And I know you always
mentioned, wow, if my mother,
'cause your mother
came here from Italy.
If my mother was
in that situation
and just a lot of parallels,
a lot of barriers
that you as a family
and Jesse had to face that
my sister had to go through.
So I just feel when
I saw your story
and I just are already feel
really connected to you guys.
So thank you so much again
for all of your work.
And I just wanted
to let you know
that kindred spirits
here for sure, for sure.
But let's get into talking
about being part of this film
and your life, you know,
talking about the IQ test.
What expect, excuse me,
what expectations does the
doctors you worked with
have for Jesse
and how do they differ
from your own expectations
for Jesse, as parents?
- You know, it's
really interesting.
My niece now has a son
on the spectrum, right.
And I was talking about
how different it is now
because she can video
him doing the things
that I used to get eye rolls
for say that Jesse could do.
I mean when he was four
and picked up an
octagon from a puzzle
and showed it to the therapist
and said, "Oct-eight,"
I was so grateful that it
was just someone not me
because it was to, you
know, an official person.
But you know, I didn't
have a cell phone
that I could video Jesse
doing that stuff with.
And basically just faced
eye rolls all the time.
I'm like, Oh, you know,
and I think the non verbal
thing has a lot to do-
- We illustrated his cognition
with this one individual.
But he had to prove
himself every time.
- Over and over, and you know,
finally, I mean, it took
forever for him to be
tested properly by
someone with adaptations.
The first test, what you
didn't hear in the film is,
the first the test that
they've made him do
had no adaptations
for his disability.
He was supposed to
point to something.
And then the guy would
flip the page over.
And I mean, it was ridiculous
and a waste of
taxpayer money also.
And it was absurd and they knew
that they couldn't do
anything with that.
I was just furious at
how they wasted his time.
You know, a kid who's
like six years old
sitting there for two
hours doing ridiculous.
Yeah, it was absurd.
- We were, we were of course,
we were living in
Manhattan and Hoboken
during Jesse's early age,
before we moved here-
- And here being
Massachusetts, right?
- And we are in
Massachusetts now.
- We made a special trip
because Marianne grew up here.
So she was familiar with
the great hospitals here.
And we were hooked up
with a neurologist.
And this was the
gentleman who said,
"Jesse would never be
intellectually normal."
- That was in New York.
- Yeah.
- Yeah.
- But I wanted to move
here because at the time,
what little research you
could do pre-internet,
I mean, laborious research,
- Right, right.
- Basically what we found
was that Massachusetts
was above the national
average for inclusion.
- Gotta say thank
God for Ted Kennedy.
'Cause he thought he put
things in place here.
- Unfortunately, the town we
moved to how to SPED director,
who did not believe in
inclusion for our children.
We had a two year battle
to get our kid into school
and it had to organize all
the parents and you know,
and this guy was
quoted as saying,
"Why should we spend
money on these kids,
they don't give anything
back to society," and-
- It's just all too familiar.
We've heard that and I'm
sure a lot of people-
- My son is not gonna have a job
when I'm done with
him and he didn't.
- Good.
- Oh yeah.
And I organized the
parents and we got a parent
with a child with disability
on the school board,
which we didn't have before.
I'm really here to tell you
the grassroots organizing
works, it works.
If you organize
from the grassroots-
- And it does not cost,
- Right.
More.
- More.
- For the school.
- Any more.
- Right.
- Right, well,
let's get into that
because I know, I'm sure
there are a lot of families
on this webinar
right now, tuning in,
you know, there's, you know,
the Individuals with
Disabilities Act
that was passed in 1975.
Like you said, you
went to Massachusetts
expecting more inclusion,
but it really was case by case.
- Yeah.
- Yeah, and can
you share with us,
you do like firsthand the
fight, some of the fight
that you had to get
Jesse in full inclusion
because I'm sure there
are families on here
that feel that frustration
may not realize that
this is what has to be done.
- Well, let me just, let
me just start by saying,
we need to keep our eye on
this with every administration.
- Yes.
- Yes.
- Because it changes
with the administration.
- But when we came here,
they placed Jesse
into a collaborative.
Which was completely,
the first thing I saw
when I walked in was that he
was in a room without windows,
with stinking wrestling
mats up on the wall
that he was put together with
children of varying abilities,
that there were no
expectations for him, none.
And I was horrified to see that.
And they allow Jesse to visit
the regular kindergarten
for an hour or so a day.
And I was like, no
I don't want this,
I want inclusion for him.
And so then they did
what is called dumping,
they dumped him.
They basically put him in class,
didn't make any adaptations
for his disability
and were expecting failure.
- Set him up for
failure, right, exactly.
- Absolutely, and so our kid
who had a sunny temperament
and was tantruming
three times a week.
He had an abusive aid.
He had, the aid was
saying in front of him,
"He don't belong here.
"Between you and
me, we both know
"where he's gonna end
up," stuff like that.
And the teacher
went along with it.
And so, you know, when I
found out what was going on,
I immediately called a
meeting, went to what happened,
you know, the Italian
rage, I blacked out.
- Oh Yeah.
(laughs)
My mother has broken
many wooden spoons
on me, don't worry.
(laughs)
- So we, it was a
two year battle.
It was a battle to get him...
But it happened with the
fact that we were organized
and had a lot of parents
with children of different,
differing abilities.
- We just, we were, we
were imagining like,
how are we gonna
get this together?
Because I mean, it's
just like an example,
you have, you have
single mothers
who are working their tails off,
and they're afraid
of retaliation.
- Yeah.
- Yeah.
- I mean, truth be known.
- It's time.
You know, we were lucky
that we had resources.
You know what I mean?
But my mentor was Mary Somoza,
this fantastic advocate
from New York City,
with twin daughters,
with cerebral palsy,
four kids below
the poverty line,
two stories, two wheelchairs.
Those girls, Anastasia
Somosa one of them graduated,
pre-loss-
- Bilingual,
- They're both bilingual.
even though Alba is
nonverbal, she's bilingual.
- Yeah.
- Anastasia graduated
pre-law from Georgetown,
then got her master's from
London School of Economics
and spoke before 30,000 people
at the DNC for Hillary Clinton.
- People will remember her,
she led the pledge of allegiance
at the Clinton
Library I believe.
She worked with the DNC during-
- Hillary's campaign.
- Hillary's campaign.
And I think we've
seen her seen her on,
on the news a number of
times for different events.
- But Mary is fierce.
She's like this Irish immigrant
who is also a fierce mother
and she really had to go at it
because they did
not have resources.
- Yeah.
- And so she taught me a lot
when the battle began, she
told me everything to do.
Document everything,
blah, blah, blah.
I mean, she was, she was
really helpful, you know.
- That's incredible.
- Yeah.
- That's incredible.
Well, let's talk about
that a little bit of
as a mother, as a father's
parents, you know,
my sister's also an advocate
for people with disabilities
and within the
disability community,
sometimes you see parents
that feel very over protective
of their child, maybe even
more so than most parents.
But when did you both realize
you had the permission
or maybe even the
obligation to let Jesse
realize his full potential
and not based on the
expectations of doctors.
- I felt that way
from the beginning.
I always felt like
he will be better off
whatever he can do on his own
will add to his self esteem.
And I mean, we, we punished
him if he didn't do it,
we were like, if you don't,
if you keep poopin' off dude,
you're not going to the mall
for a movie this weekend.
Because you know, that gave
him self esteem, frankly.
I mean, he was really,
he was a sunny kid
and he was very funny
and he was mischievous
and he teased his tutors
and he was very funny
and I think he was a
happy kid, you know.
And he traveled with us.
I pulled him out of school
whenever Chris had a gig,
like I thought, you know
what, stand in line at school
or visit a 15th
century cathedral-
- Wow!
- You know (laughs)
- Little man traveled
really, really well.
I mean, you know, he was-
- He was like a SWAT team.
- You can imagine the
Cobblestones in Italy.
(laughs)
That was pretty, yeah.
- Pretty lucky.
We were very privileged
and we knew it, you know.
- What were some of the
favorite experiences
that you were able to
share with Jesse abroad?
I mean, that just sounds like
an incredible experience.
- Oh my God, we went to,
he went to Prague when I
did "The Bourne Identity"
and that was a big project.
And there's a beautiful
square in Prague
that is of a certain
period, I think 1600s or so.
And in one of the churches,
we heard some piece of music
that Jesse was
very familiar with
because he loved, he
loved all kinds of music,
- Yeah we played all
different music for him.
- You know, he traveled very.
- Hear that? Is
that train too loud?
The train goes by here.
In Italy, I remember
walking through a park
and hearing opera, you know,
out in the open and
saying to Jesse,
"This is something
you'll remember always,
hearing an opera singer in
Italy, you know, amazing.
- Jesse loves theater.
We took him into
New York to watch,
watch that musical Oklahoma.
And we had played that he,
we got him familiar
with the album
before we took him to see
it, and the storyline,
so he didn't have to
concentrate so much
on first time viewing, but-
- And the best for
Jesse as a 10 year old
was when Chris did,
"Me, Myself and Irene,"
and he got to meet
his idol, Jim Carey.
- Oh cool.
- Carey was a doll and
gave up his lunch hour
to be with Jesse.
And Jesse had a picture with him
where he's just
swooning, you know,
looking at him and he
brought it into school
and the kids were like, "Jesse
Cooper knows Jim Carey."
(laughs)
We just, but the best was that
he had friends from school.
That was another
incredible thing.
I mean he had a best friend
and he had a girlfriend.
- We had a trip that,
we had a trip where
we had to pass through
the airport in France.
The elevators, escalators
nothing was working.
So this was a
learning experience
that Jesse brought
back to his class and-
- He wrote about it.
- He wrote about it.
He kept kept a
diary or a journal.
And so the teacher
thank goodness thought,
well here's a little project.
Who do we contact when-
- Isn't that great?
- Wonderful.
- Disabilities, you know,
a child with physical
challenges is in a public space
and nothing is
working, you know.
- And we have the letters
and the letters were amazing.
The letters were like
the definition of
what inclusion can do.
- Exactly.
- Because,
here a bunch of
ten-year-olds saying,
"Not just about Jessie."
Like there was the kid
that I loved who said,
"Dear Mr. Bush,
do you know what happened
to my friend, Jesse?"
- Yes!
- That was favorite.
But there were
kids who were like,
"What about parents with
children and strollers,
what about elderly people?"
I thought this is great.
They are thinking
communally now,
- Yes.
- Communally, that's beautiful.
It's what inclusion is.
So it's why we don't
stop talking about this.
- And you know, I'm sorry
your son passed away
about 15 years ago.
But again, you both
have continued to fight
for education rights
and opportunity
for children with disabilities.
And you can just hear
how passionate you are
about it and still so
passionate about it.
What motivates you
to just keep going
with this mission?
- I just feel like
his life was short
and his influence
can still be felt
if we do these things.
Like we have an advocacy fund
at the Federation for
Children with Special Needs.
We have Jesse Cooper
Give Back to Society,
a scholarship which,
kind of takes the words
of that horrible SPED director.
And actually he
was in the audience
the first time Chris
and Jesse gave it up,
but he didn't have
a job anymore.
But specifically-
- Sicilian revenge.
- But specifically this little
we touch on touch
with several things,
we met Dan Habib 10 years ago,
through the Federation for
Children With Special Needs,
which is a parent-run
organization.
And we love it
because the money is
really spent wisely.
They keep close tabs on it.
It's used very, very well.
- And it's parent-to-parent
and the best organizations
are always parent-to-parent.
- Yes.
- They have the most
invested, you know.
- Yeah.
- Yeah.
- Yeah, my sister's on here.
She just wrote,
"We can totally relate what
you as a family experienced.
I'm so glad you
didn't send Jesse
to Mass Hospital School."
She said, "I first set foot,
or wheel" quote parentheses,
"there is an adult about
six years ago for an event
and I was horrified,
couldn't imagine going to
and living in such an
institutional-looking place."
- I mean he expected
me to pack my kid's bag
at six years old.
I was like, "No way
dude," you know, ugh!
- Yeah, well, we just
wanna thank you so much.
- I had to buy a punching
bag during that. (laughs)
- I believe it, I believe it.
And you know, in retrospect
now understanding
what my mother and both my
parents had gone through,
but it's, as a kid,
you don't understand.
- What's was like as
a sibling for you?
'Cause we didn't have
a sibling for Jesse.
- Well, Adrianna is my sister
and I never really
saw anything different
until once you're introduced
that it is something
different, right.
'Cause that's your norm.
- Yeah.
- That is your norm, so-
- That's what the,
that's what I could,
it was so hard to
get across to people.
People were curious and
all I could say was,
"But this was our normal."
- Yeah.
- With Jess,
this is, this is the way it is.
- And you know my niece,
that has the boy on the spectrum
was Jesse's closest cousin and
she was his sibling really.
And so I think that really,
she made me cry the other day.
She said, "You
were my role model"
and she's a fantastic
mother, so yeah.
- Yeah, well, this is beautiful
to talk about this inclusion.
One last question.
'Cause we have wonderful
people we wanna get to,
I feel like we could
talk all night (laughs)
but what do you hope,
you know, you have such an
integral part of this film
and what do you hope
this film will do
for people with disabilities,
their families and
society as a whole,
this idea of inclusion?
- I'm gonna let Marianne say it
because it encapsulates
everything in this film.
(mumbles)
- Just presume competence.
If you just presume competence,
I think we can
work it from there.
But I also feel that you cannot,
you cannot let up
because I mean,
right now it's a
especially dire,
it's especially dire.
- Yes.
- Now it's all hands on deck,
it really is all hands on deck.
But you know what?
You have to keep up.
We get a scholarship every
year, right, for Jess.
I started asking
them, it's like,
I didn't say that it
had to be a person
with a physical disability,
but when year after
year, it was like,
"Oh, this person has
depression or whatever"
I was like," you're
a regional school,
you don't have any
students with disabilities
in your school?"
- Yeah.
- You know, so that tells me
that the struggle must continue.
- Yes, yes.
Well, thank you so much, both.
This is just wonderful
speaking to you,
well will have you back later.
So thank you so much
again for sharing-
- Thank you Mickela
- Everything and we'll,
we'll share some Italian
recipes to Marianne. (laughs)
- I want you to read my book
about, "My Mother Ma Speaks Up."
- I need to, I need
to, for sure, for sure.
Thank you both so much.
- Thank you.
- Thank you.
We are going to meet now,
one of the stars of the
film, Naieer Shaheed.
- [Woman] In a classroom,
a woman looks at a textbook and
laptop, with Naieer Shaheed.
Amy Gailunas, director of
inclusion, Henderson school.
- Yeah.
- [Amy] When Naieer first came,
his communication skills
weren't developed.
- This is what we
have right here, ok?
- [Amy] He wasn't able
to advocate for himself.
Many schools probably
would have taken that
and said, that's not for us,
inclusion is not for him.
(speaking in foreign language)
(speaking in foreign language)
But we look at behavior
as communication
for all students not just
kids with disabilities.
(speaking in foreign language)
- [Woman] A speech
therapy group.
- [Woman] Welcome team,
today is...
Who wants to chime out?
- Soup service.
- Soup service.
- And how does Mr.
Cloyd like to say it?
- Soup day!
(upbeat music)
- [Woman] In the kitchen,
Naieer wears rubber gloves,
as he carefully chops up
vegetables, then sautes them.
- [Woman] What's
in there so far?
- Carrots, onions...
(food sizzling)
- [Woman] Are we
ready to roll it down?
- Yes.
- [Woman] Naieer
and other students
roll a cart into the hallways.
- Soup day!
I'm ready!
(upbeat music)
- [Naieer] Enjoy your soup.
- Thank you, brother.
- Okay, on three,
one, two, three!
(upbeat music)
- [Woman] Naieer plays
basketball in the gymnasium.
Patricia Lam Prague.
- [Patricia] When people say,
why is your school successful?
I always say,
"Because we include students
with significant disabilities."
Having kids with
significant disabilities
has helped us to really become
more careful, individualized,
personal educators.
- [Woman] Naieer smiles as
he chats with a teammate.
He jogs down the court
and catches a pass.
- [Patricia] And I
really believe that
what we're doing is fighting
against segregation again.
- [Woman] Naieer makes a basket.
- [Patricia] But segregation
based on ability.
- [Woman] Samuel Texeira
and Matthew Reggiannini,
history co-teachers.
- How are you?
- I'm doing good.
- Good.
- What was the first colored
unit of the civil war?
We watched the movie,
they're right in front
of the State House.
- Do you remember
the movie we watched?
What?
You're right, almost.
54th regiment.
- Yeah, I wouldn't
even use the notebook.
I would literally just
use the study guide
while we play Jeopardy.
(soft music)
- [Samuel] I think
that intelligence
looks different for everybody.
It's clear that he has an
intellectual impairment,
but that doesn't
necessarily mean
that he can't be intelligent.
- [Matthew] Please describe
why our unit on government
is the most important thing
you will learn in
all of high school
and possibly your life?
Naieer.
- You have learned
about that government
because you will use this
information for when you vote.
- [Matthew] That is very true.
You will use this
information when you vote.
I will add that.
- [Samuel] It's not
like the movies,
where you get this
teacher that comes in,
and she saves the day
and everything's great.
(mumbles)
It's one day at a time.
- [Samuel] I have a lot of
students who don't communicate
in traditional ways
and are non verbal
or do communicate in ways
that the outside world
sees as very different.
And you know, we always
joke that the Henderson
is sort of like Disneyland,
like it's a special place.
We're all family.
People sort of get
things and are patient.
But sometimes it is
troubling to wonder
what might the outside
world perceive him as?
(Naieer laughs)
- That's what we did this
for. Yes, that's correct,
It's the 54th Massachusetts.
- [Woman] Naieer walks out
of the classroom laughing.
(Naieer laughs)
- I wanna see, is Naieer,
Naieer are you're here?
Can you hear us?
- Yes.
- There you are, hi
Naieer, how are you?
- I'm ready to read my speech.
- Wonderful.
So Naieer you're here
with your mother Donna
and wonderful thank you so
much for being here both now.
Naieer gonna let you read
your speech right now.
So share with us what
you've been up to.
- Hello everyone.
Thank you for coming to
the virtual screening
of the "Intelligent Lives".
My name is Naieer Shaheed.
I am a transition student
at the Henderson Inclusive
School in Boston.
I want to share good news first.
In February I was hired
at the Boys and Girl
Clubs of Dorchester.
I am proud of myself.
I can travel there
independently.
Before this pandemic
I was working
with my art director
and the kitchen staff.
I assisted the art
teacher in keeping
the art work clean.
And working on some art projects
with younger children.
In the kitchen, I work
with other staff members
to prepare food for
lunch and dinner,
serve food, and clean
up after each meal.
I want places reopen.
I go out with my mom.
I have been joining the workout
and young group at Boys and
Girl Club of Dorchester.
On June, I turn 21,
on April 27, with
the money I made.
I want to invite my friend
to my birthday party
at Dave and Busters.
I have been very busy recently.
I participated in
virtual cooking classes,
been participating
in a daily drum class
with my transition teacher.
Weekly Transition
to Adulthood Program
at Boston Center for
Independent Living.
And here (indistinct)
At times I talk with my peer
mentor from North Eastern.
However, it was not easy
to get where I am now.
I had a full meltdown down
before I got this job.
I felt frustrated
because I saw my friend
near my second day
get a job before me.
I lost my coughing
and wanted to scream.
I had four interviews
and no jobs.
I was trying to do my best
and my teacher were
helping me, but I felt sad.
I am very happy now.
I am doing everything that
is in my transition plan.
I will be leaving the
Boston Public school,
when I turn 22.
I am learning how to become
an independent adult.
- Wonderful, well, I wanna say,
"Happy, happy
quarantine birthday."
You had a quarantine, a
happy birthday to you Naieer.
- Thank you.
(laughs)
- Thank you for sharing
that wonderful update.
I'm so glad you're doing well.
I have another question for you.
You know, you went to an
inclusive school Naieer.
Why is inclusive
education important?
In other words,
why is it important
to have students with
and without disabilities
in classes and on
teams together?
- Because students
without disabilities
motivate me to do many
things that they are doing.
I want to do many things
that they are doing,
like going out and
staying up all night.
- Yeah.
So you're a very
talented painter.
We saw some of your
paintings in the film.
You do beautiful work Naieer.
Why is painting and
other forms of art,
such a great way for
you to express yourself?
- I feel great
when I am painting,
I can feel that I
am a great artist.
It makes me happy.
- Wonderful.
And do you feel the
same way as your father
and Mr. Texeira who expressed
their concerns in the film
that other people in society
might not understand your autism
and might react in ways that
could be dangerous for you,
why or why not?
- Sometimes I shout
because I felt nervous,
but other people may not
understand why I shout.
This may scare other people,
especially if they
don't know me.
- Right.
And last question I
have for you, you know,
you have a job at the
Boys and Girls Club,
but the club is currently
closed because of COVID-19.
What are you Naieer
excited to do
once we get through this time
and things opened up again,
are you planning
to go back to work?
And in the film you're working
towards, going to college,
do you still wanna
pursue going to college?
- I am working at the Boys
and Girls Club on September.
- So you're going back in
September, that's wonderful.
Are you excited?
- I'm ready.
- You're ready?
Yeah, I think we're
all ready to go back.
(Mickela laughs)
We're all ready to go back.
So Donna, I wanted to ask you
and Naieer thank
so much for sharing
all of that insight into
what you've been up to
since the film came out.
Donna,
- Your welcome.
- Thank you, thank you.
Donna, I wanna talk to you.
Actually we have a comment
from someone who's joining us.
It is a, let me find
her name is Bev W,
she wrote, "The supports
to be successful,
are critical for the student,
the family and the students
with disabilities."
So it's that support
system right Donna?
The people that are around you,
that you surround yourself,
whether it's you as
a parent, teachers.
And we're gonna be speaking
to some of the teachers,
one of the teachers
at Henderson School,
the principal of the
Henderson School.
But for you specifically Donna
as Naieer's mom you know,
aside from expectations,
'cause we talk about
expectations a lot tonight,
another important theme
that comes up is the fight.
Right, Marianne
spoke about the fight
that parents have to go through.
And you say something in the
film that's so beautiful.
You say, "As a mother,
I'm not gonna try to
fix him or change him,
I accept him for who he is."
How does that guide
you in your fight
for Naieer to be in an
inclusive environment?
- Well, I,
you look at your
child and you see
their strengths and
their weaknesses.
And I think every child can
strive in an inclusive setting
regardless of those
strengths or weaknesses.
And I feel that inclusion
can only help benefit
some of those weaknesses,
but it is getting
those or everybody
else to understand that
or being in the same page.
But the thing with
the Henderson is that
it is a culture where
everybody is on that page
and that transfers
over to the students.
So if you have a
culture of, you know,
staff and teachers
who kinda show that
as well as teach
that and they see it
and it just fills that culture
within that environment.
And then it just makes it
easier for students to strive,
but you know, no matter they are
what their strengths
and weaknesses are.
- That's fantastic.
Now what kind of advice
would you give to parents
who are trying to advocate
for their children with
disabilities to be included?
- To be persistent,
to be very persistent
and to, you know,
don't put all the focus
on what they can't do,
but what they can do.
And what you can, you know,
progress from, you know,
and not focus on the negative
and just persistence.
And I'm sure after a while,
you'll get to the right
person who will listen
and give you a chance.
- Yeah, that's wonderful,
wonderful advice.
Last question for you Donna,
what do you hope for
employers to understand
when it comes to hiring
someone with a disability
or even considering hiring
someone with a disability?
- I hope that
employers will develop
the same understandings
and consistency.
I mean the understandings
and culture
that is at the Henderson,
and that might be a
far fetched thought,
but I just feel like if there's
enough programs out there
or organizations
that can reach out
to different types of employers
and you know, jobs have
learned orientation programs,
you know classes, they
orientate their staff
and they'll just make
it an environment
where they're more
aware, then they can,
they'll be feel more comfortable
and more apt to like employ
people with disabilities
or whatever weaknesses
or strengths they have.
- Yeah, that's wonderful.
Yeah, the Henderson
School is such a beacon
and such a example
for so many aspects,
not just for education,
but for inclusion and-
Yeah, exactly.
Now we have a wonderful comment
from Jennifer Papasodoro,
"Naieer I bought your
sunflower painting
and I love it.
Do you have other new
artwork for sale?"
(laughs)
Do you, are you selling
more of your artwork Naieer?
- I gave the last one.
- You did, okay.
we'll be putting up, we'll
be posting more information
if you have more of
your beautiful artwork
for sale, for sure.
But thank you both Donna
and Naieer for sharing this.
We're actually gonna be
talking with Trisha Lampkin,
who is the principal of
this incredible inclusive,
the inclusion, the
Henderson School
that has this inclusion program.
You know, the Henderson School
was recognized by
the United States
Department of Special
Education as a national model
for inclusion that schools
from all over the country
could learn best practices from.
And like Donna said,
using the Henderson School
almost as a model for
the community, right.
This is kind of an
incredible thing.
Can you explain what the
differences between integration
and inclusion in the
classroom and the community
and how the Henderson
School applies that?
- Well, you know, I think if,
I think as a mom or
I think as a parent.
What Donna said and
what Marianne said,
"Who wants their
child integrated?"
or, you know, I always
wanted my children
included in things like
birthday parties, right.
You know, recess.
So you jump rope
on the playground
and in their classes.
And so when parents,
you know, say,
"You know, we'd like
our child integrated,"
I say, "Why not included?"
So why are they not
just being treated
as students when
they come to us?
When you know, we
started age three
and go through 22
as Naieer mentioned.
And so what parents
want more than anything
is for their kids to be
socialized, accepted,
you know, by society,
but certainly by
the peers in school.
- Yeah, now I love how
you say in the film.
And we saw this in the
trailer at the beginning.
With inclusion, The
Henderson School
is fighting against
segregation based on ability.
Can you explain what
you mean by that?
And how does school inclusion
not only benefit the students,
but all of the students,
the staff and the school
community as a whole,
not just the students
with special needs?
- So what I would say is
that inclusion is not,
I've said this often
inclusion is not
a special education issue.
It's an education issue.
- Yeah.
- Everyone has a
right to be educated
and we should be doing
everything we can
to educate everyone together.
But I would also say
that while inclusion
most certainly benefits,
the research has shown
that kids who are included
do so much better on
whatever measurements
or metrics we're using to
measure success in school.
While it definitely benefits
kids with disabilities,
There are far greater
benefits to kids
who don't have disabilities.
You saw in the clip.
Naieer playing basketball
with his friends.
We had two years in a row
State Championship
basketball teams.
So we have kids who play
like it is the NBA Playoffs.
And, but we also have
an intramural league,
which those players play
in that intramural league.
Fully inclusive
league, where Naieer,
they pass Naieer the ball.
Sometimes he makes a basket,
when Naieer made a
basket in a game,
it was like, we
won the NBA finals
after maybe trying 10 times.
Maybe on his 11th try he did.
And so, you know what,
when I said that,
what makes our
school successful?
So we're successful
academically with kids
with and without disabilities.
And I think culturally
we're successful
because we include so
many different students.
But I think we're
the most successful
because our kids
really understand
what differences are,
and the differences
are strengths in our school.
And so you need to put
three year olds together
in preschool and
everybody's different,
and everybody just
thinks that's normal.
And then somewhere around the
beginning of second grade,
or when we started
sort of test kids,
we sat to say, "Ooh, some
differences are good,
but others are really bad."
Oh, that's really bad.
And we do that with IQ tests.
And we start to segregate
based on ability,
I would say, "Are they're
segregated grocery stores,
are there segregated McDonald's,
are there segregated
restaurants?"
where, you know people,
if you have autism,
you should sit here.
And I think we should
learn about the segregation
that happened in
our own country,
in the South and realize, gee.
Potentially all the
way up until this year,
I would say we learned
that didn't work,
but maybe we didn't
learn it yet,
or we're still learning it.
And I think that, you know,
segregation at its
best doesn't lead to,
the same outcomes for
everyone on either end.
Like some people think
of their kids are very,
very gifted and talented.
We find that out
when we IQ test,
which is why at our school,
we don't really use
an IQ test to say,
we say even when even
when we make groups,
we don't do tracking.
We give everyone the
opportunity to be in AP classes.
What we need to do
as the educators
is provide the access
points to the students.
So we need to find,
you know, from Samuel,
we need to find for
Jesse how do they access?
What's the best way?
But it's not just for people
with very significant
disabilities, it's for anyone.
The expectation
is they will read.
We teach them how,
if we try one way
and it doesn't work,
we try a different way.
And so I think when we segregate
people based on ability,
we're saying, if you're,
if you're so called
smart or have a high IQ,
you're somewhat, we value
you more or you're better.
And I would say, as a
mother that's wrong.
I think your mother
would say, it's wrong.
- Yeah.
- I think a lot of
what inclusion is,
is just plain old common sense.
And you know, I want my child
with a significant disability
to be treated like a child.
I want him to be
treated like a student.
I don't want them to be
treated like a student
who has something
wrong with them.
And then I'd say, finally,
I think we're all disabled
at some points in our lives.
And you know, I think
it's with that humility
that we need to approach
this work in education.
And if you wait until you're
ready to do inclusion,
one of the things we get
at initial IEP meetings
is not recommended
for inclusion.
Not ready, not yet.
Let them maybe, maybe when
they're four we'll try again.
Well, what I say is,
if you wait until you're
ready to get married
you probably never will.
If you wait until you're ready
to have a child of your own,
you probably never will.
- Right.
- So I think the default
placement in education
should be for sure inclusive.
And then if we need some move
to more restrictive settings
for not a lot of
reasons, we can do that.
But I think, I don't
think we're at a place
where in the United States,
we're at the default
place for this inclusion.
- Yeah, I love that,
I just love that.
And it's just, again, The
Henderson School is such
at the forefront
and such an example,
again, not just for education,
but for community, how
a community should be.
So thank you, Trisha.
Thank you so much.
- Very welcome.
- Thank you, thank you.
We now, I wanna introduce you
to another star in this film.
Naomie Monplaisir, she's a
25 year old who loves to sing
and dance in her Creole church
alongside her hip hop
producer, brother, Steve
also known as Moetsky.
Naomie story represents
the national push
to enable people
with disabilities,
to join the
integrated workforce.
- [Narrator] In
Providence, Rhode Island,
graffiti covers a
wall by train tracks.
A man helps Naomie
Monplaisir out of a van
at the Fogarty Employment Center
in Johnston, Rhode Island.
She heads inside.
- Hi gal.
- Hi honey, bunny, how are you?
- Good.
- You giving me a massage?
- Yeah.
- [Narrator] Naomie
rubs her back.
- Hi Brenda, you okay?
You okay?
- Yeah.
- It's Friday, it's
Friday, it's Friday.
(laughs)
- Good morning.
- Good morning as well.
- [Narrator] Text,
Naomie recently enrolled
in a job training program
at the Fogarty Center.
She sits at a register
with money and asks a man,
"What would you like?"
- Snickers please.
- [Narrator] Naomie taps
buttons on a touch screen.
- [Woman] Then you say,
what else do you say?
Would you like-
- Would you like-
- [Woman] Would you
like anything else?
- Oh, Diet Coke, please.
- [Woman] Oh, soda.
So we're gonna find
up, "beverages."
So he wants a diet Coke.
- [Naomie] Diet Coke.
- I'm all done.
- Alright, so you
press the blue button.
- Thank you.
- [Woman] Now you need
to give him 57 cents.
- Five, six, seven -
- That's it seven,
now you need 50.
Show me 50.
What's that, that's a what?
- Dime, quarter.
- Quarter.
- [Narrator] Naomie walks with
a woman to a car and hops in.
She puts on sunglasses
and they drive off.
(car engine revs)
- Text, "From age 15 to 21,
Naomie was in a segregated,
special education program
at the Birch Vocational School.
In 2014, the U.S.
department of Justice
found that Birch
students like Naomie
were forced to work
for a little or no pay.
News coverage.
- [News reporter]
We begin tonight
with major developments
in a stunning case.
- Thousands of mentally
disabled Rhode Islanders
were paid in the words
of one investigator,
"Virtually nothing."
- [News reporter] It all
stems from an investigation
into the treatment of students
at the Birch vocational program
at Mount Pleasant High
School in Providence
who were performing manual
labor in segregated workshops
for little to no pay.
- These people were robbed
of years of productivity
learning and contributing
to their communities.
The Harold Birch
Vocational School struck us
as the height of segregation
and low expectations.
- [Narrator] Eve Hill J.D.
- Their curriculum was
placing jewelry on cardboard
instead of math,
instead of science,
instead of reading.
- So this agreement-
- In April of 2014, we
reached a settlement agreement
with the State of Rhode Island,
to transform that system to one
that prioritized
and relied primarily
on competitive
integrated employment.
- [Narrator] A view travels
past the site of the program.
Naomie arrives home with
her brother and mother.
- You've got some friends here.
- [Narrator] Her
mother shows, a photo.
- [Man] She's cute.
- Thanks.
- [Narrator] Sitting with
Naomie's father Jerome Charleus,
Altargrace Monplaisir,
"The only option they gave
us was to send her to Birch."
(speaking in foreign language)
A man asks, "What were
you told about Birch?
What kind of lessons
would Naomie learn?"
She replies, "They told
me it was a good school
and so I felt comfortable
about it, and we sent her."
- [Steven] I guess I
wouldn't have never known.
Like the kids were
very underpaid
and like working and
in hard conditions.
And that's, that's pretty,
it's pretty messed up.
(speaking in foreign language)
- [Narrator] She made
it earrings, damn.
- [Man] And what, who
is she making them for?
Where does the earrings go?
(speaking in foreign language)
- I don't know.
- [Narrator] I don't know.
Now, Steven edits videos of
himself performing as Moetsky,
as Naomie sits beside
him in a Tiara.
- I love my sister, you know.
I love her the way she is.
Over time I learned
what Down syndrome was.
(upbeat music)
But I also do have
moments when I think like,
"Hey, what would she be
like if she'd be able
to do this and that on her own."
She's definitely a smart girl.
She she's definitely,
always willing to learn.
I don't wanna see
her just be boxed in
just because of her disability.
- [Narrator] Steven
Monplaisir musician,
Naomie's legal guardian.
- [Steven] By going to
like all her meetings,
doctor's appointments,
reading papers to my mom.
Come on Naomie,
let's go to the car.
making sure she understands it.
I'm the only one driving.
So they need to get somewhere,
I gotta be here to take them.
- [Narrator] They
arrive at a church
where a band plays and
people singing Creole.
(upbeat music)
Naomie gives a
congregation member a hug.
(upbeat music)
A little girl
rests on the chair.
Center Evangelique Du Nazareen
Providence, Rhode Island.
- [Woman] Amen.
- [Woman] Amen.
- The word of God
says in Psalm 127,
"Children are our heritage."
Every young man, young woman
that is here, you are a gift.
Every child that I have,
all my four children,
they are my gift, my inheritance
that God has given
me and my husband.
- [Congregation] Amen.
- I always think
about, all right,
something happens to my parents,
but also what if something
happens to me too.
I always think about that.
even though I know
it's in God's hands
at the same time I wanna know.
- [Narrator] Naomie
dances to the music.
Then hugs a woman who
says," Hi Naomie."
- [Naomie] I'm happy today.
- [Woman] Yeah, thank you.
Yeah, I'm happy.
(upbeat music)
- [Narrator] Naomie
and her family
meet with Kiernan O'Donnell,
vocational coordinator.
- How you doing?
- Hi, ma.
- Please have a seat
wherever you'd like.
The reason why we're here today
is for a social capital meeting
and someone like you, Naomie,
who's connected to the
community of Providence,
connected to the
Haitian community,
has social capital.
When you go to the
movies, where do you go?
- The Lincoln mall.
- [Kiernan] The Lincoln
Mall Cinema, great.
Who can name a business
in beauty and fashion?
- [Woman] Where
do you go, Steven?
- Our cousin, she's been
doing her hair lately.
- [Kiernan] So her
cousin's a stylist.
What are some stores?
- Burlington stores.
- Burlington stores.
TJ Maxx, good place to go?
Let's talk a little bit more
about beauty and fashion.
- Empire.
An Empire is what
kind of school?
(murmurs)
- [Man] It's a beauty school.
- Right, we're getting closer
guys, we're getting closer.
Coming down the list.
So your friend works at
Burlington East province.
- Yes.
- What's her name?
- [Naomie] Sophia.
- Very good.
Let's circle Burlington,
East Providence.
- [Narrator] She circles it.
- So Sophia is right in
directly to your network.
We're gonna add her in here,
Debbie,
and the name?
- [Woman] Maria.
- So Naomie,
we've taken your small network
and we've just made
it double in size.
Mom, do you think this
is a safe approach,
of places that we'd be going to?
Because we know
someone there already?
- Yeah.
- And we're gonna go back
and we're gonna try to
connect with those people.
- [Narrator] They arrive
at Empire Beauty School.
- [Woman] Let's see
what we're doing.
- Hello.
Hi Sam
- Hi Naomie.
- [Man] This is my client Vicky.
She's a little shy.
- [Narrator] He styles
of mannequins hair.
(upbeat music)
- I had a student once
who got a foiling comb
stuck in a client's hair.
(crowd gasps)
I'm not sure how that
happened, but she did.
(laughs)
- [Narrator] The instructor
demonstrates for Naomie.
- So just hold the
comb like so like
and just slice
into it like that.
See how I'm making all
this little strands?
Now take the water bottle.
Sometimes they wanna
snap back at you.
- [Narrator] Naomie puts
curlers in the mannequins hair.
- Let go of that one.
There we go.
(upbeat music)
Let me help you with
that pinching part
'cause that's a little tricky.
That's good right there.
- [Woman] About 15 minutes
left for hair and makeup.
(crowd chatters)
- Who's your favorite artist?
- Justin Bieber.
- Justin Bieber.
- [Narrator] A woman's
snaps a selfie.
Naomie helps apply hairspray
and shakes hands with stylists.
(upbeat music)
- You're all set.
- Yeah.
- You're good,
you're ready to go?
- Thank you so much for
being here this evening
and thank you for
sharing your story.
Now you two are
brother and sister.
And your mom's in the back.
Thank you so much as a
family for being here
and sharing everything with us.
And I wanna ask you now,
you two are brother and sister.
You're obviously very close.
So I have to ask, I'm
assuming it's Naomie,
since we see her dancing
so much in the film,
but who is the better
dancer of the two of you?
- You think you can
dance better than me?
- Yeah.
(laughs)
- Of course and who's
the boss Naomie,
is that you or Steve?
- Who's the boss?
- Steve is.
(laughs)
- Yeah Steve is.
My sister too she's
always the boss.
She's always the
boss, but that's good.
- She's the real boss.
- Yeah right, she's
the real boss.
Naomie, I wanna ask you,
I know now with COVID-19
work is shut down, right?
You were working at Empire,
but then you do have a job
at the Empire Beauty School,
which is wonderful.
What is that job,
what does having
a job mean to you?
And how does it make you
feel when you're there?
- How do you feel
when you go to Empire.
- I wanna go back,
- You wanna go back?
How does it make you feel
when you go over there,
you feel what, you feel good?
- I feel good.
- You know, a lot of
people that, right?
- Yeah.
- You have a lot of
friends that help you?
- Yeah.
- And then make you
feel happy, right?
- Yeah.
- Good.
- Yeah.
And we just found out earlier
that you went back
to Fogarty, right?
I mean, you just
have so many friends,
when you watch the film,
you're giving everyone back rubs
and making sure
everybody's okay.
You're very caring and
considerate of everybody.
What does that, what
does that make you feel
when you get to
see your friends?
- How do you feel, how
did you feel today,
when you got to
see your friends?
- Sophia.
- How did you feel
when you saw her?
- Happy.
- Happy, yeah.
I know we all wanna
see our friends.
We all miss our friends
very much (laughs) me too.
Well, Steve, you know,
you've seen this firsthand,
you know, how has having
a job changed Naomie
and now with COVID, have
you seen a change in her,
because she can't go to work?
And like today was the
first time in what,
four months that
she's been able to go.
Tell us the difference that
you see in her demeanor
and in just in her?
- Oh yeah, Naomie, she
loves going to work.
You know, she she'll start
getting her outfit ready
the night before, you know,
things of that nature.
She was just something that
she goes looking forward to.
Even before like the whole
COVID and stuff like that,
you know, whenever even
she felt like a little sick
or something like that,
she'd still wanna go
in and stuff like that.
She never wanted
to miss the day.
While we were in COVID it
was very difficult for her
because, you know,
she, we have lost-
We lost our dad over a year ago.
And then before COVID
started, she had,
she was dealing with depression
and things of that nature.
So she had a lot
going on mentally
and it was tough for her
emotionally and stuff like that.
So we had to work to
figure what was wrong
and it was, it was
tough, you know.
And COVID didn't
help it any much.
You know, it was kind of tough
trying to see a doctor in person
and things of that nature.
So we're just
trying to figure out
what exactly was wrong.
And just being on
Zoom with the doctor,
kinda didn't help as much.
So there were a lot
of things that happen
that the doctor
wouldn't be able to see.
You know, it was just us
telling him and stuff like that.
But she's been, she'd
been fighting, you know,
she's a strong person.
She'd been fighting
through everything,
she's doing better now.
And, you know, not seeing
her friends for so long,
it was just, it just, you know,
it was taking a huge
part away from her,
you know, her, her happiness
and stuff like that.
So we tried to make her feel
as comfortable as possible
through this whole situation.
But yeah, today it was a
big day for her, you know.
Between going back
to the Fogarty Center
and having this
presentation today,
it's definitely, she'd
been in great spirits
these last few weeks.
- That's fantastic,
we love to hear that.
Now you talked about, you know,
you're her big brother
and you and Naomie
have a very symbiotic
relationship.
You see it in the film,
it's really wonderful.
It's apparent that you rely
on Naomie's approval
for your music.
You have incredible music
and if she likes it,
how she reacts to
it, and of course,
Naomie and your mother
really rely on you
to help navigate
the world for her.
We see in the film,
this beautiful
progression for Naomie.
And you've had a huge part of
that in that growth for her.
What are your dreams for
Naomie for the future?
Especially seeing how
expectations of Naomie
from the Birch School
were completely wrong.
- For me, my expectations
for her, you know,
it's endless, you know, it's
whatever makes her happy.
That's just always
been my motto.
'Cause she's proved proven to us
and everybody else that
she could do whatever
she sets her mind to.
So, you know, I
really, really want her
to always do whatever
make that makes her happy.
And that's what I'll
always be behind, you know.
- She's very lucky
to have you Steve.
- Whether it's just
like, you know,
I could see her doing
anything she wants
just like how she is
so comforting to people
when they're down, you know.
She knows when someone
is not feeling well,
she'll go up to them and
you know, comfort them,
make them laugh and things
of that nature she's that,
you know, she, she
could possibly work,
who knows maybe a therapist
or something like that.
Like she can do whatever
she wants and you know,
I'm just 100% down behind her.
- That's wonderful,
thank you for that.
And Naomie, I have one
last question for you.
What are you excited for
once we can go back to work,
and once we get
through this time?
what are you the
most excited for?
- What are you happy for when
everything opens back up?
- School.
- School, what else?
- And work.
- Work, what else?
- Be happy.
- Be happy.
- And making music.
I saw you dancing
and making music.
- She also just celebrated
her 29th birthday
last week as well, So.
- Happy birthday!
(speaking in foreign language)
Happy birthday.
And we wanna say
thank you both so much
for sharing your
story and merci mama.
Thank you, mom.
(Steve laughs)
- Thank you.
We appreciate everything
that you are doing.
- Thank you.
- Thank you, thank you.
Now we are coming to a close.
We've received so many
questions from the audience.
But we wanna bring
everyone back in.
We've run over a little bit.
I know we've had so many
incredible conversations
with so many wonderful people.
So we wanna bring
everybody back in
for just a final Q and A.
But as everyone's
sort of trickling in,
let's see, we've had
a wonderful message
from Linda Langille,
I hope I'm saying
her name correctly.
"Hello from Swampscott,
Massachusetts,
I'm a teacher educator and
now "Intelligent Lives"
is in my assessment course.
It is a powerful tool to discuss
the construction of
concepts of intelligence.
I'm wondering if this
webinar will be available.
I would love to include this
in my teaching as well."
Yes, it will be available.
Right everybody, this
will be recorded.
We're recording this
now it will be posted.
So Linda, thank
you for your work.
Thank you for using this film.
And again, we were
talking about the support,
obviously for everyone.
It's the support system,
the community that is
such an integral part,
the school like the
Henderson School,
the Fogarty Center,
family members, friends.
It really is that support system
that really helps
inclusion happen.
So as we kind of
come to a close,
we just have a few more
questions that came in
and I would say, let's see,
I'm just kind of
scrolling through.
Dan, I wanna ask you,
what I love about
this documentary is,
how you change the perception
of wrong expectations.
And anyone can
chime in here too,
with examples of real people
who are talking with us today.
So aside from this
beautiful film,
so congratulations everyone.
How can we as a society overcome
this very subjective idea
of expectations, especially
for people with disabilities?
- I'll say one thing quickly.
I mean, I think as much
as I love making films
and I love presenting
these stories,
nothing replaces actually
experiencing it in real life.
Living alongside people,
working with people
of all abilities,
going to school people
of all abilities.
That is what changes the
expectations and assumptions.
It's the actual life experience.
And that's not just
around disability.
It's around all
diversity, around LGBTQ,
hey hey, it's around
race and ethnicity,
around economic diversity
around gender diversity.
You can't just pretend
to experience it,
you have to experience
it and that's-
But these films,
I hope this film
has become a catalyst
for more and more schools
and communities and
workplaces to have
that type of
inclusion happening.
- Yeah, that's wonderful.
Anyone else that
wants to chime in on.
I think you hit the
nail on the head,
- I just wanted to say,
and then we also need
people like Marianne
with that Italian
rage, you know.
(laughs)
- Yes!
- We need people like
that fighting for-
- I'm a lady who hit a Nazi
in the head with my handbag.
(laughs)
- Yes, that's incredible.
Now, you know, we've
really run over.
So does anyone, if you
have any final thoughts
on how to create a
more inclusive society.
And I think you
really touched upon
that in all of this.
But if anyone has
any last words.
Trisha, you know,
the Henderson School
again is such an
example, you know.
The Cooper's
everything that you do,
Dan, your films,
Steven and Naomie
your music especially,
Naieer your paintings.
It's just an incredible
eclectic group
of the examples of
what inclusive means
and the outcome of what happens
when there is inclusivity
and inclusion.
- Marianne, do you wanna talk
about the arts for Chris?
Or you've talked before
about how the arts
can be so inclusive and
the importance of the arts
in this type of
culture and climate.
- It's and it's
happening more and more.
We we've been obsessively
watching, "Ramy,"
this film, this series,
Ramy Youssef, the comedian.
And he has a guy on who
is severely disabled with,
I think he, I'm not sure
what the disability is,
but it looks like
that disability,
when your bones, you know,
where your bones are very
fragile, at any rate.
We just wrote to him
because we were so thrilled
that he did a scene where
never once has this guy been
referred to as his disability.
He's just a guy,
he's one of the guys
that hangs out with them.
And I love that, that it's come,
that it's moved that
far is fantastic.
So I wrote to him to
thank him for that.
- Yeah and they're, I mean,
I'm sure, you know,
there's some other forms
like "Speechless," the TV
show, which is hilarious.
"Peanut Butter Falcon," "The
Broadway Revival of Oklahoma."
Oh, you know, the one, you
know, Jesse's up at there.
One of the main actresses
is in a wheelchair,
so there is more
inclusion in media,
but where can we do
better with that?
You know, what do you think?
How can we just keep,
keep that going?
- I think that we could
especially do better with it
in schools by offering
Arts to all of our kids.
When we try to measure
intelligence with tests
and I wanna say, I'm
not a great painter
and whenever I see one
of Naieer's paintings,
no, I wanna buy it.
He made me one before.
So he's still with
us for one more year.
But he made me one, when
he officially graduated.
And it's just something
that I treasure,
because it's
something I can't do,
he's also an amazing cook.
- Right.
- And you know, so who really
is the intelligent one here?
That's kind of the
way I look at it.
And so I think what
we have to learn to do
is appreciate differences
and we need to honor
and respect them
the same way as we
honor and respect
different differences in
other things besides ability.
But I think it's about
time and I think Marianne,
I think it takes
people like you.
And I takes people like
Donna and it takes Naomie's.
It takes you Steve and
takes Micah's parents
and takes you Dan.
We have to listen
to parents more
who knows their kids
better than their parents?
we need to listen.
- I love hearing you say that.
- We need to listen to parents.
And I think the reason
that Naieer is successful,
yes he has had a
wonderful experience
with us at the Henderson,
but that's because his parents
have so advocated for him
and taught him so much.
And his parents are the experts.
And we try to make
what they want happen.
So I think that
that's important too.
- Yeah, we've had, I mean,
from personal
experience of Jesse,
and I'm sure all of
you have run into this.
People always thought
my mother was crazy,
you know, of things
that she would tell them
and they wouldn't listen to her
because what they're seeing
is something different.
So it's again the
advocacy on all fronts.
- Right.
- On all fronts.
- Mickela I just want to add,
people are asking where can
they see the whole film?
So I know you
covered that early.
Some people might've missed it.
It's being broadcast
Tuesday night,
nationally on "America
Reframed" on the World website.
So there's two different
easy ways to see the film,
anytime you want to this month.
- Yeah and if
you're following us,
you can follow this on Facebook.
World Channel, we'll
be posting that
on the World Channel
Facebook page.
And because this is
ADA 30th anniversary,
this is why for July, we are
definitely celebrating this.
Thank you Dan, for
that shout out.
I have one more
question actually in
regards to COVID right.
We are in COVID right now
and is COVID giving
our school system
an opportunity to make education
more accessible online?
We know that it's now
setting a precedent
that it's possible when we
saw there were excuses before
that it was too
difficult to implement.
What do we, how
do we think COVID
will actually benefit
the disability community
for making education
more accessible?
- Well, it helps us
certainly with technology
in terms of an access point.
But it's not, for me,
it's not, you know,
doing a lot of great
things socially for kids.
And some of the most
significantly disabled kids
who really don't access,
who can access through Zoom
and participate in chats
and things like that are
who really rely on hands on.
I think we have to do a better
job of figuring that out.
- And the other
activism is fact that
what's really driving
me insane right now.
And I just wrote
an op ed about it
and sent it into The Globe,
is that, you know, they
talk about the nursing homes
and the elderly people that
are being affected by this
and people being
denied ventilators.
And we're not hearing
about what's happening
with people with disabilities.
And I know this is happening
and it's horrifies me
that eugenicism is on
the rise again, you know.
As you know-
- Who qualifies for
the ventilators?
- And judging on quality
of life by other people.
It's terrifying to
me that whole aspect,
we didn't get a chance
to get into that,
but it's something
that really bothers me.
And and I think about often.
- One thing Mickela,
I just wanna mention on our
website "Intelligent Lives",
we developed a whole
resource library
where people can download
and link to free resources.
All inclusion and
work, for transition,
for culturally
responsive education,
all these different areas
that people can access.
And I should mention too,
that Steve has a really
amazing SoundCloud,
a website under his Moetsky,
his performing name.
And definitely, if you wanna
hear more of Steve's music,
you've got to go to
SoundCloud and check out.
It's really some amazing stuff.
So anyway, I just wanna mention,
you know, the one thing on
the COVID front I'll add is,
it's interesting, Samuel as
I said, uses a wheelchair.
my son has a
communication device.
COVID has in a strange way,
been a little bit of a leveling.
I don't wanna stay in
this place for very long,
but like people are
available, they're available,
but connect without
someone having to go
and trying to get into
inaccessible homes
or inaccessible cars.
Like people are available
to connect in ways
that actually are a
little more accessible
for him these days.
And I think one thing we may
have learned through COVID
that I hope can be carried on,
is a way to create
accommodations for people
that don't have equal access
for reasons of mobility,
or might have just certain
windows of time during the day
when they had the energy
to do certain things.
And that they can participate
through these online
platforms very effectively.
So I hope that type
of accommodation part
carries over to
education as needed.
And again, Patricia, for kids
who might have health issues
and who may not be
able to go to school
from different health issues,
can still, the teachers
now know how to reach them
remotely very quickly
and effectively, I hope.
- Yeah, that's fantastic.
Well, I want to thank
you all so much again.
Thank you so much for
spending the past hour
and a half with us.
Thank you, Dan, for
creating this film.
Thank you, Marianne and Chris
for being executive producers
and sharing your story
and thank you all.
Naomie, Steve, Naieer, your
mother Donna, everybody.
Trisha, thank you.
And we just wanna
thank you so much.
Again, if you want to
watch "Intelligent Lives",
you can stream it and watch
it online @worldchannel.org.
Bye everyone have
a wonderful night.
- Bye Naomie, Steve, Naieer,
Chris and Marianne and Tricia.
- [Group] Bye!
