Sunday June 3, 2018 was special and inspirational night for anyone living with a disability in Toronto. Why? Because Community Living Toronto partnered with the ReelAbilities Film Festival to premiere an exciting film about the disability rights movement around the world. This film is called Defiant Lives: The Rise and Triumph of the Disability Rights Movement, and contains never seen before footage of some of the most passionate protests changing the lives of people with disabilities. The film screening was at University of Toronto’s Innis Town Hall.
Survivors of institutions, protesters for accessible transit, for education inclusion and advocates working toward a better world for people with disabilities are all featured in this film. Following the film, a panel hosted by Sue Hutton (Community Living Toronto’s Self Advocates Council Coordinator and ARCH Disability Law Centre’s Respecting Rights Coordinator) took place. The panel includes some incredible voices for disability rights. Some panelists spoke from their own perspective and some spoke from the broader focus of disability rights under the law.

The four panelists were ARCH’s Executive Director Rob Lattanzio, Marissa Blake (self-advocate), Mika Hjorgaard (York University student and advocate), and Peter Park (People First Co-Founder).
The ReelABILITES Film festival is still happening up until June 4th. Find tickets and show information here: http://reelabilities.org/toronto/
To watch the panel of discussion got to: