Music Within (2007)

This movie is about Richard Pimentel and the work he has done and continues to do for the disabled. It stars Ron Livingston as Pimentel and deals with how the disabled are perceived by others. Pimentel was a Vietnam War vet who lost his hearing there and eventually came to meet other disabled people (like his friend, Art) who helped him realize that the handicapped/disabled deserve the same rights and chances as everyone else and so he not only created and taught a system to companies and governments on how they can benefit with having the disabled working with them, but he also helped make the ADA (the Americans With Disabilities Act) law in 1990. Pimentel is the leader and most famous activist for the disabled's rights in the US. Before he came along, people could and did treat the disabled as third-class citizens or not even as people. While there are still many obstacles (both physical as well as mentally) the disabled have to overcome today - especially trying to educated the non-disabled to treat them as the regular people they are - so much as changed in the past 40 years and that is thanks to Richard Pimentel.

I worked as a counselor at an overnight summer camp for the mentally and physical disabled for four summers right out of high school and through college. I remember exactly what I was doing when I first saw the job notice at school. I had just walked down the highway and saw some students making fun of the Special Ed. class that was also walking to their next class. While I heard what the other kids said and knew it was wrong I did nothing. Right after that I went to the next hallway and saw the job announcement hanging on the wall and decided that I would give it a try. Many people (friends and family) didn't think I would last at such a job and some told me so, but I went anyways and while the work was very hard (sometimes you worked 22 hours a day) it was very rewarding - I know that sounds cliché but it's the truth. I liked working with the disabled campers so much I went back 3 more summers. Not only did I prove my friends and family wrong - I did "stick it out" and even thrived there I also like to think that I made up (at least in a small way) for not doing anything when those kids where making fun of the disabled.

This movie shows people that the disabled can do many the same things as everyone else and that they just need to be given a voice and a chance to do it.