You did not have to be a football fan to enjoy the Super Bowl on Sunday night. Not only was it an extremely exciting game with an electrifying half-time show, but this year had a large number of very well done commercials, which, if you are like my wife Beckye, is the primary purpose of watching the game in the first place.
I, too, am a huge fan of Super Bowl commercials. This year I was struck by the fact that there were quite a few companies that placed people with disabilities front and center in their messages, and this is something that we should take note of as a society.
For centuries, people with physical and mental disabilities were literally sidelined by society. Stigmatization and lack of accessibility made it difficult (if not impossible) for those with physical and/or mental challenges to participate in the simplest of public activities. As public awareness has evolved, things have started to change, and the Super Bowl commercials which were watched by billions of people all over the world represent an extremely positive trend.
In the coming weeks, the Jewish Family Service’s Alexander Institute for Inclusion is holding its annual Disabilities Film Festival called ReelAbilities. ReelAbilities is a city-wide film and arts festival which uses the arts to promote inclusion and celebrate the lives, stories and artwork of individuals with disabilities. This amazing festival will be taking place February 8 – 12.
Take some time and see one of these amazing films as the City of Houston strives to focus on abilities and increase our awareness of ways to promote inclusion for all. For more information and a calendar of events click here.
L’Shalom–Steve