Spring Break
The Daily OrangeFilm series targets stereotypes
By Jennifer Gong
Posted: 10/21/03, 3:13 AM EST Section: Feature
When Dan Keplinger sets out to do a painting, he gets out his brushes and canvas just like any other painter. He has produced beautiful, expressionistic works of art all without the use of his hands. He does the entire thing with a brush attached to a helmet on his head.
The "Reflections on Diversity: Disability in Film" series, presented by the Beyond Compliance Coordinating Committee, runs every Monday in Hall of Languages room 207.
This week's screening was the Academy Award-winning 1999 documentary, "King Gimp." The film follows Keplinger, a man suffering from cerebral palsy, from the age of 12, when he attends a school for students with disabilities. He progresses to a normal high school and then to Towson State University to pursue a degree in art. In all, the movie encompasses 13 years of Keplinger's life. For the first time in the series, the subject of the film attended the screening and answered questions at a discussion.
"I was picky about what I wanted to share," said Keplinger, who paints as a form of self-expression. "The producers still get mad about some things that I didn't tell them, but it wasn't (the kind of stuff) to share with the world."
The BCCC was formed in October 2001 by five doctoral students that were involved with either disability studies or special education, said Rebecca Cory, a doctoral candidate and one of the BCCC founders. The committee quickly grew to about eight or 10 members and began to meet with university officials from the School of Education, as well as the director of disability services. They discussed specific "systematic disability issues," such as regular plowing of snow and more accommodations in non-classroom settings for students with disabilities.
The BCCC is working on other programs, including "Access to Higher Education: Students with Disabilities Speak Out," a half-day conference to be held at the Schine Student Center on Nov. 14. Students will share their stories and experiences of attending college while having a disability.
The "Reflections on Diversity: Disability in Film" series, presented by the Beyond Compliance Coordinating Committee, runs every Monday in Hall of Languages room 207.
This week's screening was the Academy Award-winning 1999 documentary, "King Gimp." The film follows Keplinger, a man suffering from cerebral palsy, from the age of 12, when he attends a school for students with disabilities. He progresses to a normal high school and then to Towson State University to pursue a degree in art. In all, the movie encompasses 13 years of Keplinger's life. For the first time in the series, the subject of the film attended the screening and answered questions at a discussion.
"I was picky about what I wanted to share," said Keplinger, who paints as a form of self-expression. "The producers still get mad about some things that I didn't tell them, but it wasn't (the kind of stuff) to share with the world."
The BCCC was formed in October 2001 by five doctoral students that were involved with either disability studies or special education, said Rebecca Cory, a doctoral candidate and one of the BCCC founders. The committee quickly grew to about eight or 10 members and began to meet with university officials from the School of Education, as well as the director of disability services. They discussed specific "systematic disability issues," such as regular plowing of snow and more accommodations in non-classroom settings for students with disabilities.
The BCCC is working on other programs, including "Access to Higher Education: Students with Disabilities Speak Out," a half-day conference to be held at the Schine Student Center on Nov. 14. Students will share their stories and experiences of attending college while having a disability.
