Film Examines Down Syndrome And Higher Learning
A new documentary takes a look at the idea of inclusion through the case of an Oregon woman with Down syndrome who was barred from auditing a university course.
Eliza Schaaf was auditing a ceramics course at Southern Oregon University last November when school officials told her she could no longer attend the class. The reason: they said Schaaf required too much assistance, which was disruptive to the instructor and other students.
Schaaf’s classmates protested and organized a petition in favor of allowing their classmate to stay, but to no avail. Her family is still appealing the case to the Oregon University System.
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Now Schaaf’s story is the subject of a documentary titled “Hold My Hand,” which was created by four college students and is being entered into a handful of film festivals.
“I never thought about inclusion within the disabled population. … It caused me to examine myself and to examine others,” one of the filmmakers told The (Medford, Ore.) Mail Tribune. To read more click here.