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Young man with Down syndrome and father face each other while clapping hands
Bloom Blog

Entering adulthood a tricky time for disabled youth and their parents

By Louise Kinross

The Toronto ReelAbilities Film Festival is in full swing with shorts, features and documentaries about disability and Deaf cultures.

On Saturday May 29 I'm excited to moderate a panel following a screening of The Special, a Venezuelan film about Chuo, a young man with Down Syndrome who is asserting his independence from his troubled father. The film runs on May 29 at 2 p.m.

Following the film, at 4 pm., I'll be talking with local adults with disabilities and their parents about whether the film resonated with their own move to adulthood. Did the young adults face similar tensions and joys with their parents during this transition? What was most challenging for parents? How do children think their parents could best support them?

Please consider watching the film and joining us for a lively discussion afterward! Register here.