The Arc’s Watch & Learn: Disability Film Program

What are schools in your community doing to educate students about people with intellectual and developmental disabilities? The Arc’s Watch & Learn: Disability Film program is an educational outreach initiative for students of all ages. Watch & Learn aims to connect chapters of The Arc with schools in their community to teach students about individuals with disabilities through the power of film.

The program consists of a collection of short films categorized by age group (elementary, middle, or high school) that provide students with an in-depth look at the lives of people with disabilities told from their perspective.

Through these films, The Arc strives to create discussions among students to create awareness and acceptance of people with disabilities. Watch & Learn is part of The Arc@School.

Two young boys in a classroom are watching a movie projected on a screen. The teacher sits at the front of the room.

Your purchase of the Watch & Learn program includes:

A one-year subscription to an online playlist containing four short films geared to a specific age range (elementary, middle, or high school levels) with unlimited use. You may purchase one playlist ($500), two playlists ($750), or all three ($900).
Implementation guide, which includes:
- Recommendations to help chapters reach out and facilitate partnerships with school districts
- Customizable templates and promotional tools
Discussion questions for teachers to create classroom dialogue around disability competency
Pre-surveys and post-surveys to gauge students’ perceptions about people with disabilities and knowledge gained
Technical assistance from The Arc

PURCHASE NOW

Elementary School Level Films

Bye

Directed by Anthony Morrison

Follow Jayden, a two-and-a-half-year-old child with autism, as he navigates his first two months of school in the Bronx.

A small boy and girl hugging each other. The boy has short blonde hair and is wearing a long sleeve blue shirt and green pants. The girl has black hair pulled into pigtails and is wearing a long sleeve red shirt and red floral pants.

I Love Grilled Cheese

Directed by Scott Anderson

Libby provides some insight about the joys of living with her best friend, and big brother, Max, who has Down syndrome.

A young man swinging at a playground. He has short brown hair and is wearing a blue t-shirt and blue sweat pants. In the background is playground equipment and past the playground is a green field with soccer goals. There is a forest after the soccer field.

Bumblebee

Directed by Jenna Kanell

Follow Vance, diagnosed with autism, cerebral palsy, and epilepsy, as he ventures out on his first date.

A young boy sits in the back of the car. He has short blonde hair and glasses. He is wearing a blue t-shirt. Next to him is the the car window. In the background of the window are blurred trees and bright sun.

Jacob’s Turn

Directed by Nick Nanton

An inspirational short documentary about a four-year-old boy with Down syndrome and how his love of baseball transformed the hearts of everyone in his town.

Middle School Level Films

A close up of a woman's face. She is wearing a black baseball cap.

One Question

Directed by Anthony Di Salvo

People with intellectual and developmental disabilities answer the question, “If you could change one thing about yourself, what would you change?”

A man at a park leans way back in a dance move. He is wearing head phones and has on a bright yellow shirt and black pants with a white print on them.

JMAXX and The Universal Language

Directed by Ryan Mayers

Jarell, a teenager with autism, has learned to use hip-hop dance as a means to communicate his true self to the world.

A photo of a person from the chest up. He is wearing a black jacket over a blue t-shirt and has a bright orange scarf wrapped around his neck. He has short hair and glasses. He is standing outside under a tree with bright orange leaves.

Humans of San Jose: Wataru Kubo

Directed by Kaho Kubo

A mini documentary on the personal thoughts of the filmmaker’s brother Wataru Kubo, who has autism.

A man is in a factory. He is wearing a white t-shirt with a photo of racing cars on it. He is wearing an orange and yellow reflective safety vest and goggles. He has gloves on and is pushing a large cart.

Extra Ordinary

Directed by David Quinn

A glimpse into the lives of two young people with Down syndrome living happy and fulfilling lives.

High School Level Films

A older woman and a young man are hiking on a hiking trail. There are high embankments with ferns and dirt on the left side. The woman has short grey hair. She is wearing a red short sleevel t-shirt and black shorts and holding walking sticks. She is wearing a backpack and has another satched across her front. The young man has short brown hair. He is also wearing a short-sleeve red t-shirt and grey shorts and is wearing a backpack.

Love, Trails and Dinosaurs

Directed by Alex Oliver

Experience the loving relationship of a mother and her adult son with autism as they hike 900 miles of trails within the Great Smoky Mountains. It’s a powerful story that celebrates a spiritual journey through love, discovery, and healing.

A photo of a man from the shoulders up. He has short brown hair and brown facial hair. He is wearing an orange shirt and smiling.

What I Like About Myself

Directed by Myles Tyler-Vasell

As students in a photography group begin practicing interviewing techniques, a simple question receives surprisingly diverse and complex answers.

A man underwater in a swimming pool. He is wearing swim shorts, goggles and a swim cap and his hands above his head.

Heart Over Body

Directed by Jared Corey

Zack Childers is an athlete with cerebral palsy. He was told at a young age that he would never walk without a walker. Since then, Zack’s determination to prove people wrong has formed the person and athlete he is today.

A man standing on a stage with a blue stage curtain in the background. He has short brown hair and a brown goatee and mustached. He is wearing a checkered vest over a black button up shirt and holding a microphone in one and and using his other hand to point a finger towards the sky.

Inside My Life on the Spectrum

Directed by Mia Drake Brandt

Dane shares his personal story of life with autism using musical performance, comedy and informative dialogue.