Lives Worth Living

The documentary weaves together archival footage and personal interviews with disability rights activists like Fred Fay, I. King Jordan, Judi Chamberlin, and Judith Heumann, alongside lawmakers such as Tony Coelho and Tom Harkin, who played pivotal roles in crafting and passing the ADA. “Lives Worth Living” chronicles the evolution of the disability rights movement in the United States, starting from when disabled veterans returning from World War II began advocating for an end to discrimination and improved access to jobs and social opportunities. The film highlights how, in the late 1960s and early 1970s, disability activists began employing tactics similar to those used by civil rights activists a decade earlier, including marches, protests, and acts of civil disobedience.