Able Bodies

Charles Engelbert
image1
image1

The seventh annual ReelAbilities Film and Arts festival strives to present positive images of people living with physical or mental disabilities. The free ten-day fest’s events — including a gallery exhibit at the Center for Art and Photography at Celebration Company, and a ReelMusic concert at White Oak Music Hall highlighting musicians with disabilities — promote inclusion and tell moving stories.


Kicking off this year’s lineup is ReelPeople: Up Abilities, held at the A.D. Players’ George Theater on Tuesday night. Here, a trio of inspiring — and in some ways, odds-defying — speakers tell of their experiences living with disabilities: gymnast and aerial performer Jen Bricker, who was born without legs; Eric Weihenmayer, the first blind climber to summit Mount Everest; and Amanda Boxtel, who was paralyzed from the waist down after a skiing accident, but successfully walks using bionic technology.

Boxtel, who was nominated as a CNN Hero of the Year in 2018, hopes to inspire Houstonians not only at Up Abilities, but during her visit with patients at TIRR Memorial Hermann prior to the event. “While my spinal cord injury took away my ability to walk, it didn’t take away my ability to dream and then turn my dreams into my reality one baby step at a time,” she says. “The human life force is phenomenal, mysterious, and resilient. I know this from my own life happenings and those of others. Our indomitable will and spirit have no limitation.”

Boxtel was a dancer and an athlete growing up, and her father committed suicide when she was just 13 years old. “It took time to turn my wounds into wisdom, to remove any self-imposed limitations and to live a richer and fuller life,” she says. “It’s taken 27 years of paralysis for me to understand that acceptance and hope must coexist. I have made it my life’s mission to be in pursuit of the best quality of life possible, while giving back to help others realize their potential.”

She thinks that efforts like ReelAbilities will go a long way in transforming society’s perspective and removing stigma. “The arts have the potential to open doors, change perceptions, and inspire curiosity,” she says. “Through the arts, disability melts away and diversity reigns.”

Dispatches
Cool for ‘Schools’! CIS Wants to Transport You to a Whimsical ‘Wonderland’ at Milestone Gala

CIS 2024 Gala Honorary Co-Chair Judy Tate, Co-Chair Lauren Brollier, Co-Chair Cassie Milam, Honorary Co-Chair Kirby McCool

WHETHER YOU PREFER Alice, the Mad Hatter or the Queen of Hearts, Communities In Schools of Houston’s A Night in Wonderland 45th Anniversary GalaA Night in Wonderland 45th Anniversary Galais not to be missed! Join in the celebration for a whimsical good time on Thursday, April 4th, at the luxurious Post Oak Hotel.

Keep ReadingShow less

A model wearing Savannah Friedkin's Broken Collection (photo by Jeremy Choh)

SAVANNAH FRIEDKIN, A NEW fine jewelry brand with pieces crafted from 100-percent certified recycled precious metals and climate-neutral lab-grown diamonds, launched this week on SavannahFriedkin.com. The innovative collection is the conception of its namesake, Savannah Friedkin, a Houston-born and -raised, third-generation conservationist who values preserving our environment and empowering its people.

Keep ReadingShow less
Style

Helen Winchell, Marti Grizzle, Brittany Franklin, Jensen Wessendorff

HUNDREDS OF TREE-LOVING Houstonians savored and celebrated the good life at the La Dolce Vita-themed, 30th-annual Root Ball benefiting Trees for Houston.
Keep ReadingShow less
Parties