How embracing life with cerebral palsy led Lawrence Carter-Long to a purpose-driven career reshaping disability in film and media

Alycia Anderson welcomes Lawrence Carter-Long, Director of Engagement at ReelAbilities International, onto Pushing Forward with Alycia to discuss how disability narratives in media shape public understanding, possibility, and policy. Lawrence shares his background growing up with cerebral palsy, being a 1970s “poster child,” and how that early exposure taught him the power of media and communication. He explains ReelAbilities as a disability-forward film festival and year-round platform where “film is the front door” to community, conversation, and cultural change, emphasizing accessibility through open captions and audio description. They discuss moving beyond “tragic or heroic” tropes by elevating authentic stories and changing who writes, produces, directs, and greenlights projects, citing work like Best Summer Ever and Out of My Mind. Lawrence also describes the festival dates, sample programs, affiliate festivals, and his mantra: “go through the doors that open.”

Quotes from Lawrence

Stories shape public understanding. What we see becomes what we believe is possible.

~ Lawrence Carter-Long

Disability in media has been framed as either tragic or heroic, but most people live in the messy middle.

~ Lawrence Carter-Long

Rewriting the Narrative: Core Themes from Episode 136

Lights, Camera, Inclusion:

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