Core Values

ReelAbilities pursues its mission of disability inclusion, equity and accessibility by following five core principles:

HIGH CINEMATIC VALUE
ReelAbilities is proud to present an international selection of excelling cinematic and artistic work, across genres and styles.

PROGRESSIVE APPROACH TO DISABILITY
Responsible portrayal and representation of the lived experiences of people with disabilities, told by disabled creators and allies in an authentic manner. In pursuit of our mission, we endeavor to showcase diverse perspectives and the intricacies of intersectionality, embracing the myriad of racial, ethnic, socio-economic, and religious communities within the disability experience.

BEYOND-TRANSACTIONAL ACCESSIBILITY
Accessibility is at the very core of our identity. We go beyond the minimum legal requirement and constantly strive to improve and enhance the accessibility of all of our programs. Beyond presenting our programs with captions, audio description, ASL interpretation, live captioning and braille materials in accessible venues, with sensory friendly spaces and visual stories, our program is structured in a way that it is wide spread and accessible financially, geographically and virtually to communities and individuals throughout North America, and beyond.

MEANINGFUL ENGAGEMENT AND CONVERSATIONS
ReelAbilities creates a space for meaningful conversation and engagement, where the themes and topics brought to light by the films can be explored deeper and further. Through post film conversations with filmmakers, protagonists and experts, as well as a variety of complementing cultural and performing arts programs, ReelAbilities provides a space for the wider community to celebrate, discuss and engage around these topics.

COLLABORATIVE SPIRIT
Through partnerships, we are able to reach far beyond our immediate constituency and bring the ReelAbilities message and change far and wide. Additionally, we see our programs as an opportunity to highlight and celebrate the work of our partners and our shared mission. Oftentimes, our partnering organizations can provide an outlet for further year-round engagement and call-to-action.