- [Narrator] 16 year old Faith Guilbault is daring, adventurous, and competitive.

[laughing] She is also one of 61 million people in the United States with a disability.

But Faith and her friends want to be defined by their abilities.

- You get to see the world through a different lens.

- [Narrator] And they turn challenges into opportunities.

- You find ways to be happy and uplift yourself.

- [Narrator] Mentored by filmmaker Joyce Chopra, Faith shines a light on her world, sharing her hopes for a bright and inclusive future.

[gentle music playing] - [Woman] Major funding for this program is provided by Additional funding by - Hi my name is Faith and I'm 16 years old and I have cerebral palsy.

I don't have much hand control if I were to use the camera so Joyce and Kat are helping me with the camera and I'm just kinda directing.

- [Joyce] No big deal [laughs].

- [Kat] Yeah you know, I'm just the director no big deal-- - [Joyce] --with all my animals behind me.

[upbeat music] - [Woman] All right, we're ready.

- One of my favorite things to do for fun is go to iFLY.

Especially since my parents, Karen and Jesse, love it as much as I do.

- Alright I'm not gonna close your lid now.

- Please don't.

- Please don't?

[laughing] Chin up.

Okay?

You feel okay?

- [Faith] Yeah.

- [Jesse] Looks good.

Alright.

[adventurous music] - When I'm high up in the air, I feel like I'm floating.

It's scary at first, but it's neat to see everyone through the glass.

I was born with cerebral palsy because I was a couple of weeks early and like premature and it cut off the oxygen to my brain, which also caused part of the vision issue.

When I was born, my brain like damaged my optic nerve.

I can see like certain colors and, I can't see far away but I can see close up.

- We found out the main difficulties Faith would have in life when she was born.

Before that we knew she was going to be premature.

And we understood that, we had a son who was premature before that.

And he worked out through his issues.

She was dark purple, not breathing.

They rushed her over to a table.

Resuscitated her basically at that point, color flushed in.

We were very concerned.

Once the doctors got a chance to examine her, they told us, you know, she's never gonna do this.

She's never gonna walk.

She's like very, very bad situation for her.

[bus engine rumbling] - See you later.

- I just started attending the Maryland School for the Blind a couple weeks ago and I love it already.

Okay.

So I know there's six, six beds.

And one, two, three, four, five yellows.

Top five plus six, is seven, eight, nine, 10, 11, 12, 13.

- Okay.

Now, let's start on the left.

What color do you get to first?

- [Faith] The teachers here understand what it's like to have a cortical vision impairment.

CVI is a neurological blindness.

It's a problem with the brain, not the eye.

I see what you see.

I just have a hard time interpreting it.

So for me, it helps to touch the objects when counting because it reinforces my learning.

- Can I have your hands?

- Yeah.

- Can we do it together?

Cause we're going to count the way we read it from top to... - Bottom.

- And from left to... - Right.

- Okay.

So count with me.

- One, two, three, four, five.

- So how many yellows?

- Five yellows.

- Good, now what?

- And six reds.

- Uh-huh yes.

- So seven, eight, nine, 10, 11 12?

- Count them all together and check.

- One, two, three, four... - Mm-mm.

- Wait.

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, 10, 11.

- So what's the problem?

- Eleven.

- Can you guess?

- One, two, three, four, five.

So six plus five is eleven.

- Good.

Now... which works better when you count from bottom to top, or from top to bottom?

- Well, I'm counting that counting the other way is not really something they taught me in my other school.

So it's like, you're teaching my brain something.

- Yeah, that's hard.

- I just know I need to learn eventually [laughs].

- Right!

You have plenty of time.

- We are opening notes and we are writing a birthday message to Mr. Hare.

- There you go, and over right and type... [laughing] - Happy Birthday, Mr. Hare.

- But what should we have different about the word hare?

- Oo, capital?

- Yes.

- How do I...?

- Shift... right... - I just deleted the whole thing.

- Oh, you ready?

A little trick to get it back.

- Can you, yeah.

I was gonna tell you recover it.

- Another way, if it's hard to hold down shift you can hit the caps lock button.

Press it once, so just press it and it'll turn on and make all the letters cap on that page.

Then hit caps lock again to turn off the capital letters.

Perfect!

[pensive music] - [Faith] I was so excited to start the therapeutic horseback riding program.

And even more excited when I found out that Sally was going to be my horse.

I met her last summer when I was here with camp.

- You got her on the back?

Alright, get yourself a hold again, and then we're gonna bring those legs down.

We're gonna just scoot back in that saddle too.

Can you scoot back for me?

There we go.

All right, you hold on and then I'm going to wiggle your legs now.

Ready?

- Hands up towards the ceiling.

All right sit up nice and tall, let's put both hands up towards the sky.

Be as tall as you can.

As tall as you can get yourself.

All the way up!

Both hands as close to the ears, as you can get them so bend at the waist, lean forward.

- [Woman] Reach forward.

Stretch it up.

- Therapeutic riding is beneficial to our clients in myriad ways.

One of the most evident ways is the physical activity that the rider experiences, because a lot of people think that they're riding that they're not getting any exercise.

But when you're sitting on top of a horse you have to use your core to balance yourself, because the horses walk just like a human does.

So there's the forward, backward.

side-to-side and up-and-down movement.

So in order to stay upright on your horse, you're going to have to engage your core.

So when your core is strong, then you are able to move your diaphragm to push air from your lungs, past your vocal cords, which also helps with our clients' speech.

And then there's what I call the "fun side".

When you're riding horses it helps your self esteem, your self confidence.

Because if you look at our riders some of them arrived in wheelchairs.

So they're looking at their world from a belt buckle level.

But when they're on their horse they're above everybody else.

- [Man] All right, here it comes.

Catch her toes!

[laughing] - [Faith] I don't want to tip the bucket!

- Hold on to it.

[laughing] - There you go.

Roll sound, roll camera, action.

So mom, tell me why you made all those videos of me while I was growing up.

- While you were growing up, I think that's just a mom thing that you're supposed to do.

I did it with your brother, but then I think with you it was different was we had social media.

So we were all sharing all like our photos and videos.

And I had a lot of people asking questions and - And they gravitated towards you?

- Yeah, not towards me, towards you.

They gravitated towards you and, and how you overcome all of the struggles that you are and how fearless you are and everything that you have to do every day.

So, and then also for awareness too.

Because when we do the videos, then it shows other people because a lot of people take things for granted and they don't realize everything that you have to do or that we have to do as a family.

- I don't have a lot of friendships.

And some days, I like felt like I was invisible but that's why I like having people who are friends with me with disabilities because they can actually understand me.

So like, because sometimes people are actually like don't understand and don't see my point and where I'm coming from, they're like, "why is she in a rocker?

That's weird."

- You ever get sad because you have cerebral palsy?

- No, not easily because it's just normal to have CP to me.

So I don't get sad about it.

- Me neither.

I mean, when I was younger I used to like, always ask, "Why me?"

Why, why do I have to live the life I live?

I don't, I don't like my life, I want a cure.

But now I feel like, sort of changed my mind on it because like, so I heard a song and there's this one lyric that really resonated with me.

And it's, "I didn't choose to live the life I live but I can choose to make the most of it" was the lyric.

And that really like hit home with me because at the end of the day, I didn't choose to have CP, I didn't choose to have hearing loss, but I choose not to feel sorry for myself.

Like I choose to live a good life.

- So I used to think when I was younger, people was sad for me cause I was in a rocker and then they would feel bad for me.

But wherever it is, is whatever it is.

I don't feel bad for myself, even if they feel bad for me.

- People tell me that I'm an inspiration and I don't feel great that they telling me that I'm an inspiration.

Cause I'm just, you know, normal like I'm not an inspiration.

So it kind of just is wrong that they say that.

- Whenever people make these like stories about people with disabilities, it's always seen as either pity or inspiring.

- And like, that kind of bothers me.

Cause like, I don't want people to feel bad for me.

Like I appreciate sympathy, but not pity because it just seems that my life is bad.

And like that's not the case.

That's my life is great.

And like you get to see the world through a different lens you know?

Not just like how everyone else sees it.

You get your own unique perspective and you get to be part of the disabled community, which is so cool.

Like I get to meet like friends with CP and like form these good friendships.

And I have other friends with other disabilities.

- You like bond with people with CP.

- Yeah it's cool!

- So one day I was like, "I am sick of going to doctor's appointments, but yeah.

And stuff.

And then I didn't like taking off of school, cause I love school.

But one day I just decided to deal with it and keep going.

But yeah, you do have your moments and you get sad but then like you find ways to be happy and uplift yourself.

- I guess it's a person doing homework?

- What?

- Those are chili peppers.

[laughing] - You probably didn't see.

It's okay I do that.

[laughing] - I'm not even sure what this is.

- Those are two dogs going at it, fighting.

[laughing] - The kid that was over here Saturday night playing games with me his name is Eric and I met him in rehab.

We're friends and apparently he was all normal and active like four years ago.

And then he got sick and now he is in a wheelchair but he's just a cool kid about it and he has a great personality.

- Scream it.

- [Faith] Action!

- All right.

- [Karen] Like getting on a horse.

- [Jesse] Mhm.

- Okay.

That the way you want them?

- Yeah.

But I feel like I feel like I need to move it because the brakes like literally right here.

- [Karen] You're good.

[dog whining] [dogs barking] That way when the doggy poops daddy can pick it up.

[laughing] - [Jesse] That's so cheating, she did that on purpose.

My biggest fear in life is when I'm gone who's going to look after her?

How is she going to do things now, things we take for granted.

If you need to go to the corner to get milk, you get in the car and go down there or you can get there and walk.

You know, what is she going to do?

And there's timeframes, and the technology that's coming out now, that's helping people.

You know, autonomous cars are going to be a huge thing for people that aren't mobile themselves.

The possibilities out there as we are growing is, is just amazing.

And I look forward to hopefully be here to see these things come to fruition.

- Sound rolling, camera, action.

How did it feel having a sister with a disability growing up?

- Growing up it didn't seem different to me because I was so used to it.

And like, honestly, I wouldn't have it any other way with the life experiences we've had and the ways it's made me grow up and the way it's made her grow up.

- Now you're gonna make me cry.

- No don't start crying.

- It's changed my life a lot, makes me do things a lot differently than other people.

Like, especially being on GCU since it's such like a good campus.

There is kids here with disabilities and I see them get out of things and people talking bad behind their backs and I've told a lot of people to be quiet, honestly, the past two years and, to not view people so differently because they're just humans, they want the same things we want.

- Is there anything special you would like to do when you come home for Thanksgiving next week?

I'm laughing because I know what it is.

- [laughs] I have no idea.

- What?

- [laughs] I have no idea why she's laughing.

Is there anything special you would like to do when you come home for Thanksgiving next week?

- Mostly just to get to hang out with my family and friends.

- [Faith] And your girlfriend.

- Just relax and be home.

- She said, "and your girlfriend!"

- Yes.

That's true.

[laughing] - Perfect.

Tuck your chin.

Good.

Good.

- I've been having physical therapy with Ms. Jessica for the past three years.

- Forward.

- It's important especially if you have cerebral palsy like me.

- Get that foot up in the air and it helps you undrag your feet, right?

- Mhm.

- There you go.

Good job!

So I want you to work with it, right?

So while it's on - It feels crazy [laughs].

- I know [laughs].

So who's in your class?

- There's Aaron, Delaney, Dylan, and me, and the boy doesn't actually come til Christmas.

- So Christmas, you get a boy in your classroom?

- He doesn't actually enroll til Christmas that's funny.

- That is funny.

So you have all girls right now.

- Yeah.

- And then at Christmas time you get a boy.

Is that what you're telling me?

[laughs] - Yes.

Yeah.

- Good job.

Awesome.

Sit nice and tall.

This arm.

Okay, look what you're reaching for.

Good job.

This on this side, actually instead.

Faith, keep it on this side.

There you go.

Nice work.

Get as high as you can go, go, go, go.

Higher.

Go, good job.

Awesome.

Oh, try not to slide it, try to lift.

That was better.

Good job.

Okay one last one.

- On each side?

- Just on this side.

Nice.

Lift, good.

Nice, now big step with the right.

All the way to the center, good.

And then go ahead and step out.

Now, you're doing good.

You're doing an awesome job.

- Take five [laughs].

These are Velcro pants that open and then you can put them back together and they're really easy for putting it back together cause then you could just snap it.

And there's actually like a fake snap right here.

Here that clips.

It's great that they have adaptive clothing for people that can't really dress themself and need a lot of help but they also want that independence skills.

These are really easy because they have magnets and you can just open them way up.

It was so cool when I was asked to model adaptive clothing again at the Runway of Dreams Fashion Show in New York.

[backstage chattering] The part I love most is being able to connect and meet other people with disabilities.

- Oh, I love these.

- I got lots of fun accessories.

Yeah.

I think a little bit more like that.

- Do you like it that short?

- Yeah, I do.

- Okay great!

- The woman I look up to, Mindy Scheier, is the one who started it all.

- I am a fashion designer by trade and mom of three kids.

My middle child, Oliver, was born with a rare form of muscular dystrophy that affects his muscles and certainly makes buttoning and zippering pants and putting on shoes very difficult.

So he wore sweatpants everyday.

And when he was eight years old he came home and said that he wanted to wear jeans to school.

And this was the first time that we really had to think about, well, how was he going to go to the bathroom?

How is he going to be able to be independent wearing jeans?

And I went home and decided that I needed to rip apart a pair of jeans and figure out ways to make it more manageable for him.

And what that did was open my eyes to the fact that there's an entire world of people with disabilities out there that are not able to wear what they want to wear because of clothing challenges.

And that's really the reason why I started Runway of Dreams.

- That's so cool!

[funky music] [crowd chattering] - The future of fashion is now.

The fact that we had three major brands on our runway, Tommy Hilfiger, Zappos, and Kohl's sharing the runway to show their adaptive clothing options is a revolution and you're all here to be a part of it.

We have over 40 models with all different types of disabilities about to go down this runway, which is exactly where they should be: kicking off New York Fashion Week.

[cheering and applause] [upbeat music] - I've had a couple job ideas but I don't know exactly what my future would look like so I'm just kind of living--like at school they had us fill out job applications and I had several ideas of what I want to do and where I want to live I just don't know yet.

Cause in the future you can always change your mind and it's like over and over again.

It's a wrap!

[introspective music] - [Woman] Major funding for this program is provided by Additional funding by For more "films BY kids" visit thirteen.org/filmsbykids.

[triumphant music] [zealous music]