As 3-year-old Emilio is ready to start school, his family finds itself cornered in the United States’ most segregated education system – New York City public schools. Fighting for their son’s right to an inclusive education – where Emilio and other children with disabilities would be taught alongside their classmates without disabilities – film director Olivier and his wife Hilda investigate the personal stories of students and their parents in the US. With children with disabilities worldwide less likely to attend school, these experiences expose just a handful of the widespread injustices currently taking place in the educational system and beyond for kids with disabilities. Forget Me Not reveals a path to a more inclusive society that starts with welcoming diversity in the classroom.
“As a director, this is not only a story I will be telling – this is a story I am living. When I was a child, I didn’t go to an inclusive school. I was never exposed to anyone with intellectual disabilities, and I was ill-prepared for my own son’s arrival. I want to use this opportunity to make sure this never happens to anyone again.”
– Olivier Bernier, director, Forget Me Not
“What we’re talking about here is the society we want to have in the future in which people with disabilities are welcome. And inclusion is the beginning of that.”
– Thomas Hehir, film participant, Forget Me Not
