Portland Public Schools (PPS) is hosting a series of events that focus on belonging, equity & inclusive practices, featuring screenings of powerful, award-winning documentaries that will stir, provoke, and challenge each of us about what is possible in the systems we create for our children with disabilities. As part of this series, we are excited to welcome you to a free screening of The Ride Ahead.

About The Ride Ahead Film

Samuel Habib's goals are pretty typical for a 21-year-old. Moving out of his family's New Hampshire home. College. Establishing his career. Dating. Sex.

The Ride Ahead is about 21-year-old Samuel Habib who is itching to move out, start a career, and find love. But no one tells you how to be an adult, let along an adult with disability. Every rite of passage is fraught with challenges. Unexpected seizures and uncontrollable movements caused by his rare genetic disorder. Friends' homes that are inaccessible to his wheelchair. His labored speech and use of a communication device are barriers to a social life. He craves more independence and a family of his own one day. "But no one tells you how to be an adult," he says, "let alone an adult with a disability." Samuel is determined to avoid the statistical realities: unemployment, isolation, institutionalization. 

A turning point comes when he starts talking to disabled adults, who have been through all he is going through now. He decides to travel to meet some badass disabled adults and make a film that charts how they built full adult lives-as a roadmap for himself and others. He reaches out for mentorship from people like comedian Maysoon Zayid, who says "When non-disabled people tell our stories, we only get to have three stories: 'Help me, I'm disabled.' 'Cure me.' 'Kill me.' We have to tell our own stories."  And when he begins to channel their insights, a roadmap for himself, and for other young adults like him, begins to take shape.

The Ride Ahead illustrates the compelling power of one person truly determined to live life on his own terms as he navigates the barriers before him, while energizing those around him. Together with a loving family and a community of friends, Samuel pushes forth his life's "ride ahead." You can learn more about Dan and Samuel Habib's work on their website.