Free in person and virtual Film Screening and a
Panel Conversation on Dignity and Belonging
Monday, May 15, 2023
5:30 to 8:00pm PDT
Ruby Bridges Elementary
20510 49th Drive SE, Woodinville, WA 98072
Panel discussion to begin at 7:10 p.m.
RSVP for either in person or virtual screening and panel at the links at the bottom of the page.
A Film by Olivier Bernier
Join us and come elevate your advocacy!
Join us in person or virtually for a free screening of the award-winning documentary Forget Me Not: Inclusion in The Classroom, followed by a panel conversation with: the filmmaker, Olivier Bernier; President of Inclusion International, Sue Swenson; the creator of Neurodivergent Narwhals and the Neurodiversity Lending Library Movement, Lei Wiley-Mydske; Washington Teacher of the Year 2021 and current Board of Education representative, Brooke Brown; and the Deputy Director of Office of Education Ombuds, Yordanos Gebreamlak.
The panel will target system-level advocacy on inclusive education that centers dignity and belonging.
Event brought to you by:
Synopsis
As 3-year-old Emilio prepares to start school, his family finds itself embroiled in a challenge all too common for children with disabilities – to secure the right to an inclusive education. Cornered in one of the most segregated education systems, New York City public schools, filmmaker Olivier and his wife Hilda turn the camera on themselves and their child with Down syndrome, as they navigate a byzantine system originally designed to silo children with disabilities. Emilio’s parents learn from other families who have fought against the injustices built into the educational system while they continue their own battle for their son’s future.
Forget Me Not brings together experts such as Thomas Hehir, former Director of Special Education in the United States (recently deceased); Sara Jo Soldovieri, a disability rights advocate, formerly with the National Down Syndrome Society; Lori Podvesker, Director of Disability & Educational Policy with IncludeNYC; David H. Rose, co-creator of Universal Design for Learning; and Sue Swenson, President of Inclusion International and former Deputy Assistant Secretary for Special Ed-Services. It also shares the stories of families and individuals with developmental disabilities who have had to fight for and benefit from inclusion as well as the groundbreaking work being done at the Boston public school, the Henderson K–12 Inclusion School.
Visit the film’s website.
Students at Henderson K-12 Inclusive School featured in Forget Me Not. © Forget Me Not/Cinema Libre Studio
Hilda Bernier, holding her son Emilio with Down syndrome. Image © Forget Me Not/Cinema Libre Studio
Meet the Panelists
Olivier Bernier
Director
Award-winning director, Olivier Bernier lives and breathes to tell stories that explore the human condition. Part American, part Quebecois, Olivier is also the Co-Founder and Creative Director of the production company, Rota6 Films, specializing in documentary and commercial films. Olivier has had the honor of having many of his films regularly screened at many festivals including the Montreal World Film Festival, DOCNYC, Big Sky, Bend Film Festival, Opening Night of the Human Rights Watch Film Festival. Rooftop film series, Houston Worldfest, Walla Walla. He has had received Vimeo Staff Picks, is a Grand Jury prize winner at Slamdance as well as been picked up for distribution by outlets such as The New Yorker, Uninterrupted, and Nowness amongst others. Along with his commercial work, Olivier continues to develop, produce and direct original content that aims to put a hyper focus on topics that can change the way we look at the world.
Sue Swenson
President of Inclusion International
Sue got involved with disability advocacy because her middle son, Charlie, had profound disabilities. She was active in the Minneapolis schools as well as in state and federal policy while working as a professional services marketing director before being named a Kennedy Fellow in the U.S. Senate in 1996. She was educated at the University of Chicago and earned an AM there as well as an MBA at the University of Minnesota.
Sue served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) at the U.S. Department of Education as well as the Acting Assistant Secretary during the Obama administration. Before OSERS, Sue served in the Clinton administration as the Commissioner for Developmental Disabilities in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. She also served as Executive Director of the Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. Foundation and CEO of The Arc of the United States.
In her current role as President of Inclusion International, Sue works with many non-profit organisations and speaks at global events to promote Inclusion International’s vision of inclusion.
Lei Wiley-Mydske
Creator of Neurodivergent Narwhals and the Neurodiversity Lending Library Movement
Lei is a multiracial Autistic activist, the Community Outreach Coordinator at the Autistic Women & Nonbinary Network, creator of Neurodivergent Narwhals, and the director and founder of the Ed Wiley Autism Acceptance Lending Library, a library with books and materials that promote the ideas of autism acceptance, social justice, disability rights and neurodiversity. She is also a wife to an Allistic man, and a mom to a fantastic, recently graduated Autistic daughter. Lei is also the co-founder of a special education advisory committee in her school district, where she focuses on finding ways to promote authentic inclusion, making schools and events more accessible for students of all abilities, and implementing disability history into the curriculum.
After being misdiagnosed for many years, Lei was diagnosed as Autistic when she was in her thirties.
Brooke Brown
Washington Teacher of the Year 2021 and State Board of Education representative
Brooke Brown is the 2021 Washington Teacher of the Year. She has spent the past 15 years teaching English and ethnic studies at Washington High School in the Franklin Pierce School District. She uses her classroom to create a brave, inclusive environment that allows students to show up authentically, centering their experiences and encouraging them to develop empathy and compassion for others. She currently serves as the Instructional Equity Specialist in the Franklin Pierce School District.
Brooke has been married to her best friend, Eugene Brown, for 17 years and they have 4 children. She is a current doctoral student pursuing her PhD in Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment. She holds a master’s degree in Education from Pacific Lutheran University and 2 bachelor’s degrees from the University of Washington in Sociology, History, and American Ethnic Studies.
Yordanos Gebreamlak
Deputy Director of Office of Education Ombuds
Yordanos Gebreamlak is the Deputy Director in the Office of the Education Ombuds. She has worked to improve educational outcomes by addressing hardships faced by students in the classroom and overall school setting as well as factors contributing to instability in other aspects of life that cause barriers to academic success and social and emotional wellbeing. She has advocated in partnership with caregivers and students with disabilities with the goal of working towards student-centered resolutions. Yordanos has worked alongside families experiencing homelessness by identifying and navigating resources in the community. In addition, she has experience working with students in foster care and families otherwise involved with Children’s Administration. She has extensive experience working with refugee families. She has provided information to heighten familiarity with the K-12 education system. Yordanos’ work with residents in an adult care facility has highlighted for her the importance of utilizing a wholistic and inter-generational approach.
Yordanos is fluent in Tigrinya. She graduated from the University of Washington with a Master’s Degree in Social Work and selected the Children, Youth and Families track as her focus. Yordanos’ own K-12 experience has been the driving force behind her desire to work in education.
Inclusion for ALL 