Crip Video Productions

This blog is for all news and events related to my independent films like “Drama Sighted” and it’s sequel “Only Those Who Limp Allowed” All films are produced,written, and directed by me. Crip Video Productions' mission is to break barriers and increase understanding of disability through engaging characters and storytelling. The word "crip" is a short version of the word cripple that people in the disability community use to refer to the physically disabled such as the characters in these films. It is not meant as an offense to anyone associated with these films or otherwise. "Drama Sighted", "Only Those Who Limp Allowed" "Crips Not Creeps" and "A Stroke Of Endurance" are fully copyrighted to me. For general inquires/questions email [email protected]

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Big news from Crip Video Productions! 🎬✨

We are incredibly proud to share that our founder, Margot Cole, will be presenting a special training focused on a topic close to our hearts: Strengthening Independence.

This training is a fantastic opportunity for youth (PA residents) and their supporters—families, educators, mentors, and community partners—to learn together in a welcoming, engaging environment. Even better? This presentation will feature exclusive Crip Video Productions content! 🎥

Margot is presenting in her capacity as a PYLN member, bringing the same passion and lived experience she pours into all of our films.

Getting the Word Out! 📣 We are honored to have this training highlighted by the Dylan Rothbein Liberty Coalition and the Accessibility Club. You can also find this opportunity officially listed on the PaTTAN (Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network) website!

Training Details

📅 Date: June 3, 2026 ⏰ Time: 3:00–4:00 PM 📍 Location: Zoom (Registration required) 👥 Who: Youth (PA Residents) and their supports ✅ Cost: FREE (Supported by the Pathways 2 Partnership Disability Innovation Fund Grant)

How to Register

We are prioritizing spots for youth and their families. ✨ Youth & Families: Register directly via the PaTTAN website to secure your spot! ✨ Professionals: If you are not attending with a youth participant, please email [email protected] to be added to our waitlist. We’ll open remaining spots to the waitlist once families have had priority access.

Help us spread the word! Share this post with any youth, families, or colleagues across PA who would benefit from this session. For questions, reach out to Hillary at the email above.

We can’t wait to see you there! 💫

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Press for Independence Can Be Interdependence

Big news from Crip Video Productions! 🎬

We are incredibly proud to share that our founder, Margot Cole, will be presenting a special training focused on a topic close to our hearts: strengthening independence. This training is an incredible opportunity for disabled youth and the people who support them—families, educators, mentors, and community partners—to learn together in a welcoming, engaging environment. Margot will be presenting in her capacity as a PYLN member, bringing the same passion and lived experience she pours into our films!

Getting the Word Out! We are thrilled that this training is receiving press from The Arc of PA, whom Margot had the pleasure of meeting at the recent PDE conference. You can also find this training opportunity officially listed on the Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network (PaTTAN) website!

Training Details

📅 Date: June 3, 2026

⏰ Time: 3:00–4:00 PM

📍 Location: Zoom (Registration required)

👥 Who Should Attend: Youth (PA residents) and their supporters

✅ Cost: FREE (Brought to you through the Pathways 2 Partnership Disability Innovation Fund Grant)

Registration Information

This session is specifically for PA residents. To ensure we provide the best experience, we are prioritizing spots for youth and their families.

Youth & Families: Please register directly through the PaTTAN website to secure your spot!

Professionals: If you are not attending with a youth participant, please email [email protected] to be added to our waitlist. We will open remaining spots to the waitlist once youth and families have had priority access.

Please help us spread the word! Share this with any youth, families, or colleagues across Pennsylvania who may benefit from this session. For any questions, feel free to reach out to Hillary at the email above.

Thank you for helping us support youth and the people who stand beside them. We can’t wait to see you there!

[cripvideoproductions]

Big news from Crip Video Productions! 🎬

We are incredibly proud to share that our founder, Margot Cole, will be presenting an upcoming training focused on a topic close to our hearts: strengthening independence.

This training is a fantastic opportunity for youth and the people who support them—families, educators, mentors, and community partners—to learn together in an engaging and welcoming environment. Margot will be presenting in her capacity as a PYLN member, bringing her expertise and unique perspective to the table!

Training Details:

📅 Date: June 3, 2026

⏰ Time: 3:00–4:00 PM

📍 Location: Zoom (Registration required to receive the link)

👥 Who Should Attend: Youth and their supports

✅ Cost: FREE (Brought to you through the Pathways 2 Partnership Disability Innovation Fund Grant)

Registration Priority:

We are prioritizing spots for disabled students/youth and families.

Professionals: If you wish to attend without a youth participant, please email [email protected] to be added to the waitlist. Spots will be offered to the waitlist after youth and families have had time to register.

Please help us spread the word! Share this post with any youth, families, or colleagues who may benefit from this session. For any questions or more info, feel free to contact Hillary at the email above.

Thank you for helping us support youth and the people who stand beside them. We hope to see you there!

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Spring 2026 Screenings and Stroke Awareness Month

On April 2 2026 I(Margot) did a screening for some students of “Drama Sighted” where we discussed the mental health affects of ableist bullying and how it traumatizes those who are the disabled targets of the bullying. One student liked how the visuals of the film looked on a computer screen. On April 20th 2026 I(Margot) did a screening for some students with intellectual disabilities of “Drama Sighted”, the students got the humor in the film immediately and said they wished they could act in films in the same way. On April 23 2026 I spoke to a group of students who are learning to be teachers in special education. We discussed the dangers of ableism like when one disabled activist was not able to use an accessible toilet and it damaged her bladder and another news story about a woman who used a ventilator who died due to the apartment management not allowing her to install a backup generator. One student asked why a disabled man in a grocery store didn’t seem too happy when she let him cut the cashier line, and I explained it is better to ask a disabled person first so the person does not feel pity or like they are “getting special treatment.” On April 29th 2026 I screened “A Stroke Of Endurance” for another small class and the students said the movie touched their hearts. One student gained a new understanding of why disclosing a disability can be personal and private. One of the instructors loved the empathy between Professor Ben and the students and how the script humanized professors and students, and how the students didn’t want the professor to die. Someone else thought Ava called her mother at the end because she realized things are finite and we have to tell those we love that we love them. Another instructor liked how Ava and Professor Ben explained their brains and neurologic burn out. One person found the faith elements of the film interesting.

May is Stroke Awareness Month, and at Crip Video Productions, we are continuing our tradition of raising awareness and celebrating the resilience of the survivor community!

Stroke is a far more common disability than many realize, affecting people of all ages. We want to use this month to highlight some critical facts:

Pediatric Stroke: Stroke in babies is a known cause of Cerebral Palsy (CP).

Young Adult Risks: Strokes in younger people can be caused by complications from birth control, diabetes, or specific nutritional gaps due to genetic and autoimmune issues, such as Vitamin B deficiency anemia known as pernicious anemia.

Authenticity is the heartbeat of our work. We are eternally grateful to the stroke survivor who sat down with us for a personal interview on the phone in 2016, to help us accurately portray Professor Ben’s character, his symptoms, and his recovery process. Her insight, along with the incredible support from our fans and the survivor community who have championed "A Stroke of Endurance" since day one, is what makes this film special.

We hope our film continues to serve as a meaningful resource for survivors and their loved ones everywhere.

🎥 Watch "A Stroke of Endurance" for FREE here: https://cripvideoproductions.com/astrokeofendurance.php

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“My name is Dylan. I have ataxic Cerebral Palsy. I have always had problems walking and impairment to my balance but the reason I now use a wheelchair is I developed tethered cord syndrome which is like spina bifida. When I was 9 weeks old I turned blue and passed out and my mom did CPR on me and because of this brain injury I could not run at all, or walk well and I can’t write or feed myself. When I could walk it was hard to walk on uneven ground which is related to CP and my Lyme disease. In Israel while preparing for Rabbinical school  had to walk on uneven ground and I hit my head a lot. Due to my brain damage I have a lot of stomach issues and an exaggerated gag reflex as a result of CP so I throw up a lot. I gag even if my mouth is open too wide and because of my Ehlers Danlos Syndrome I dislocate my jaw. In CP we often take supplements of Vitamin B to help, I also have pernicious anemia which is a total lack of the ability to absorb vitamin B through my stomach so I take vitamin B as a shot. If I don’t have a vitamin B shot every month my CP symptoms will get worse and I can die without Vitamin B because the lack of vitamin B makes my blood acidic. An important fact of CP is that it can affect my voice. My spasticity from CP and co occurring dystonia it is hard to speak so I use A A C.  We can’t talk about CP without discussing epilepsy which is common in CP. I have epilepsy and non epileptic seizures. A very common way to treat seizures is with medications that are also mood stabilizers. The medication slows the brain down so a person does not seizure. Depakote is a seizure drug that has saved my life. I still have non epileptic seizures but because of Depakote  I don’t have to worry about dying in the middle of the night. There are other medications I use for CP such as Baclofen which is a muscle relaxant similar to botox used to treat spasticity. For my tremors and shaking I take Propranolol which helps me feel better but I still need help to feed myself and write. As a part of my  Ehlers Danlos Syndrome my joints go everywhere so my CP spasticity is worse to try to hold my joints together. For more information on CP I implore you to go to the Crip Video Productions website. We make media content about disability rights, our current endeavor is the documentary “What The Body Believes”, and our founder Margot Cole has Cerebral Palsy. You can follow the work we do anywhere on social media. I am the producer and audio engineer for Crip Video Productions. “

-Dylan Rothbein

This is the speech our producer gave to medical billing students with AAC. To hire Dylan for public speaking see here https://dylanrothbein.weebly.com/

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“I spoke to a class of medical billing students. I gave a small presentation on Cerebral Palsy and genetic conditions. I presented to the class on medical terminology. I tried to add to the curriculum. Part of the class was translated between Russian and English languages. One student spoke Hebrew. I mentioned genetic bottle necks as it relates to rare genetic disease. I spoke on the link between gender dysphoria and EDS.”

-Dylan Rothbein

Dylan Rothbein gave a presentation on ataxic Cerebral Palsy to a medical billing class at a trade school today on behalf of Crip Video Productions. To see more of Dylan's presentations on the brain see here https://youtu.be/vDf3Gni0l1c?si=mB70WT2t9MPo19EM to hire Dylan Rothbein as a paid public speaker see Dylan Rothbein Liberty Coalition

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Reclaiming The Word Crip: Disability Organisations Using Crip With Pride | Crip Life™

To celebrate our first year at Crip Life™, we honour several other disability organisations that are using the word crip with pride and show

Crip Video Productions getting press!

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Transition Tidbits

Transition Tidbits

Margot Cole of Crip Video Productions featured in the April 2026 edition of PA Transition Tidbits, focused on Independent Living under "Meet Margot" section!

Transition Tidbits

Transition Tidbits

Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network

We’re excited to share the April 2026 edition of PA Transition Tidbits, focused on Independent Living. This month’s issue highlights practi

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The Joys Of Cerebral Palsy guest post by Margot.

The Joys of Cerebral Palsy by Margot Cole

This is a new post for Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month 2026 about the reality of living with CP.

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A Cripple’s Approach to Adoption and Gratitude guest post by Margot

A Cripple’s Approach to Adoption and Gratitude guest post by Margot Cole.

March is CP Awareness Month, and at Crip Video Productions, we are leading with authentic disability representation. At Crip Video Productions, we believe CP Awareness is about more than just wearing a specific color. It's about seeing disabled people as they are—vibrant, and creative. We don’t just tell these stories; we live them, edit them, and direct them.For Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month, we want to shift the narrative and show people with CP living fully and creatively.Every single project we have ever produced has disabled crew members and characters. For us, CP Awareness isn't a hashtag—it's about centering disabled talent and celebrating life with Cerebral Palsy. Here’s some fun content about CP. 

This post covers Cerebral Palsy and adoption https://medium.com/@dylanrothbein/a-cripples-approach-to-adoption-and-gratitude-guest-post-by-margot-987f065b9bb9 

This video was made for Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month https://youtu.be/4VE3EgBQ0DU?si=phPtpUmZA5JgF7Fz This video was originally created in 2021 for a class Dylan Rothbein developed specifically to help parents of disabled children and people pursuing the field of special education to understand the developmental and neurological effects of Cerebral Palsy featuring filmmaker Margot Cole. If you would like to take one of Dylan Rothbein's classes see here https://dylanrothbein.weebly.com/classes.html To learn more about Cerebral Palsy see here https://cripvideoproductions.com/about.php  @cripvideoproductions on instagram and threads.

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We are thrilled to share that Crip Video Productions received some wonderful shoutouts on the Pennsylvania Youth Leadership Network (PYLN) Instagram page this week!

It was an incredible experience representing Crip Video Productions at the PDE Conference.

A huge special thanks to PYLN for their constant support and for highlighting our work on their platform!

We are proud to stand alongside such dedicated leaders in the disability rights and special education fields.Thank you to everyone who stopped by to chat, share ideas, and lead the way. The future of disability leadership is looking brighter than ever!

Stay tuned for more updates as we continue to push for vibrant, authentic representation in media and beyond!

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I (Margot Cole) was at the PDE Conference today representing both the Pennsylvania Youth Leadership Network (PYLN) and Crip Video Productions! 👏✨

Margot got to make pubic comments to those in the special education fields. Margot took the floor to share a powerful message directly with leaders in the special education field: It’s time to let disabled students define what independence means for them as individuals.

The event was live captioned for accessibility.

Special thanks to PYLN!

[image description: Margot in wheelchair holding a microphone]

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"Drama Sighted" talk on bullying

On December 11 2025 I (Margot) had the pleasure of speaking to a class of students learning to be teachers about the first Crip Video Productions film “Drama Sighted”. Given “Drama Sighted”s themes most of the discussion revolved around the idea of disabled lives having value and the long reaching negative consequences of bullying. During the discussion it was intelligently pointed out that sometimes even when a student is being bullied and a teacher tries to help that bullied student the school or campus administration or principal does not support the teacher in doing so and what resources are available for students and teachers. This post is posted with permission. Special thanks to the professor and students for letting me share “Drama Sighted”!   

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Talk on medical ableism

On November 19 2025 I (Margot) spoke to a group of general education students about ableism in the medical field and how that might affect a disabled child mentally and physically in the classroom as well as affecting the parents of the children. Students shared various personal stories of doctors ignoring physical pain, and claiming that obvious seizures were not even real. We discussed how developmental disability assessments and learning disabilities assessments performed in elementary schools may not be accurate to a child’s abilities because of language barriers and physical disabilities not being accounted for on cognitive tests. I gave the students a “tour” of the Crip Video Productions website and talked about each film. Super special thanks to the professor Carielli and the class for inviting me! Posted with permission. You can see more presentations like this here https://youtu.be/37zAqRdCXTU?si=NxUNYNmG6BpMdrPA

This Epilepsy Awareness Month, we're keeping the conversation going strong! For a powerful, personal story, make sure to check out our producers recent video: “My History Of Brain Explosions” about Epilepsy: Learn about Dylan's personal journey with epilepsy and non-epileptic seizures, alongside a deep dive into epilepsy's history, cultural, and religious contexts." In this video, our producer  shares their experience and highlights the dangers of misunderstanding and lack of accommodations for epilepsy. It’s an essential watch to understand the real-world impact of this condition. https://youtu.be/J3pYelznF4Y?si=CIK7XnuUjl97C79n 

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Urgent Call to Action: Support for a Beloved Friend and Crip Video Productions Supporter, Jeff Tarnoff

We're reaching out today with a heavy heart to ask for your support for one of the dearest members of the Crip Video Productions family, Jeff Tarnoff.

Jeff is a tireless supporter of our work and a true friend. Our director, Margot, has known him since she was just 12 years old, and he's been a constant source of encouragement and a vibrant part of her life and the mission of CVP ever since. Many of you may also know Jeff from his dedication to community arts, including his significant work with Teatro Paraguas, especially the wonderful Umbrella Children's Theater.

Jeff has recently been diagnosed with bladder cancer and is facing significant medical and living expenses as he goes through treatment and recovery. This sudden diagnosis has put an enormous financial strain on him.

We are asking our community to rally around Jeff now, just as he has always rallied around us and the arts community he served.

He has set up a GoFundMe campaign to help cover the costs of his medical bills, specialized care, and daily living expenses while he fights this battle.

Please consider making a donation, no matter the size, to help Jeff on his journey to recovery:

➡️ Link to GoFundMe: Donate to Jeff's Journey to Recovery

If you are unable to donate, please share this post widely within your networks. Every share helps us reach someone who might be able to lend a hand.

Thank you, as always, for being the compassionate community that makes Crip Video Productions possible. Let's show Jeff the strength of our collective support.

With gratitude,

The Crip Video Productions Team

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ADA 35th anniversary

Today, Crip Video Productions celebrates the anniversary of the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA)! 🎉 And as we continue to celebrate Disability Pride Month, we're reminded of the incredible impact of this landmark legislation.

Many of the talented actors who work with Crip Video Productions, including our founder, live with Cerebral Palsy. The ADA is crucial, allowing us to be fully accommodated on set and in daily life. In many ways, Crip Video Productions would not exist without the ADA's freedoms and protections.

Today, we honor the activists who tirelessly fought for its passage, like the late Neil Jacobson and Judy Heumann, and those who continue to inspire us, such as Jennifer Keelan-Chaffins, who famously participated in the "Capital Crawl." We are so grateful for their courage and dedication!

Explore more with Dylan's Videos:

Epilepsy: Learn about Dylan's personal journey with epilepsy and non-epileptic seizures, alongside a deep dive into epilepsy's history, cultural, and religious contexts. This video highlights the dangers of misunderstanding and lack of accommodations for epilepsy.

Watch here

Hawking: In this mock fictional interview, a future Ava from "A Stroke Of Endurance" https://cripvideoproductions.com/astrokeofendurance.php  https://www.imdb.com/title/tt37626220/?ref_=sr interviews Stephen Hawking for a student radio station. This video aims to spark interest in science while teaching about disability, the human condition, and communication with AAC users.

Characters of Ava and Professor Ben created by Margot Cole 

Interview script written by Dylan Rothbein 

Sources:  

Into The Universe with Stephen Hawking 

Who Was Stephen Hawking? 

The Theory Of Everything  

Watch here

Happy Disability Pride Month! Please continue to support Crip Video Productions (cripvideoproductions.blogspot.com) and @teatroparaguasnm this ADA anniversary!

#ADA35 #CerebralPalsy #DisabilityPride #DisabilityPrideMonth #CripVideoProductions #DisabilityRights

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A post shared by Pennsylvania Youth Leadership Network (PYLN) (@thepyln)

Crip Video Productions and "A Stroke Of Endurance" get press from PYLN!