In the new short film Ableist Watching, two disabled friends, Abby (Emily Kranking) and Willow (Gabrielle Zwi), watch over an accessible parking spot and confront any non-disabled person who parks there. However, rather than being apologetic or remorseful when the suspects are caught, they give excuses or antagonize Abby and Willow.
In one scene, a religious lady (Tywanna Gardner), parks in the accessible spot with a “What would Jesus do sticker?” on her car. When Willow asks her, “What would Jesus do here?”, the religious lady does not appreciate the snarky comment, and mocks Abby’s disabled hand saying Jesus would probably heal it – falling into a trope that some religious individuals feel that disabled individuals need to be healed. Abby, who represents many disabled individuals who are not looking for healing but for true inclusion, lets out a primal scream before attacking and chasing her away. It is a truly funny and beautiful scene to see Abby stand up to a hypocrite.
Directed by Kristen Kinsey, Ableist Watching was created during the Easterseals Disability Film Challenge, an annual five-day competition in which filmmakers must create original three-to-five minute films based on a different theme each year. This year’s theme is buddy comedy.
Kranking, a 2020 RespectAbility Entertainment Lab Alumna and 2019 National Leadership Fellowship Alumna, wrote, starred in, and produced Ableist Watching. She is a neurodiverse actor, writer, and disability advocate with cerebral palsy. After graduating from the Honors Acting Conservatory at The Theatre Lab, she starred in the first disabled musical movie Best Summer Ever, which premiered at SXSW and can be watched on Hulu. Additionally, Zwi was a Policy Fellow in RespectAbility’s National Leadership Fellowship.
Unlike the film, there are no ableist-watchers constantly checking that every person who parks in an accessible spot is disabled. Ableist Watching uses comedy to highlight this issue and brings awareness that accessible parking spots are for those who have disabilities. With an aggressive humor and well-timed acting, Ableist Watching is a funny short that reminds those without disabilities to not park in an accessible spot and to be considerate rather than aggressive – or else Abby and Willow will have something to say about it.
