Body and Soul: Diana and Kathy

About the Project

Body and Soul: Diana and Kathy is a documentary that follows the story of two friends who have become advocates for themselves and for an entire community. Diana has Down Syndrome, a genetic condition that gives her one extra chromosome, a lower IQ, and constant physical problems. Kathy, on the other hand, is 61 years old, has a degree in English, and has had cerebral palsy since her birth which left her non-verbal. For 37 years they have lived together, forging a unique symbiotic relationship that has allowed them to live independently and be active in their community (fifty years ago they would have been institutionalized).

Kathy and Diana met at a sheltered workshop three decades ago and vowed to fight to live independent lives. Fearful of being shut away in a nursing home or forced into a state run institution, they broke the rules and escaped the system. Not content to earn menial wages at a sheltered workshop and have their living situation change with the whim of a government appropriation, they moved, built a house, and survived to tell their story. Kathy and Diana are survival geniuses.

Diana and Kathy have established themselves as a tireless dynamic pair of well-known lobbyists and activists in the disability movement. Through the help of a mouth stick and the Pathfinder computer device, Kathy writes articles for national magazines and has a lively email correspondence with leaders in the disability rights movement. Kathy was even arrested (power chair and all!) during a disability rally. Both Diana and Kathy serve on boards and regularly lobby for disability rights in Washington and throughout the State of Illinois.

This film has served as another tool in their outreach arsenal around the issues of disability. They are engaging new audiences around this issue and communicating their story in a more powerful way as a result of this film.

The Fledgling Fund Impact

The Fledgling Fund is pleased to support this important film. Diana and Kathy's stories are so unique - yet speak to all of us about the need for independence, choice and peace of mind. So often, we think we know what is best for those with disabilities without ever having lived a day in their lives. This film shows us that hearing their voices is the most important thing we can do to begin to change our system.