Music Within

“Music Within” is the story of Richard Pimentel and his experiences with disability after he lost his hearing in the Vietnam War. He was a promising public speaker apparently, but after suffering a rejection, he enlists for duty in the war and his hearing loss changes his life forever. After his return, he masters lip-reading and befriends a man with cerebral palsy. Their friendship highlights for him the negative treatment of people with disabilities and so he begins his own crusade to help improve the rights of disabled people in the American workforce.

This film is newer than many of the others we have looked at, and the faces of the actors are familiar even where the names are not. The trailer shows that the film has heart, and reviews seem generally positive about the tone. Roger Egbert praises the film in his review, though he does criticize the film for over-emphasizing the role Pimentel played in the disability rights movement. Perhaps that would be a good place to start discussion; people could be debriefed quickly on other people who helped improve the treatment of the disabled and then discuss what role the ADA has played since its inception.