Challenges and joys of a developmentally disabled sister: ‘Rachel Is’ film screens at Chatham

The experience of watching the new, locally shot film, Rachel Is, about a family caring for their young, intellectually disabled member, “more than anything can teach us compassion,” says Tony Goreczny. “Not just compassion for those with developmental disabilities,” he adds, “but for their families and for everyone who has challenges in their daily lives, which is pretty much everyone.”

Goreczny is Professor of Counseling Psychology at Chatham University and principal investigator of its state-supported IM4Q program — Independent Monitoring for Quality — which studies individuals with developmental disabilities, with the aim of improving their lives. Along with Chatham’s Pennsylvania Center for Women and Politics, IM4Q is sponsoring a free screening of the film, followed by a panel discussion, on March 15, 6:30 p.m., on the main campus’s Eddy Theater.

The documentary is the directing debut of Rachel’s sister Charlotte Glynn and shows the family — including mother Jane Bernstein, a Carnegie Mellon University professor of English and creative writing — dealing with Rachel’s desire for self-sufficiency, even though she cannot fend for herself. Henry J. Simonds, a Chatham Board of Trustees member, is the producer.

What impresses Goreczny about the film, he says, is that “it’s real. It follows a young woman and her family in real-life circumstances, the real, daily struggles – and not just the struggles, but the love and care that is there, that family members have for each other.” What may be most impressive, he concludes, are the “…insights into the resilience we all need to develop in facing those challenges.”

Do Good:

• Attend the screening: For more information, call 412-365-1878 or email.
• Be inspired: Learn more about the film, Rachel and the issue by clicking here.
• Get involved: Find out how you can support the American Network of Community Options and Resources, a nonprofit that advocates on behalf of the 800+ organizations that provide services for those with disabilities.

Writer: Marty Levine
Source: Tony Goreczny, Independent Monitoring for Quality, Chatham University
Image courtesy of Henry J. Simonds