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 stroke 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 stroke recovery process. Her insight, along with the incredible support from our fans like the folks at "The Great Now What" , Stromies, and The StrokeCast, and the rest of the survivor community like the person who inspired me to write the film in the first place, 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

Medical billing speech

“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/

Medical billing presentation

“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 https://dylanrothbein.weebly.com/

UK press

Crip Video Productions is getting press from CripLife https://criplife.co.uk/reclaiming-the-word-crip-disability-organisations-using-crip-with-pride/

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! https://app.smore.com/n/em1tc

The Mystery Of The Frontal Lobe

https://youtu.be/vDf3Gni0l1c This is a video about the nervous system focusing on the frontal lobe of the human brain, showing the impact of traumatic brain injury on the frontal lobe. This video highlights and mentions the Crip Video Productions film “Drama Sighted”. #Epilepsy #Autism #CerebralPalsy

The Joys Of Cerebral Palsy

https://medium.com/@dylanrothbein/the-joys-of-cerebral-palsy-guest-post-by-margot-a84edf90e282 This is a new post for Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month 2026 about the reality of living with CP. Note: Names and identifying details have been changed for privacy, aside from names shown with full permission. Some details also appear on the Crip Video Productions website. Dylan Rothbein consulted on some aspects.