About this Short Film
Gary's Story (Why Documentaries & ECCNSW, Australia, 2022) This short film invites viewers to consider the everyday experiences of adults who are blind, with a focus on work, sport and social inclusion. It draws attention to how prejudice, stereotypes and stigma can shape opportunities and understanding, while offering moments that prompt conversation rather than tidy conclusions. Screened in the Focus on Ability festival, Gary's Story sits among films that celebrate capacity and push audiences to rethink assumptions about sensory disability. Accessible and thoughtful, it will appeal to anyone interested in employment, community attitudes and simple, human stories about navigating a world built for sighted people.
Film Details
Film Transcript
I've had people physically jump over the cane. I've had women actually kick the cane out of the way. Playing golf with an older lady, she waved her hand right in front of my nose, back and forth like that; she was saying, "What can you see? What can you see?" In my era, people weren't taught how to relate to anyone with a disability. The best way to treat any disabled person is to be up front — say, "How did you lose your leg?"
I was selected to be part of the first Australian goal ball team that went to the International Games for the Disabled in New York in 1984, and I was also very lucky to go to the Seoul Paralympics with my wife. Blind golf has really, really been the one standout. Not only do we travel to just about every state in Australia, we have travelled to Japan four or five times, twice each to Ireland and Canada, and we've played in America, England, China and Italy.
So we started a company called Deep Steam Carpet Cleaners, and we found a way of wetting the dyes into a fibre and setting them using chemicals and cold water. In 1982 we won the Geneva Inventions Exhibition silver medal for excellence.
Eileen and I make a good couple; she can't hear and I can't see. We were playing with two guys. One of the guys said, "Would you like me to line you up?" I said, "Yes please." I couldn't care less whether he lined me up properly or didn't — the fact is that he understood. He didn't tell us, but he understood. If people try to help, they're the nice ones. Most of the disabled people I've had anything to do with just want to be understood.
Filmmaker
Why Documentaries & ECCNSW is the filmmaker behind this entry. See every Focus on Ability entry from Why Documentaries & ECCNSW.
Want to hear how the festival goes?
We will email you when voting closes and the winners are announced. Nothing else, and you can stop any time.