On July 21, Dan Habib and his 25-year-old son, Samuel Habib, virtually celebrated the premiere of the new film they co-directed, “The Ride Ahead,” by having a conversation with Tony Award-winning actor and cast member Ali Stroker, in honor of Disability Pride Month.

Samuel Habib has a rare genetic disorder, which causes him to have cerebral palsy (CP), epilepsy, and speech challenges, which is why he uses a communication device.

Its website states, “The film is the feature-length version of the Emmy Award-winning New York Times Op-Doc, My Disability Roadmap.” It highlights the journey of Samuel Habib, who was 21 years old at the time, as he learns how to achieve his personal life goals through connecting with other disabled adults, including Stroker.

During the event, part of a past interview was shared, in which Samuel asked Stroker questions about her transition to adulthood, including navigating middle/high school, college, careers, and advocacy.

Stroker began by sharing how she became disabled, saying that she was in a car accident at the age of two, which caused a spinal cord injury, and she now uses a wheelchair to travel.

“My experience in a wheelchair has just been everything from frustrating to incredible and eye-opening, and I feel like it has allowed me to see the world in a new way,” Stroker said.

Next, Stroker discussed how she became involved in theater and acting and how her career started when she was doing a backyard production of Annie at the Jersey Shore, where her family had a house at the time.

“I just loved rehearsing for the show, I loved becoming a character. I loved working in a way that felt collaborative, and it felt really intense, like there was a real goal we had to achieve. The other part about being on stage that I loved so much is that it allowed me to take back the power with people looking at me,” Stroker added.

It wasn’t until middle school that Stroker realized she was different. It was extremely tough for her because she had felt like she didn’t fit in, and she had trouble making friends, due to being a wheelchair user.

However, she had a completely different experience in high school due to her involvement with the theater program there. In addition, she stated that her involvement in theater programs and productions helped her establish many long-lasting friendships.

Additionally, Stroker had a voice teacher from 5th to 12th grade, Susan McBrayer, who helped her find her voice for singing, which is one of her other passions, but also helped her find a college. Stroker said this was an eye-opening experience for McBrayer.

“There were certain schools that she called, and she said, ‘Listen, I have this very talented student. She’s in a wheelchair,’ and there were colleges that were not open to working with me, and I think she was distraught by that. However, when I went to visit NYU, I knew it was the college I wanted to go to because New York City is a place that makes me feel like I can do anything. It makes me feel like I am accepted,”  she continued.

For those who don’t have disabilities but want to advocate for and support civil rights and inclusion for disabled people, Stroker says you can do that by “Educating yourself, getting curious, asking the good questions,  not assuming that you understand or know anything about disability, and getting interested in it.”

For those interested in watching it, the film is now available to stream for free on the PBS app (you can download for free here: https://www.pbs.org/pbs-app/) or on the POV website, which showcases independent nonfiction films, until Sept. 19. Watch it on POV here:  https://www.pbs.org/pov/films/rideahead/.