Freedom Machines
- Country
- USA
- Year
- 2003
- Director
- Jamie Stobie
Sharon Wood - Producer
- Jamie Stobie
- Finance
- California Endowment
Community Technology Foundation of California
Hewlett Packard Corporation
Independent Television Service
Mitsubishi Foundation
National Science Foundation
Sundance Documentary Fund - Budget
- USD 744,355
- Length
- 57 minutes
- Website
- www.freedommachines.com
Synopsis
Freedom Machines demonstrates how assistive technology can change the lives of people with disabilities. The film demonstrates how people with disabilities, aged 7–93, are using assistive technology and the opportunities it gives them to enhance their lives. These technologies provide amazing opportunities to lessen the divide between 'abled' and 'disabled' in our communities. The film also explores the social and political barriers that lessen the benefits of these technological advances. The filmmakers make it clear that equality of access and funding are necessary before we can truly envisage a society that is more inclusive of those with disabilities.
Impact
The film was broadcast nationally on PBS stations in 2004, and distributed to diverse communities via a national outreach campaign and the World Wide Web.
Freedom Machines and the Alliance for Technology Access formed a partnership to organize a national outreach campaign calling attention to the obstacles which prevent the use of assistive technology for those who most need it.
They are working with other national disability, children's and senior's organizations to promote their mission.
The website for the film has links to all of these organizations, a discussion guide, programs for students, updates regarding legislative and advocacy projects and more. There is also a section dedicated to how audience members can take action after seeing the film. The suggestions include creating an event using the film, lobbying for legislative change and making a donation.
Foundations:
The California Endowment – in 2002, a grant of $25 000 was made to the Film Arts Foundation for the Freedom Machines 'public education' project.
Community Technology Foundation of California – the support provided to Freedom Machines was at the discretion of a staff member and not through the General Grants program. The grant was made in order to add accessibility and technology components to the DVD version of the film. The CTFC has funded organisations where members used technology to produce content, such as digital stories or documentaries. Hewlett Packard Corporation contributed and the Independent Television Service funded the film from the Corporation of Public Broadcasting. The film was funded through the Open Call for United States producers in 2003. Sundance Institute provided in 2003 a Work in Progress grant.