Experiences of disability have long been prominent in the life of Colorado Lt. Gov. and disability activist Dianne Primavera, both personally and professionally.
Her experiences and activistic spirit brought her to Fort Lewis College on Wednesday evening for an early release screening of the documentary she produced titled, “A Colorado for All: A Legacy of Disability.”
The film first premiered in late July at Colorado’s 250/150 celebration, and “explores the state’s rich history of disability rights and the leaders who paved the way for greater inclusion,” according to a news release by the college. This was the first public screening of the film outside the 250/150 celebration, and the first of many in a lineup of planned college and university screenings, Primavera said.
“This is a place where culture, tradition and innovation come together to build community, and that’s exactly what this film is all about: removing barriers, celebrating diversity and building communities where everyone can thrive,” Primavera said of the decision to screen the film at FLC.
Fort Lewis College President Heather Shotton spoke to the crowd before the screening, and echoed Primavera’s sentiment that the inclusion efforts at FLC align well with the themes in the film.
“Our values here at Fort Lewis College around access and belonging and leading makes this a fitting place for tonight’s event,” Shotton said.
“We help our students to think critically – we engage in critical discourse. We have hard conversations, we have important conversations, and so, we’re excited to be a part of (this screening),” she said.
Kathryn Paul, a student government senator, is registered with the college’s Accessibility Resource Center, and said she was honored when the school reached out to invite her to the screening.
“I have some learning disabilities that I’ve struggled with for a while, and (the college) reached out and invited me to come to this. … I was super excited,” Paul said. “I genuinely am just amazed with how supported I feel at Fort Lewis. I’m a transfer student – I was up on the Front Range – and I just feel so much more accommodated in general here.”
The film included former and current politicians with disabilities, leaders in disability access, well-known names in the world of disability education and activism, and even staff and leadership at a disability-forward restaurant in Englewood.
Among the voices featured in the film were author and actor Megan Bomgaars, Colorado School for the Deaf and Blind Superintendent Tera Spangler, ADAPT leaders Gary Rosenberg and Wade Blank, senior adviser to the governor Josh Winkler, former State Rep. David Ortiz, 2023 Ms. Wheelchair Colorado winner Jennifer Ochs and former Colorado Springs City Councilor Yolanda Avila, among others.
Primavera’s personal experiences with disability, which inspire her in part to pursue projects like the documentary, reach far into her past. Her grandfather lost his sight in an industrial accident at a time when disability services were further out of reach than they are today, and she witnessed firsthand the struggles he endured from lack of accessibility. Primavera identifies as a person with a disability herself.
“When I say that this work and tonight’s celebration is personal, I mean it, across every chapter of my life,” Primavera said. “As a mother, as an individual who’s been diagnosed with cancer on four separate occasions, and as a policymaker, I’ve seen just how critical it is to remove barriers and open doors.”
Though Colorado was ranked the best state in the nation in 2025 for people with disabilities, according to AAA Play and the Colorado Department of Human Services, Colorado’s disability history was not always so progressive – a theme the film covers through historical happenings such as the 1978 Gang of 19 public transportation protest and the 1990 Wheels for Justice March, where people with disabilities left their mobility aids behind and crawled up the steps of the White House to demand the passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Jennifer Keelan-Chaffins, who has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair, was one of the Wheels for Justice protesters at only 8 years old. She was included in the documentary, sharing her now-adult perspective on the protest and disability rights on the whole.
The film also paid notice to the intersection between the historical mistreatment of Indigenous communities and people with disabilities in Colorado’s “training schools” of the past.
As a teenager, Primavera volunteered at the Colorado State Home and Training School – also known as Ridge Home – for people with intellectual disabilities, and said she witnessed the mistreatment those individuals faced firsthand.
To Primavera, the film is an opportunity to recognize the past and celebrate the present and future of disability activism and accessibility.
“This fight isn't over,” Primavera told the crowd. “We know there’s still more to do to ensure that (everyone), regardless of mobility, can fully participate in our schools, our economy, our government and our communities.
“But this evening is a moment to pause. It’s a moment to honor the progress that we’ve made and the people who made it possible. This film is a tribute to the leaders who paved the way, the communities that continue to show up and the future that we’re all building together. It’s a reminder that history isn’t something behind us, it's something we’re shaping every single day.”
epond@durangoherald.com
