When I Walk is a 2013 documentary and self-portrait of the director Jason DaSilva detailing his experience after being diagnosed with progressive multiple sclerosis (MS) at the age of 25 in 2006 and the following six years. Multiple sclerosis is a neurodegenerative disorder that gradually worsens over time as the body's immune system attacks itself, resulting in demyelination. This leads to damaged nerve structures in the brain and spinal cord. This disease comes along with many debilitating signs and symptoms, for Jason, it meant him gradually losing the ability to walk and edit due to muscle weakness, fatigue, mood changes, sexual performance difficulties, and impaired vision. At the beginning of the documentary Jason was still in a stage …show more content…
She realized if she could not be with an "able-bodied" Jason forever, she would rather be with him for as many years as possible even if it meant having to hold his urine container or feed him in restaurants. Jason did not go in depth on seeking psychological help, or even physical therapy aside from the brief gait analysis he went to at the beginning of the film. But he did voice insecurities about whether he deserved to be loved and if someone was attracted to him, would it be out of morbid curiosity or pity? He had moments when he no longer wanted to try to move because he knew it would be a struggle. But he persevered, pushing himself to continue to adapt to the body he was confined to. During this time, he used his art to express all the conflicting emotions that come with MS. He filmed everything, no longer capturing others but himself. He helped develop AXS Map, a crowd-sourced tool for people to share locations in the city that were accessible to wheelchairs. Since in New York, the infrastructure was not built considering people with disabilities, even the cobble stone pavements were difficult to navigate with wheelchairs, most restaurants did not have ramps, and subways and cabs were not an