Samuel Habib (he/him) and Dan Habib (he/him) co-directed the new documentary The Ride Ahead, about Samuel’s quest as a disabled adult to fulfill his dreams to moving out of his family’s home, establish his career and start dating, which is now streaming on POV. They also co-directed the Emmy Award-winning My Disability Roadmap, a 2022 New York Times Op-Doc, a Critics Choice nominee and featured at festivals including Hot Docs, Doc NYC, and Hot Springs. Samuel was also a story consultant on the nationally broadcast film Mr. Connolly Has ALS, and has presented nationally on disability rights. He is a community college student and works at the Westchester Institute for Human Development. Samuel experiences GNAO1 Neurodevelopmental Disorder, a rare genetic disorder that caused his cerebral palsy, epilepsy and speech challenges. Dan is the director, producer and cinematographer of the nationally broadcast (public television) documentary films Intelligent Lives, Who Cares About Kelsey?, Mr. Connolly Has ALS, and Including Samuel. He served on the President’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities under President Obama. He is currently the Inclusive Communities Project Director at the Westchester Institute for Human Development.
My son Samuel Habib was featured in my 2008 film, Including Samuel, when he was in elementary school. At 25, Samuel is now leading the advocacy charge for his own life. He is a student at Southern New Hampshire University and works as an Emmy Award-winning filmmaker. Yet he still faces challenges on many levels due to his rare GNAO1 neurodevelopmental disorder, including periodic seizures, movement disorders, hospitalizations, fatigue, and perhaps the biggest obstacle: ableism. Samuel and I co-directed the 2022 New York Times Op-Doc, My Disability Roadmap, which won a 2023 News and Documentary Emmy Award, and our new feature film, The Ride Ahead, is premiering on the PBS program POV tonight (check your local listings) and streaming freely through September 19, 2025. In this video essay, Samuel discusses how his inclusive life in our hometown of Concord, New Hampshire, set a foundation for his transition into adulthood – as seen in these two recent films. (Dan Habib)
