Outline - A While in My Shoes

Each episode begins with an individual who lives with some type of sensory, physical, or mental disability. They (known as “The Liver”) introduce themselves and briefly speak about their life.

This leads into the introduction of somebody they know (“The Observer”) who chronically misunderstands The Liver’s experience; ranging from the well-meaning but oblivious to the harshly judgmental. Personal footage or dramatization will be utilized to illustrate their typical interactions with each other.

The main content then begins, with cameras following The Observer as they spend a set amount of time (day or week) in The Liver’s shoes. The Liver shadows them remotely so as to instruct/correct them on how things go e.g. “You have to go wash your hands now.” ; “You can’t join your friends for that movie, it’s triggering for photosensitivity.”

As much as possible The Liver’s experience will be recreated for The Observer e.g. the able-bodied Observer spending the day in a wheelchair; taking multiple placebos to recreate the process of taking multiple medications, etc. Care should be taken when The Observer goes into public, so public perception/reaction matches most closely to The Liver’s regular experience. For example, in a home-setting, blindness may be simulated with a blindfold, but when the experience moves to a public setting, The Observer should wear either specially designed contact lenses or darkened glasses so the public perceives them as authentically blind. The Observer is not allowed to explain themselves e.g. “I’m doing a social experiment.” Crew will also maintain they’re filming a documentary on individuals with specific life experiences, not that they’re filming a reality show about walking in another's shoes.

The focus is on The Liver’s regular experience. All “recreations” should support this to the best of ability e.g. if The Observer is finding it too difficult to utilize a wheelchair (something a regular wheelchair user would not), they may walk to locations while taking additional instruction from The Liver such as “Nope, you can’t enter that store. It’s not wheelchair accessible.” - “You can’t reach that. Remember, I’m in a sitting position!”

Each episode concludes with The Liver asking The Observer what they’ve seen through this process; The Observer (and audience) hopefully taking away a new level of understanding.