Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution

Documentary Review

I’ve never really known true struggle. This was a recurring thought going through my head as I watched Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution. We often view the civil rights movements of the late 20th century around a framework of race, religion and gender. These marginalized groups are unequivocally the face of the revolution that helped shape society as we know it today. However, there is an often overlooked minority within these already disenfranchised populations. The disabled community has been just as integral a part of this movement as any other. Arguably, their stakes were even higher. Regardless of their sex, religious or racial identity, people were foremost identified as disabled. You were a paraplegic before you were a woman. You were autistic before you were black or white. You were a “crip” before you were human. 

When first introduced to Camp Jened, I was expecting a regimented environment where the special needs of it campers would be the focal point. Instead I found myself struck by the normality of their interactions, the banality of their conversations. It forced me to reckon with my own prejudices and the ignorant perceptions of an outsider getting a closer look. Why wouldn’t it be normal? These were just a group of kids like any other who wished to to have a true camp experience forged in friendship, shared experiences, teen romances and humor. Being disabled was something they lived everyday. At Camp Jened, it wasn’t the itinerary, it was just something that connected all of them, something the could share and build on. I resolved to adjust my thinking accordingly. 

Then, I found myself falling back on my old views when I saw how certain aspects of life I took for granted were a different experience entirely for those who are differently abled. Whether the straightforward account of a woman impacted by polio not being afforded a place in her local school or the surprising reaction of another disabled woman who was told she might have gonorrhea, it became apparent that normality might not be quite within reach either. Or rather, what majority society viewed as normal. This was further enforced by one of the most striking quotes from the documentary; “I had to adapt and fit into this world that wasn’t built for me.” I now found myself questioning my earlier assumptions. How does one get treated as normal when the world has decided that the very nature of their existence is anything but?

This quandary extended into the status of the disabled community as written in civil liberties. The Rehabilitation Act in 1972 was meant to codify the rights of this group as equal citizens who had the rights to the access and resources afforded to everyone else. The uphill battle endured by the Disabled in Action group to ensure these most basic of rights was appalling. The expose of the Willow Brook hospital in New York spoke to a longer history mistreatment and dehumanization. From the early history of disability being viewed as a demonic in nature to the more contemporary institutionalization, society has long struggled with defining the status of the disabled community. Seeing the DIA, like so many other organizations of the time, fight back for their rights and refuse anything less was nothing short of inspiring. However, inspiration alone has never effected a revolution. 

The tenacious efforts of Judy Heumann and the assiduous initiative of the collective participants was the real reckoning. History is saturated with examples of how the collaboration and organization of like minded individual can be a vehicle for change. Even when their hard fought rights (Section 504) were challenged by the political transfer of leadership, Judy and her supporters continued to persist in advocating for reform. The occupation of the Health, Education and Welfare building was definitely a hard watch. The discomfort, and pain endured by members of the sit in was reflective of the demonstrative sacrifices of the Civil Rights movement as a whole. The ally-ship of the Black Panther party in their shared desire for a better world was the balm to this ache. 

This documentary helps define the capacity in which counselors, and the rest of us, can play our part in our own ally-ship with those who are differently abled. The best way to be an ally, counselor, representative or friend is to actively listen, to make sure their voices are heard. Despite the steadfast support and the media covered demonstrations, the government officials to which it was directed failed to respond appropriately. Ultimately, Judy and her partners had to address the politicians in Washington directly in order to get their attention. 

If we can learn from our history, then we can also learn from each other. Its important to speak up about what you believe in. Its even more important to let others speak their truth. This is the basis of counseling culture. The people who ask for help are not broken, or less than. We all require some form of support in order to succeed. If we can be that support for others, then all the better.