Crip Camp screening
Join Disability Studies on April 8th at 11:30 am for a screening of Crip Camp, a powerful documentary produced by President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, tracing the origins of the 504 sit-ins and Americans with Disabilities Act.
FROM THE FILM’S WEBSITE: In the early 1970s, teenagers with disabilities faced a future shaped by isolation, discrimination, and institutionalization. Camp Jened, a ramshackle camp “for the handicapped” (a term no longer used) in the Catskills, exploded those confines. Jened was their freewheeling Utopia, a place with summertime sports, smoking and make-out sessions awaiting everyone, and campers experienced liberation and full inclusion as human beings. Their bonds endured as many migrated West to Berkeley, California — a hotbed of activism where friends from Camp Jened realized that disruption, civil disobedience, and political participation could change the future for millions.
What begins as a story of camp friendship and the importance of interdependence becomes a revolution from the margins. This is the history of how a group of people deemed powerless in the 1970’s exercised the ultimate power in democracy. They forced the government to act. If you haven’t heard about the 504 sit-ins and want a quick comedic overview, check out this Drunk History episode that was praised by the Disability community (Warning: coarse language, drinking, and substance references) and then come see the real history with actual footage. Meet Andy Arias, friends with Judy Heumann (who passed away in 2023), Prof. Ellen Stohl, Prof. Bruce Zuckerman, and Dr. Megan Benton to discuss disability advocacy, law, civil disobedience, inclusion, and mental health. Learn how the largest minority in the world ultimately reshaped public discourse, culminating in the 504 sit-ins and transforming disability rights in the United States.
If you’re interested in the force of civil disobedience or how you can challenge dominant ideologies, join us. If you want to learn about the power of the largest minority in the world, join us. If you want to help lead the change, join us.
