Week 5 Blog Post

This week’s “reading,” the Netflix documentary Crip Camp, provided a fascinating look into the world of disability activism. The documentary begins by showcasing Camp Jened, a summer camp for people with disabilities, and an important place in the lives of many disability activists such as the 504 activists. This camp provided an atmosphere of normalcy to the campers, where they weren’t looked down upon but instead lived together in a community as equals. I am reminded of the concept of topoi – if the prevalent topos is that it is simply more difficult for disabled people to function as people, the liberatory topos, which the experience of the camp made apparent, is that, when placed in a world without, say, inaccessible architecture, disabled people flourish no less than able-bodied people.

The documentary also displayed a time-period in which activism was quite different from the modern day. The 504 protestors occupied a building in protest and were met in solidarity by various other activists – even those who were not primarily focused on the issue of disability rights. Like the modern day, however, it was also demonstrated that resistance to the disability rights movement was strong, as activists had to keep working to maintain the regulations outlined in Section 504 and prevent it from getting repealed.

While the documentary focused on the issue of disability activism, the lessons that can be learned from it can also be applied to my chosen issue, climate justice. This film demonstrates the absolute importance of community. It was community that would inspire a generation of disability activists, and it was as a community that they would achieve successes. This documentary also demonstrates the benefits of solidarity with other movements. One way this can be applied to climate justice, is, for instance, to examine the way climate change can create refugees and both support and be supported by groups and activists specializing in the rights of migrants.