A Group Discussion: Crip Camp
Hello readers! Long time, no post. I hope you all are staying sane and healthy during this crazy time. When not working from the comfort of my couch I have been riding my bike and Netflix binging, particularly documentaries. A few days ago I seized the opportunity to watch and discuss the newly released film Crip Camp with, as you most certainly know, one of my biggest inspirations, Sinéad Burke and a fabulous group of empowered women across the world (thank you Zoom).
Crip Camp, a documentary produced by Barack and Michelle Obama tells the story of Camp Jened, its campers, and their legacy. Camp Jened, located near Woodstock in upstate NY, opened in 1951 as a traditional summer camp for the disabled. Former camper Jim “Jimmy” LeBrecht described it as “a summer camp for the handicapped run by hippies”. There were no stereotypes or labels, it was a place where those with disabilities believed their lives could be better. The camp shut down after the summer of 1977 but its legacy lives on through its former campers.
Featured in the documentary were aforementioned Jim “Jimmy” LeBrecht, Lionel Je’Woodyard, Joe O’Conor, Ann Cupolo Freeman, Denise Sherer Jacobson, Judith Heumann, Neil Jacobson, Sheldon Roy, Dr. William Bronston, Corbett O’Toole, HolLynn D’Lil, Dennis Billups and Evan White. While not all were former campers or counselors, all took part of the disability rights movement that started in the 1960’s.
These incredibly brave men and women fought for the passage and implementation of Section 504 of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act and The Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) with such ferocity and bravery that, as an American who grew up under the protections of these laws, I felt ashamed that I never learned about this movement in school. I mean, these men and women staged a 25 day sit-in, jeopardizing their own health, to have their voices heard and yet their stories are not being told. What these men and women did and continue to do is nothing short of heroic. Judith “Judy” Heumann served as the Special Advisor on Disability Rights for the US State Department under President Obama. Jimmy Lebrecht is one of the co-directors of the film and serves on the board of the Disability Education and Defense Fund. I could go on and on.
Being the only American on the call, I was able to offer a first-hand voice to being a disabled woman living in America. Growing up, I knew what 504 meant because I had one. It permitted me to have an extra set of books, allowed me a few extra minutes to walk between classes, made sure there was a stool in every classroom, etc. When I was younger my mom fought to ensure the proper accommodations were made. As I transitioned to middle and high school, the task fell to me, knowing that the school wouldn’t meet my needs if I didn’t make my voice heard. There was no Camp Jened but there was LPA which provided a weekend or a week of “normalcy”- a few days where being a little person, being different, was the norm.
During the discussion, we all commented on the fact that during the battle to have Section 504 enforced, one of the solutions offered by a representative of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare was “separate but equal” schools. “Separate but equal” was ruled unconstitutional in 1954 in the landmark case Brown v. Board of Education. Needless to say, we all expressed our amazement that the government was offering this doctrine as a solution more than twenty years later.
The ADA was passed thirty years ago this July and remains the most comprehensive civil rights law for the disabled in the world yet, as discussed, it is not enough. Hopefully this documentary will spark more conversations like this one and ignite greater change here in the States and across the world.
To the girls on the call, it was a pleasure meeting all of you and having the opportunity to share ideas and hear your stories. To Sinéad, thank you so much for hosting this amazing group of women and continuing to serve as an inspiration to all of us.
Stay healthy everyone!
