Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution Review

Posted in Disability Film and Book Reviews

Hey, guys! As promised, here is my disabled teen review of Crip Camp, the disability documentary that changed my life. I finished it just last week Friday and the impact it’s already had on me has been so profound. When you’re a teenager, everyone asks you what you want to be when you’re older. I always figured I’d choose a career path to do with writing and graphic design. I now know without a shadow of a doubt that when I’m older, I want to fight for more disabled voices to be heard and for society’s view of us to change. I want to dedicate my life to doing whatever I can to stand up for my community. It was Crip Camp that empowered me to make that decision.

Me watching a disability protest scene in the film Crip Camp

If you don’t want to read any further, just know that I HIGHLY recommend that you watch this film. Most people learn about other rights movements, but can you name at least one historical disabled activist who fought for the rights of disabled people? Can you name at least one major event in the fight for the cause, like a specific disability protest or disability sit-in? The history of the disabled rights movement is one that the education system frequently ignores. Even at the time it was happening, news stations would usually refuse to report on the protests.

Despite being the biggest minority in the world, our history is constantly disregarded. Most disabled people aren’t even aware of many of the major events in our past – and I used to be among them. But our fight for equal rights is one that deserves to be told and heard. Therefore, I feel like this documentary is a must-watch for everyone. So if you don’t want to read my review until you’ve watched the film, I hope that you enjoy it! This review will contain spoilers.

Synopsis

Image of Netflix on a laptop by Charles Deluvio via Unsplash.com

Crip Camp is a 2020 Netflix-released history documentary about the events that led up to the Americans with Disabilities Act getting signed. It begins at a camp for disabled teenagers in 1971 in the U.S. called Camp Jened. The freeing atmosphere of Camp Jened causes some of its disabled campers to realise that there is no excuse for how much society excludes and systematically discriminates against them. They therefore begin to fight for their rights by protesting, marching, and performing numerous disabled sit-ins. Crip Camp tells this story through the use of archival footage and interviews with the disabled activists involved in the movement.  

Crip Camp is available on Netflix and is rated R due to a little light swearing and some language including sexual references. Its runtime is an hour and forty-eight minutes.

My Review

I thoroughly enjoyed Crip Camp and cried proud tears multiple times while viewing it. It was an educational yet enjoyable, and hopefully eye-opening documentary. Here are my six thoughts on the film:

Me with the film Crip Camp on Netflix on my computer

1. Plot and Structure

I liked how the film began like most inspirational disability life documentaries, before quickly subverting expectations with a startling quote. I felt like this was done to show its audience that they were about to see a disability film like no other. Admittedly, the film did drag on a little bit in the beginning when it was mostly showing archival footage about life at Camp Jened and hadn’t started to delve into the history of the rights movement yet. For someone who maybe hasn’t seen that many disabled people before, it probably would be more interesting. The best part of the film for me was when it neared its second act and started to focus more on the Disabled in Action activist group.

Photo of a free wheelchair-user in nature by Zachary Kyra-Derksen via Unsplash.com

I did long for the freedom of the disabled campers when we saw them dancing and having fun at the camp in the beginning of the film. A place where disabled teens are free to be themselves without the usual walls society places between us and the able-bodied, sounded like a paradise. It was interesting to see disabled people being able to spend a few days in a community bubble where ableism didn’t exist, but it wasn’t as interesting to me as the rest of the story. Afterwards, the story gained more speed and had me hooked until the very end.

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2. The Characters

The story is told through the eyes of multiple disabled activists and former Camp Jened members. Their interviews were one of the best parts of the film for me. I loved the casual conversation-like interview style. Even though they had all done such incredible things, the people that they interviewed came across as very natural and relatable:  

Judy Heumann in a scene from “Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution.” by HolLynn D’Lil via Netflix.com
  • I was able to relate to James Lebrecht the most as he told his story about being the only disabled student at an able-bodied high school and his experiences being a disabled teenager in the U.S.
  • Denise Sherer Jacobson and her husband made me laugh with their great sense of humour and wild stories about ableism and defying expectations.
  • And Judith Heumann was a force to be reckoned with considering how hard she fought for disabled people’s rights. Her determination and resilience for the cause were primarily what spurred me into action too. I now view her as an activist role model.   

3. My Favourite Part

My favourite part was learning more about Disabled in Action and their impact. In the documentary, we see protestors stopping traffic by forming a barricade of wheelchairs with wheelchair-users holding signs. We also hear about members having to pull themselves and their wheelchairs up steep stairs just to make it to protests. The Disabled in Action group worked hard to be accessible: they wouldn’t start a meeting until there was a sign interpreter there and they tried their best to ensure that everyone’s voices were heard. One of my favourite moments was watching Judith Heumann give her equality speech. It was a highly emotional moment and a turning point in the disabled rights movement. I was moved deeply by her words which ring with a painful truth and a sadness about how her community was treated.

A rally outside the federal office building in San Francisco during its occupation by disability rights activists in 1977 (© AP Images)

Another highlight was learning about the 504 Sit-in: the 504 Sit-in began on April 5th, 1977. Its goal was to push the granting of certain regulations in the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. People with disabilities occupied federal buildings and refused to leave until the government started to take them more seriously. The sit-in lasted twenty-eight days and some of the people protesting hungerstriked for as long as twenty-six days.

The police cut off the phone lines to the building during the sit-in, but the protesters were very determined and resourceful. Instead, they would have a deaf member use sign language in front of the window to the people on the street so that they could communicate with the outside. They weren’t alone though – the Black Panther Party members helped by coming and giving them hot meals, and women from a lesbian bar across the street provided soap and water so that the disabled protesters could bathe themselves. Whatever opinions you have about them, it’s still incredible to know that the other minorities in the U.S. stood with the disabled community in their cause.

4. Takeaway Message

If you’re an able-bodied viewer, I think that the makers of the film would be a little disappointed if your only reaction is ‘it was inspiring’. From what I understood, the goal of the film is not only to educate, but also to show what we need to do to improve how we as a society treat disabled people. “The problem is with people without disabilities, we are the ones that need to change.” is a quote from the film. I think this is important to note. It’s not just a fun story about brave disabled people who fought for their rights – it’s also about how we all need to do better in our own lives by educating ourselves and being more accessible. 

5. Interesting Disability Issues Addressed in the Film

The documentary also addressed multiple interesting disability issues such as the hierarchy of disability, and how disabled people are often denied the right of sexual expression because most people assume that they aren’t sexually active. The hierarchy of disability refers to how most people view disabilities. Neil Jacobson points out how people with polio were usually at the top of the hierarchy because they looked the most ‘normal’ and people with cerebral palsy were often at the bottom. He said that when he asked his girlfriend to marry him, his mother said: “I understand why you want to marry a handicapped girl, but why can’t you find a polio?”

Picture of a blind man by Eren Li via Pexels.com

I see the effects of the hierarchy of disability in modern media all of the time. If a show or film chooses to have disabled representation in it, they rarely choose a visible disability. I once heard a filmmaker talk about the fact that disabled people whose bodies look different from most able-bodied people, may make audiences uncomfortable. So, most films choose to represent blind, deaf, or neurodiverse characters instead. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with representing these disabilities and we need more of it, however, it’s also important to have characters with disabilities that may make their bodies look very different from how most able-bodied people look.

Picture of a man with no legs and prosthetic arms by This is Engineering RAEng via Unsplash.com

Saying that it makes audiences uncomfortable is a poor excuse because seeing more visual disabilities on-screen will help people to realise that they are normal and won’t make them uncomfortable anymore. A body that someone was born with should never make another person ‘uncomfortable’ in the first place. After Neil made this point, I changed my comic book to include a larger variety of visible disabilities.

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6. The Film’s Impact

Photo of a wheelchair-user and able-bodied person walking in darkness by David Knudsen via Unsplash.com

Denise Sherer Jacobson stated: “You can pass a law, but until you change society’s attitudes, that law won’t mean much.” I believe that this is where our generation should take over. Now that there are laws for disabled people set in place, it’s time to focus more on the social aspect and people’s view of disabled people. Representation and education are key, and this is what I’ve decided to spend my life fighting for. Until people see more disabled people on their TVs and phones, until they learn more about them in schools, and see them singing number one songs in the music charts – people’s opinions of them may stay the same as it was back then. We’re still mostly pitied, still mostly ridiculed in comedy shows, and still have to face ableism almost every day. I hope one day I’ll be able to help in changing this.

Rating and Conclusion

In conclusion, I rate the story of the disability movement that was told in this documentary a 10/10. However, for the beginning parts which I didn’t find as interesting as the rest, I rate the entire film 9/10.

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I hope that you enjoyed this review! Thank you so much for reading ❤ How much did you learn about disability history in school? How much did you already know before reading this post? I’d be interested to know in the comments below. See you next week! 

Published by The Wheelchair Teen

I am a black, disabled teenager and my blog shares my personal experiences, some of the struggles and triumphs I’ve been through, as well as posts that educate people about disabilities to help end discrimination against disabled people.

100 thoughts on “Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution Review”

  1. Thank you for the review, and the recommendation at all! You are great, and you are so right. I really cant remember any person from the past fighting for equality of disabled persons too. This topic was not mentioned, and we have to change this. As politicans also want to get the votes of all people, they must no longer ignore handicaped people. Thank you for this posting, and have a beautiful weekend! Michael xx

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    1. You’re welcome! I understand why you can’t remember any – most history classes at school don’t teach about it. Yes, we definitely have to change this. I agree, if politicians want everyone’s votes then they need to not ignore disabled people by not giving them the same rights to education and to learn about politics. A lot of schools were allowed to turn away disabled students and lots of them didn’t get a proper education. Thanks so much for visiting and commenting ❤ I hope that you have a beautiful weekend too!
      Simone xxx

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  2. Just added this to my Netflix watchlist. It sounds fascinating!

    It’s true, too.. society’s attitude about disabilities really is disturbing & in dire need of change! I was speaking with a friend of hubby’s & mine yesterday.. she lost half of her left leg (diabetes) 2 years ago. She said the way people treat her now is awful. They say “Let me know if you need anything” but as soon as she asks, they suddenly are too busy. They don’t want to hear about her doctor visits or anything relating to her health. Heartbreaking & so wrong! I see it though… I survived carbon monoxide poisoning in 2015. Very few people cared to hear about it or even cared it happened. I have ongoing problems & again, few people care or even acknowledge I have these problems. There’s a tremendous lack of empathy in the world, sadly!

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    1. You’re definitely right, society’s attitude about disabilities really needs to change. When I became a permanent wheelchair-user, some of the things people would say to me truly shocked me – and I was only thirteen at the time. I’m sorry that happened with your friend, it’s upsetting to see how much empathy people lack. My friends also didn’t want to hear about my visits to the doctor, but that’s a bit more understandable since they’re only kids themselves. Adults had absolutely no right to ignore your friend like that!
      I’m happy that you added Crip Camp to your Netflix watchlist. I hope that you enjoy it! ❤

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    1. You’re welcome! 😊 I’m happy that you added it to your Netflix list. I think that you’ll enjoy it. By the way, I’ve recieved your email, I have a busy weekend but I plan on emailing you back by Tuesday. Thanks for sharing your interesting thoughts with me, and like I’ve said before, it feels cool to have a fellow wheelchair blogger friend ❤ I’ll also check out your posts about bullying.

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  4. This sounds like a worthwhile movie. Thanks for the review!

    My disabled husband and I used to attend many of the same conferences that Judy Heuman attended. We were all very grateful to her on one occasion. The meetings had been scheduled very early in the mornings. Judy complained, informing the organizers that it took disabled attendees a long time to get up and dressed. Subsequent meetings started a little later, and we were able to get adequate sleep! 🙂

    Take care! ❤

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    1. That is so AMAZING!!! How incredible that you were actually there when these events happened! You were literally there as history was being made! None of this will have been new information for you then 😊 I hope that one day I will be able to meet with her too. Thank you so much for being there at the meetings that helped people like me to have more rights. That’s such a cool story, yes, I can imagine why having them so early in the morning would be a problem. Take care to you too, I have even more respect for you and your late husband. Just by being there, you made a difference ❤

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      1. My role was as a personal assistant, and I travelled extensively to conferences with my husband. He was a panelist and speaker at conferences, did research, and wrote extensively about disability issues. He published several books and wrote articles for for disability and medical journals. As a White House fellow at the Department of Justice he wrote regulations for the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

        I think you would enjoy his autobiography, Wisdom from a Chair, by Andrew I Batavia and Mitchell Batavia. It is available on Amazon.

        Liked by 4 people

      2. Wow, he truly did so much in his life. I can only dream that I will be able to achieve as much in my lifetime. How incredible that he was a panelist, speaker, author, and that he helped to write some of the regulations that changed so many people’s lives. He sounded like an amazing man – brave are those who fight for what they believe. I’ll definitely check out Wisdom from a Chair, I enjoy reading other people’s take on disability. Thanks for telling me about it.

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    1. Very true – through learning we can grow, change, and evolve. That’s why more people need to learn about rights movements like this one. Thank you so much, Ashok ❤ It always puts a smile on my face when I see you comment. Have a lovely Sunday! 🤗

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  8. Hi Simone,
    Thank you for sharing this post. I knew virtually none of what you shared and I was never taught anything at all on the topic when I was in school. I do remember when accessibility laws came into being and the visible changes that they made to so many areas of public life. I never stopped to ponder the story behind those changes. Now that has changed! I also added this movie to my watch list and look forward to viewing it.
    Thanks again and God bless!
    Craig

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    1. Hi Craig,
      You’re welcome, I’m happy that you learned something new 😊 I’m not surprised that you weren’t taught about this topic in school – most people didn’t. I didn’t either actually. It’s cool that you remember when accessibility laws came into being and saw the visible changes they made. I’m lucky to have been born after all of that took place, I think that’s why I took some of it for granted when I was younger. I’m glad that you also added this to your watch list – I hope that you enjoy it! God bless you too! ❤
      Simone

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  9. As an older woman who has to use a cane or a walker, I appreciate the ADA. When we traveled to Europe over a decade ago, they have NO modifications or anything for those of us who have difficulty with mobility. It was basically a belief that if you couldn’t enter it on your own, you just couldn’t go on the tour. Very disappointing.

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    1. That does sound very disappointing, I’ve definitely experienced that too. I live in the Netherlands which is also in Europe, but luckily the Netherlands is really good with accessibility and travel. In fact, since it’s so nature-filled, one of my biggest struggles here are when trees and plants grow up in the pavement which makes it difficult for me to roll over. We travel to a lot of different places in Europe though and some of the countries are really bad with modifications. We found Paris to be one of the hardest – narrow streets, almost no ramps or dips in pavements, and very little modifications to buildings. I think that the government there really needs to consider its disabled citizens more.

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  10. More power to you dear. ❤️❤️ I enjoyed reading this review throughout. I so agree that disabled people’s rights are often ignored or just neglected. I am proud of you that you can raise voice to your community. Keep doing what you are doing.. you are already inspiring many 😍😍

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    1. Thank you so much! ❤ I’m glad that you enjoyed reading this review! It really warms my heart that you are proud of me for raising my voice for my community. I promise to keep doing what I’m doing and to keep inspiring people. Thank you so much for commenting and making my day 💕✨💜💛💚

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  11. Simone, your writing voice is most impressive. The documentary sounds quite moving. I especially loved your mention of the Black Panthers & women from the lesbian bar supporting the folks in the 1977 sit-in. To answer your question, I can’t remember ever learning about the history of disabled folks until reading this post. So, thank you! And kudos to you for deciding to fight for such a worthy cause! I admire your willingness to help others! 🌞

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    1. Thank you, I’m happy that you enjoy my writing style. I consider that to be a big compliment coming from you. Sometimes I fear that my writing can come across as too formal which may exclude other readers my own age, so I went through this post before I published it and changed some of my diction to be slightly more inclusive. I’d hate if The Wheelchair Teen wasn’t teen friendly. I’m glad you enjoyed hearing about the other minorities that supported the disabled community during the sit-in. That part especially touched my heart too. You’re welcome, most people haven’t so I’m glad that they were able to learn from this post. Thank you ❤ that means a lot.

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  13. This is such an interesting post. I’ve not watched Crip Camp but the storyline sounds so interesting. I’m lucky to know some truly wonderful and crazy people who don’t let their disabiliies stop them, but sadly, accessibility still has a long way to come and some places really are better than others. I must admit, your post has me thinking about a club that I used to attend when I was young, for disabled people. I’ve often thought about writing about it and my experiences, but what and how as yet have evaded me. Perhaps I should. I’ll pencil that one in soon 🙂

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    1. I’m glad that you found it to be interesting. You’re definitely right, it does still have a long way to go. A lot of the countries around Europe need to seriously step up their game when it comes to accessibility. Our holiday to Paris was an extremely inaccessible one. That sounds intruiging, once you figure out the what and the how, that’s a post that I would be interested to read.

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  15. Thank you for sharing this – I honestly agree with you, in my Citizenship lessons (which is basically all about rights and politics) I have never once been taught about any movements or laws for those to be disabled so I’m definitely going to try to have a look at this documentary! I’m so glad you’re spreading awareness! ❤

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    1. You’re welcome, I feel honoured to be able to raise awareness and teach people new, important things. I’m glad you’re going to try to have a look at it, I hope that you enjoy it! It is sad that your Citizenship lessons never taught about the disability movement. On a different note, I think it’s actually really cool that your school has a Citizenship class. My school didn’t have a class just for rights and politics – that actually sounds really cool. Do you enjoy the lessons?

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  16. Thanks for your review, it was well written as always! From my school days disability was never taught or spoken about in any detail and certainly not in the classroom in the 60’s and 70’s. Education and awareness are the key’s to rectifying some of the issues and your generation have the opportunity to build on what’s happened in the past.
    You are already on the path to make a difference simply by your blog, however it is still a hard fight as many in the most powerful places simply still don’t see just how much value we can add to civilisation. In many instances some of the most talented disabled people are held back by financial restraint. Keep spreading the word it’s brilliant.

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    1. You’re welcome! I’m glad that you thought that it was well-written. Exactly, I really hope that my generation ends up taking that opportunity to learn from the past by educating more people about it. We have all of the resources available to do it – we just need more schools to take the initative and do it. The school I used to go to invited me back to give presentations about disabilities to their younger students which I really enjoyed. It truly felt like I was making a difference. You’re right, many powerful people still don’t realise our value which is a real shame. I was happy to hear that Michelle and Barack Obama were the ones that produced the film because it proved that two quite influential people realised the importance of telling this story.

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    1. I’m glad you’ve seen it! I was also happy to see that it was produced by the Obamas, I’m proud of the multiple initiatives they’ve been taking lately to let more unique voices be heard. I liked the sudden turn it took too, for me it was after the line about ‘smoking weed with the other campers’ – that’s when I knew this was going to be really different. Thanks so much for visiting and commenting! ❤

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  18. Anything that deviates from normal is looked down upon and frowned at. It’s considered a burden that needs to be kept under wraps. People feel uncomfortable because of their own limited perspectives and not because of something lacking in others.. I like how you’ve taken several aspects and explained them w.r.t the documentary. Your writing as always is impeccable and your passion for analyzing and reflecting always shines in your posts.
    Mental disability is probably the worst hit area, as people with mental disabilities are unable to voice their grievances independently and effectively. Many things are left to assumptions and interpretations of family and friends.
    I think the most disturbing point was projecting a clean image of disability without the glaring physical handicaps. It goes to show how much importance is given to pretty and perfect images.
    Thanks for sharing this! I hope to read more from you in the future. It’s always a pleasure. 🙂

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    1. Thank you so much Terveen for these lovely words about my writing. I agree, what makes us different is often forced into suppression. One of the people in the documentary mentioned that restaurants would often turn the travelling disabled campers away because they said that they made their other guests too uncomfortable. The problem was not with the disabled campers, it was with the other people in the restaurant. Yes, our society puts too much emphasis on presenting pretty and perfect images rather than presenting reality. You’re right to a certain degree about the mentally disabled or neurodiverse, but you’d also be surprised how many of them can voice their own grievances independantly but simply don’t get the chance to do so. Unfortunately, people are more likely to buy books about autism from the perspective of a parent rather than of an autistic person themselves. People with autism are still writing books, they’re just not what most people want to hear. Also, the neurodiverse sometimes communicate in a different way than most people do but some people aren’t patient enough to learn those different ways. Not even their own families sometimes which is sad. Thank you, I’m glad that you enjoyed it ❤ It’s always a pleasure reading your comment too.

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      1. This is definitely something heartening to hear. Problems need to be voiced through personal perspectives and there is no right or wrong to them. It’s a matter of right or wrong understanding. 🙂

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  19. Very poignant review and carries a lot of merit, coming from you as an individual living the life. Also, well written – one of your many gifts!
    The short answer to your question is that I do know more than the average person – but still not on the level as yourself. Both my husband’s and my families include members with various mental and physical ‘disabilities’ (ie- Fragile X, congenital birth defects, MS, etc) and several friends who are as close as family have children affected by MD, Down’s and autism. The ones immediately affected do the hard work of getting through the day-to-day stuff and family members and friends like myself and my husband support them with love and specific help as our lives intersect.
    The link below is for your perusal…I remember when this first started up as I lived in the Denver area for many decades…I’m sure you know of other similar places, but maybe not this one.
    https://phamaly.org/about-phamaly-theatre-company-2/
    Take care, dear one.

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    1. Thank you Laura for complimenting my writing. I’m glad that you found this review to be poignant and to carry a lot of merit. It’s good that you’ve been around so many disabled people in your life, you’re probably much more accepting towards them than most others due to this. I looked at the link and it seems like an incredible company. I didn’t know about this one specifically, but I’m very happy that it exists and is giving more equal opportunities to people with a disability. Thank you for sharing this with me, I hope that you have a lovely week 💕💮💕

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  20. Hello there,
    This is Nabeeha Jameel from BrainStorms! Your blog has been featured on my latest post, “Discovering New Blogs” and your blog has also been nominated for the BrainStorms Award, CONGRATULATIONS! 💖

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  21. Nicely written! It is indeed a sad fact that one never bears about these issues! Kind people like you who want to make a change voice things out😞
    I would really like to follow you on your journey!
    Arnav

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    1. Thank you so much, Arnav for your kind comment ❤ It is sad, hopefully one day things will be different though. It would be my honour if I did eventually succeed in being able to make a change to the world – it’s my life’s dream. I’m delighted that you’ll be following me along on my journey. I hope that you enjoy my posts!

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  22. Your post is so informative and truly is a gift to share this as it’s such an important read. Thank you for sharing this powerful documentary. You have highlighted such important things and lessons. I used to work with a community of people that were disabled in my internship and have such respect and admiration for those that continue to strive and grow. Nice job!💖💖💖

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    1. You’re welcome, I’m glad that you found this post to be informative. I was actually thinking about you the other day when I was doing one of my seated work-outs. Have you ever heard of Caroline Jordan? She’s a fitness YouTuber who creats seated work-out videos that are still really challenging yet I can do them from my wheelchair. I really appreciate all of her videos because they keep me active everyday. Also, I think my comments on your last two posts may have gone into your spam for some reason. I’m not sure why – you know WordPress XD.

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      1. Oh thanks and I have heard of her and def. need to pay her a visit so I can incorporate some of her stuff or refer to her. Soooo great to know it’s challenging and you like them so much💖💖💖💖
        Oh darn… figures… I’ll check and see💖🙏🙏🙏

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  23. such a great write up with wonderful learning and sharing which is so important. The documentary is so important to get the word out to help people understand. I worked with special needs population which was so fulfilling. 💖

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  24. I am definitely gonna watch it. Truly speaking no one really ever protests about the bullying disabled children face and to be honest I am not familiar with it either. Here I rarely experience someone doing it but I agree that it’s wrong. A disabled person and an able bodied person are equal and its not that former’s fault he/she is like this and nor is it a choice. This was a great review and thanks for sharing

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    1. I’m glad that you decided to watch this film! You’re right, people rarely protest about it which is really a shame. Did you know that there was a Disabled Pride Day, otherwise known as Disability Day? Very few people celebrate it in comparison to other famous days. I agree, disabled people and able-bodied people are equal and should always be treated as equal. You’re welcome! Thanks for visiting and commenting! ❤

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  25. Pingback: Families In Touch: The Club For Disabled Children – Kinky With A Twist

  26. That was a wonderful and heartfelt review.
    If you’re an able-bodied viewer, I think that the makers of the film would be a little disappointed if your only reaction is ‘it was inspiring’ – Loved reading this line. We should not only talk or find it inspiring but we should reflect it in our behaviour so that all are treated equally and feel important.

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    1. Thank you so much, I’m glad that you enjoyed it. Exactly, I’m happy that you liked that quote. It’s important for us as humans not to merely take in news about our shortcomings and then move on with our lives – we must also better ourselves to improve on said shortcomings ❤

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  27. I am so happy for you that this documentary inspired you to want to help bring awareness to disability or the physically challenging persons. I believe that these also include persons who are suffering from mental issues because they are always left in the sideline. The society need to change their attitudes and accept everyone as equal in the sight of God. Thank you for sharing with us and I pray that God will continue to strengthen you in your endeavours. Be blessed.

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    1. Yes, definitely – the neurodiverse (a term for people with mental disabilities) are actually included in the term ‘disabled’. So whenever I mention the disabled – I mean them too. I just don’t mention them much on my blog since I’m not neurodiverse myself and can’t speak from personal experience about what it’s like. It is a shame that they are often sidelined. Conditions like PTSD, ADHD, depression and dyslexia are also all disabilities which people sometimes don’t take as seriously as someone like me who is in a wheelchair, which is wrong. I agree, society really needs to change and stop judging and discriminating against others for the way that they were born. Yes, we are all equal in the sight of God. You’re welcome, I pray that too. I hope that you will be blessed as well 💕

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  31. Hi Simone,
    I just watched the film last night and your review was spot-on. It was fascinating, encouraging, and educational, and really serves well as a means to introduce “regular people” to the full-orbed inner lives (hopes, desires, dreams, opinions, and capabilities) of those with disabilities, especially where the disability manifests as an outward departure from “normal.” Too often people (perhaps unwittingly) innately assume that someone with a disability that manifests as a physical difference, must have a diminished mental capabity, and then they conveniently (again, perhaps subconsciously) write them off as some sort of tragic “sub-human.” I suspect this is mainly driven by ignorance and fear.

    I have gone to medical appointments via stretcher (because I cannot sit in a car), and the medical transport company requires me to be accompanied by an adult (as though I am a child, or suffering dementia). Then when arriving at the doctor’s office, the office staff proceed to come up, greet my wife (ignoring my presence), and then proceed to ask her questions about me (instead of asking me directly). She takes offense on my behalf and politely replies, “Ask him, he can talk.” It is humorous to see the surprise and embarrassment on their face when they realize that I am actually articulate and they have been treating me as invisible.

    Anyway, I just wanted to thank you again for your revew and affirm what a powerful documentary this is.
    God bless,
    Craig

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    1. Thank you very much for sharing your thoughts with me, Craig. I’m so happy that you ended up enjoyng my reccomendation! From the sounds of your last paragraph, you very much understand. I’m sorry that you were faced with such ignorant people. I’ve experienced precisely the same in my wheelchair. I agree, their faces afterwards are indeed satisfying 😉 I just hope that it helps them to learn their lesson. True – it is mainly driven by ignorance and fear. That’s why I’m fighting so hard against the first. It’s my dream to be the next Judy Heumann or James LeBrecht. You’re most welcome, God bless you too Craig ❤

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  33. Great review, Simone! I haven’t got Netflix, but I’ve put Cheryl’s recommendation on my reading list.
    I was just reading your piece on da-AL’s blog and I was wondering whether you could recommend any novels which include characters with disabilities that are properly portrayed and not just used as a plot device?

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    1. Thank you, I’m glad that you enjoyed it! Yes, certainly, of course I can: I reccomend The Chance to Fly by Ali Stroker [a book about a wheelchair-user singer written by the first wheelchair-user ever to have won a Tony award for singing], Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper, A Quiet Kind of Thunder by Sara Barnard, The Christmasaurus by Tom Fletcher, and Pet by Akwaeke Emezi. Let me know if you ever want to know any more 😊

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  34. I am going to get back to this post that’s a promise once I watch the documentary, I feel I will be able to relate to your writing much better after that (: I hope I can get it done soon though, I have a lot of work pending so it might take a while

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  35. This is such a thorough and detailed review Simone! You know I am very much looking forward to watching this documentary. And once I do I will be coming back to you with all my thoughts and comments. It’s horrible that this history and also disabled rights are so often disregarded and overlooked. I am advocating for change in my ways and I admire that you want to go into making a change with your career path as well.

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    1. Thank you, Olivia-Savannah. I appreciate feedback from the review expert 😉 I’m excited for you to watch it and to hear your opinion. I’ve been proud of what you’ve been doing to advocate for it to change and I hope to be able to do more in the future too.

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  37. Hey there!!! I’m just checking in to let you know I nominated you for The Aesthete Blogger Award. You absolutely deserve it! No worries if your site is award free, just wanted to share your beautiful work and how much I appreciate you!!!! Much love, my friend 🖤🤗 -Ace

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  39. I really enjoyed your review of this film, and have added it to my list of films to watch. It will definitely be one I sit down, focus on, and not just be something to have on in the background (like can sometimes happen when we turn Netflix on while we do something else.)

    My knowledge of disability history is sorely lacking, and I’m not sure if there were any learning units or modules in any classes that were taught specifically on the subject. Every time I read one of your posts I am heartened by the amount of effort you put in to make what you write accessible to every reader, and offer encouragement to action too.

    Thank you for sharing another information filled post. I hope you are keeping well. 😊

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    1. I am extremely happy that you enjoyed my review and that you’ve added Crip Camp to your list of films to watch! Sounds like you’ll really take it all in when you watch it. I truly hope that you’ll enjoy it and that it will move you as deeply as it’s moved me. I’m not surprised that disability history was never mentioned in any of your classes – the education system really needs to improve when it comes to more diversity in their curriculums. It truly means a lot that you appreciate the amount of effort that I put into my posts to make them accessible. I actually just spent a few weeks going back through all of my old posts and adding descriptive captions to all of the pictures for blind users who use screen-readers. Even I still have a lot to learn when it comes to accessibility. You’re welcome – thank you so much for reading it. I am keeping well, I hope that you are too ❤😊❤

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