Crip Camp - A Disability Experience

Winner of the 2020 Sundance Film Festival's Audience Award for US Documentary
A collage of four polaroid photos: from left to right/top to bottom, picture one is of a group of people holding signs, one says, “Power to the People”. Picture 2 is of three people, two in wheelchairs, hanging out and laughing. Picture 3 is of an individual sitting in a manual wheelchair with a bag on the back and mail/packages next to him in the chair. There is a black old car in the background. Picture four is a black individual in a swimming pool, hanging onto the edge of a pool.

No one at Camp Jened could’ve imagined that those summers in the woods together would be the beginnings of a revolution.

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.
Crip Camp is the story of one group of people and captures one moment in time. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of other equally important stories from the Disability Rights Movement that have not yet received adequate attention. We are committed to using the film’s platform to amplify additional narratives in the disability rights and disability justice communities – with a particular emphasis on stories surrounding people of color and other intersectionally marginalized communities. We stand by the creed of nothing about us, without us. For too long, too many were excluded, and it is time to broaden the number of voices and share the mic.

Crip Camp 2020: The Virtual Experience

In the summer of 2020, the Crip Camp Impact Campaign hosted a 15 week virtual camp experience that featured trailblazing speakers from the disability community. With nearly 10,000 participants, Crip Camp 2020 showed the power of committing to accessibility for all.

Crip Camp Impact Campaign

Crip Camp’s release in March 2020 marked the launch of the Crip Camp Impact Campaign. The impact campaign’s goal was to use the film as leverage to create change for people with disabilities. The impact campaign team used an intersectional lens to encourage people to think of disability as a social justice issue, develop emerging leaders, and create long-lasting partnerships with like-minded organizations.

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"The Crip Camp & Adobe Fellowship in honor of Ki'Tay D. Davidson" Banner: These words are written in light blue and light purple on a plum purple background. A picture of Ki'Tay D. Davidson is situated on the right third of the banner. He is surrounded by a floral ring that arches from his left shoulder over his head to his right shoulder. Ki’Tay is a black, disabled Trans man, smiling with his hat on backwards and holding a microphone. The right side of the banner is pink and the bottom righthand corner says, “Presented by: Crip Camp X Adobe (with the Adobe logo).

The Crip Camp Impact Campaign is honored to partner with Adobe in establishing a fellowship program for creatives and community organizers with disabilities interested in elevating their work to the next level of visibility.

Through a competitive application process, fellows receive a $5,000 grant to complete a passion project over a 7-month period. Fellows also participate in training classes with Adobe and Crip Camp lecturers and have direct access to a pool of mentors — well-established in their respective industries. All fellows receive a one year complimentary subscription to Adobe Creative Cloud.
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The Crip Camp Educational Curriculum 

Crip Camp shared with insight, clarity, humor, and beauty the experiences of one group of disabled young people and their journey to activism and adulthood, and in doing so, provides an opportunity for all to delve into the rich and complicated history of disability activism, culture, and history. The goal of this curriculum is to extend the knowledge and understanding of disability and of disabled people offered in the film Crip Camp. 

Crip Camp Merch! 

Sport your love for the pride and joy seen in Crip Camp with the official Crip Camp merchandise! From a 1970s-inspired tie-dye t-shirt to a durable canvas tote bag to a pocket reusable straw, there is something for everybody.

Official Trailer

Official Trailer with Audio Description

Credits

Directors

  • Nicole Newnham
  • Jim LeBrecht
Executive Producers

  • President Barack Obama
  • Michelle Obama
  • Tonia Davis
  • Priya Swaminathan
  • Howard Gertler
Produced By

  • Sara Bolder
  • Jim LeBrecht
  • Nicole Newnham
Edited By

  • Eileen Meyer
  • Andrew Gersh
Co-Editor

  • Mary Lampson
Director of Photography

  • Justin Schein
Associate Producer

  • Lauren Schwartzman
Music By

  • Bear McCreary
Music Supervisor

  • Amine Ramer
Additional Editor

  • Shane Hofeldt
Story Consultant

  • Denise Sherer Jacobson
Impact Producer

  • Andraéa LaVant