Over the past years, several activist and human rights groups have collaborated to create awareness of the plight of people living with disabilities and encourage their inclusion in social systems. However, these individuals are still sidelined and neglected despite supportive frameworks to engage them in education and other social activities. Crip Camp is a documentary film seeking to normalize living with people with disabilities instead of treating them differently. The film made me feel like disability is a challenge that anyone can become a victim of in their lives. Thus, instead of perceiving disabled people as needy and incapable, individuals should learn how to take care of their critical issues and allow them to live normally.
The aspect of the film that was most engaging is the narrator’s opinion of how human society is flawed due to their perceptions of disabled people. The most memorable part of the film is when one of the campers recollected her first day interacting with her peers and the pain she felt after her age mates asked her if she was sick. According to the excerpt, disability is considered a dysfunctional attribute in society and these values are instilled into individuals’ reasoning from childhood. As a result, people without disabilities grow up with the notion that disabled individuals are limited, when this should not be the case. Thus, it is evident that the problem lies in human society and its neglectful culture of abandoning handicapped individuals.
The key themes in the movie are that disabled individuals can live a normal, active, fruitful, and satisfying life as long as they are given the opportunity. Crip Camp describes a haven where disabled individuals are not viewed as strange or queer. The campers enjoy social freedoms and are not ashamed of their differences since everyone in the camp, including the counselors, understands their situation. The camp’s environment allows these teenagers to interact freely, play games, and reach their full potential. Subsequently, the filmmakers make it clear that disability is not an abnormality as they interact with the campers, engage in their activities, share their stories, and show that these children can live a happy life were it not for society’s malice and discrimination.
Crip Camp will significantly influence individuals’ perceptions of people with disabilities because it uncovers crucial information about their hopes, experiences, and how they wish to live. Although many individuals are aware that disabled people go through a hard time, they do not know that making them comfortable is an easy task (Gamlath, 2018). However, the film raises awareness of how a shift in how the world perceives disability can have notable implications on victims’ quality of life and well-being. Enlightening society and sharing this knowledge with policymakers and decision-makers can help advocate for acknowledging these individuals’ needs and channel more resources toward assuring their development.
I attest that the film grabbed my attention straight from the beginning as it discusses a sensitive topic that most people often neglect. However, it takes a twist by narrating touching stories about disabled people in an environment where they are having the time of their lives. Therefore, the film successfully sheds light on society’s weaknesses and encourages change. When more individuals accept that there is a problem that requires prompt solutions, they will collaborate to advance and prepare the next generation for a more democratic, free, fair, and just world.
Reference
Gamlath, S. (2018). Personal Disability or Social Inability–Social Construction Interpretation and Community Partnership for Welfare of PWDs. V Editor’s Note 1 Understanding the Law and the Legal System as Practiced in the Buddhist Tradition, 1(2), 63. Web.