By Rich Vogel
What do you get when a bunch of kids with disabilities go away to camp, are free to be themselves, and form bonds and everlasting friendships? You just might get a group of kids who go on to change the world!
That’s my takeaway from the inspirational Netflix documentary, Crip Camp. This film is rated “R” by the Motion Picture Association of America for “some language including sexual references.”
In 1971 a group of young people went to a camp for children with disabilities in upstate New York. Camp Jened was established in 1951 as a campground for people with disabilities - cerebral palsy, blind, deaf, epilepsy, and those stricken with polio, just to name a few. It was a place where kids could be kids, treated with kindness and humanity, unlike the real world where many were put in institutions and not allowed to go to school. As one person said, the problem is not with people living with disabilities, but people living without them – people who refuse to listen to those with disabilities or build a world that accommodates them, who turn a blind eye to their abuse, or limit their opportunities.
The story is told through actual footage of that magical summer interspersed with current interviews with those kids from 50 years ago. We see bonds being made with lifelong friendships, meetings where every voice is heard, compassion, and even first crushes, all the things that go on at a typical camp. But this was the 1970’s. The war was going on in Vietnam, there were protests and there was a wind of change in the country.
In 1973, President Nixon signed into law Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. Unfortunately, there were no regulations passed. No definition of what discrimination is for people with disabilities.
When the Carter administration came into power still nothing was done. Joseph Califano, U.S. Secretary of Health, Education and Welfare, refused to sign meaningful regulations for Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. After an ultimatum and deadline, a group of activists with disabilities, led by camper Judy Heumann, staged a sit-in at the San Francisco Office of the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare in order to get their voices heard.
The sit-in lasted 28 days, quite a feat for people in wheelchairs, many of whom needed assistance to eat and perform daily functions. In one scene, the Black Panthers are seen delivering food to the protesters. When asked why they were delivering food for free, they said because you are helping the community, trying to change the world.
After mounting pressure around the country, Joseph Califano signed both Education of All Handicapped Children and Section 504 into law on April 28, 1977. It took another 11 years to get legislation introduced in Congress for the Americans with Disabilities Act and another 2 years before President Bush signed it into law in 1990 – nearly 20 years after that spark was lit for those young kids at Camp Jenard.
This is an inspiring true story about friendship, perseverance, righting a wrong. Although the film is not about kids with bleeding disorders, it does highlight similar struggles. This is our story. The first residential summer camp, Bold Eagle Highlands, for persons with hemophilia was started in 1969 by Hemophilia Foundation of Michigan.
Since then, many more camps have been created for kids with bleeding disorders and often their siblings. These camps promote independence by teaching self-infusion and leadership skills, guiding many to become camp counselors and advocates for the community, all while fostering camaraderie and lasting friendships with others in a secure and safe environment.
These are just a few reasons why camp is so important for the bleeding disorder community. If you are contemplating sending your child to camp, watch this documentary. Your kid might just change the world.
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