Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution – Inspiring Documentary (Netflix)

This documentary has an Academy Award nomination, and it deserves it!  It's about "Camp Jened," a camp for disabled kids, that somehow created an enduring spark in many of the campers.  This spark was subsequently lit-up and reactivated during the Civil Rights movement.  The consistent efforts of these courageous disabled activists eventually resulted in the passage of the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) on July 26, 1990 after a 20-year struggle.  (FYI, there are approximately 40 million disabled people in the U.S.) The film starts with archival footage of "Camp Jened," which opened in 1951 and had about a 25-year run.  The campers who went there had lived very sheltered lives with their families and included those with all types of disabilities, such as being paraplegic, having cerebral palsy, being deaf, etc. The camp Director (Larry Ellison), as well most of the counsellors, were hippies.  Larry had creative ideas, such as digging holes in the ground so that the campers would fall so they would have to get up by themselves, teaching them a very powerful life lesson.  The campers were of all ages and could freely interact with each other, finally able to express themselves and share their intimate thoughts and feelings.  This was a profound experience, which empowered them to accomplish great things later in life. The film then shifts to their struggle for equal rights so that the disabled could participate in the world and fulfill their potential.  The disabled needed major structural changes in commercial buildings, transportation, residences, etc. in order to be able to do so.  There was tremendous resistance from the government to make these changes, primarily due to the huge expense which would be required, but the improvement to the lives of so many people could not be understated, and, amazingly, many of the movement's leaders were former campers at "Camp Jened." My favorite scene was a sit-in in 1977, which lasted for about two weeks, at the 'Dept. of Health, Education, and Welfare' building.  I never would have had the fortitude to last that long!  One of the disabled leaders of the movement, Judy Heumann, is a truly amazing woman who led the movement via inclusion, rather than merely inspiring others. This documentary chronicles how a huge segment of society which was completely overlooked found their voice, defeated the government, and were finally able to "stand on their feet."