Crip News v.212
New works, other news, calls, and events.
NEWS
New Works
To mark the International Day of Persons with Disabilities last week, Apple released a music video ad campaign called “I’m Not Remarkable.” The anti-inspiration porn anthem is performed by a cast of disabled students and artists joyfully smashing ableist stereotypes. It publicizes accessibility features like braille access and live captioning that the video suggests can match a vibrant range of access needs among disabled young adults as they enter college life. “And I need stuff. And you need stuff,” the song declares, “And all our stuff is not the same.”
Photo by Bette Grant. Last month, Australian disabled artist Sam Petersen’s Apocalypse Wheelchair was featured on an episode of ABC TV’s The Art Of… Petersen says the work is “wrapped in grossness,” with things like catheter piss guns and a poop chute, to reflect the ableist treatment you have endured in real world scenarios. The wheelchair sets the tone for Human, an upcoming film project that Petersen is actively fundraising to produce.
Outlandish is on view at John Hansard Gallery (Southampton, UK) until Jan. 10. Through the work of organizer Aaron Williamson, the exhibition uncovers the stories of The Outlandish Collective, which forged explicitly “crip” artistry from 1976 to 1982.
UK-based sports charity Level the Playing Field has released the results from its 2025 Annual Fan Survey, which included 2,151 respondents. The biggest increase in disabled fans’ report of access barriers was a lack of companion/PA ticketing, while the biggest decrease in difficulty purchasing tickets.
Props No More, a media advocacy project of the Global Alliance for Disability in Media and Entertainment, has launched a video series hosted by Karina Sturm unpacking examples of good and bad disability representation.
The New York Times recently published an article about an annual gathering of women with ALS who partied together on Cape Cod.
In Other News…
Unlimited has announced the shortlist for its 2025/26 Open Awards. The UK charity also published a breakdown of the 591 applications they received.
The US Social Security Administration has halted plans to eliminate age as a factor in determining eligibility for federal disability assistance following widespread opposition. The agency will also halt the process of modernizing the woefully out of date list of occupations used in disability determination processes.
Korea JoongAng Daily recently profiled Baek Ji-yoon, the country’s “first theater actor with Down syndrome.”
The Autistic Self Advocacy Network recently announced the winners of the 2nd annual Teighlor McGee Grassroots Mini Grant Program: International Association for Spelling as Communication’s (I-ASC) Spellers and Allies, Yingya Vang, Coalición Neurodivergente Peruana, and Neurodivergent Infinity Network of Educators.
Celimar Rivera Cosme will bring Puerto Rican Sign Language (LSPR) to the Super Bowl for the first time during Bad Bunny’s halftime show.
CALLS
@Disabled.Artists has released a list of over 150 disabled creators to buy from this holiday season, assembled by Alexis Neumann. You can also pre-order a 2026 calendar featuring work by 25 disabled artists.
New Disabled South is accepting applications for the 2026 Southern Policymakers Advancing Representative Community (SPARC) Fellowship program. Submit by Jan 2.
Disability Arts Online is hiring a part-time Artistic Director. Apply by Jan. 19.
Researchers at Brandeis University are looking to interview disabled people between the ages of 15 and 25 in the US for a study about the things that young people with disabilities think are important for their sexual health.
The 25th Southern Connecticut State University Women’s & Gender Studies Conference, taking place April 17 – 18, 2026, is seeking session proposals for “(Re)making the World: A ‘How-To’ Conference on Feminist, Crip, and Decolonial Worldmaking.” Submit by Jan. 5.
The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts is accepting applications for the 2026 Access/VSA International Young Musicians Program and the 2026 Access/VSA Playwright Discovery Program. Apply by Jan. 7.
NYC-based organization Tech Unlimited is hiring for multiple full- and part-time positions.
New Books
There was a lot of interest in the new books section of Crip News at the end of September (v.202). Let’s do it again! Know of a great disability-related book that was published recently? You can reply to this email or drop a comment below with suggestions.
EVENTS
Saturday, Dec. 13, 4 – 6pm ET, in-person at the Whitney Museum (NYC)
Create a surreal sculpture with a fidget keyboard, a keyboard that has no functional use other than to organize your preferred stims! Join artist, designer, and writer, Emily Sara, for a DIY workshop that will focus on creating customizable stim toys. Everyone will get to choose from a variety of 3D printed pieces that are different shapes, textures, and mechanisms that snap together to create a unique and functionable sculpture. This workshop was designed for people with different levels of dexterity, and privileges touch over sight. People can build together or individually and take their sculptures home at the end of the program. This event will be hosted by Emily Sara and Madison Zalopany, who are both disabled creators and thought leaders.Care Work as Mutual Aid
Thursday, Dec. 11, 4 - 5:30pm PT, online
We are our greatest strength and, in these times, our means of survival. Mutual aid, as a practice, maps our personal and collective abundances with our needs and creates unbreakable networks of care. Bringing back our Care Work series, we are joined by Alan Pelaez Lopez, Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha, and Tiezst “Tie” Taylor to discuss mutual aid – from personal survival strategies to Crips for Palestine and organizing in immigrant communities. They’ll share their stories, the work they do, and, together, explore how our movements are intertwined, and how our collective liberation lies in care work and mutual aid.Yeah, It WAS Good! Celebrating Audio Described Dance
Saturday, Dec. 13, 4 - 6pm ET, on Zoom
Dark Room Ballet will be sponsoring an audio described dance film showcase, with contributions from at least 3 blind/VI choreographers, and including new audio described work from the American Ballet Theatre!Publishing as a Commitment to Care
Tuesday, Dec. 9, 6 - 8pm ET, on Zoom
Hosted by cripple/Emily Sara. Centering ways of writing and making that honor nonlinearity, intuition, disability, and interdependence, this talk invites participants to journey within Denise Shanté Brown’s publications that carry a commitment to care—from dreamseed to manifestation to distribution. Space for questions and dialogue will be included.Dreaming Anti-Ableist Land Work: A Monthly Meetup for Disabled Landworkers
Sunday, Dec. 14 and every second Sunday of the month, 4 - 5:30pm, on Zoom
Land work can be deeply healing, and so many of us come to it as a place of refuge. And also, land work spaces can be very ableist and often disabling. Disabled people deserve to be a part of land work, and land work needs disabled people. Disabled wisdom is how we learn to make our work sustainable by caring for ourselves and each other. But being a disabled landworker is not easy. The discrimination, exclusion, grief, conflict, and the pressure to fit your bodymind into an abled shape are so real, and it’s hard to find spaces to discuss these challenges. This program is a four-part monthly discussion group that will provide a space for connection and support amongst disabled landworkers. We will share our experiences, knowledge, and dreams. We will build community, knowing this community is the foundation for anti-ableist land work. This space will be facilitated by Julie Nowak and Maze with generous room for co-creation and feedback.Disability Matters Online Symposia 2025: Honouring the Legacy of Professor Anita Ghai
Thursday, Dec. 11, 12 - 1:15pm GMT / 5:30 - 6:45pm IST
In Anita’s memory and to honour her legacy, Disability Matters is organising an online symposium dedicated to centre Indian Disability Studies, its epistemology, theory, activism, and social engagement as it marks a year to Anita’s departure on 11 December. We hope to create a living archive that celebrates and extends the work of Indian Disability Studies, inspired by Anita Ghai’s scholarship, activism, and imagination.From Research to Impact: The Global Heumann Fellowship 2024-2025 Fellowship Cohort Showcase
Wednesday, Dec. 10, 11am ET, on Zoom
Join us for an inspiring virtual event celebrating the remarkable achievements of the inaugural cohort of the Global Heumann Fellowship—an initiative sparked by the lasting legacy of Judy Heumann, co-founder of the World Institute on Disability (WID). Over a transformative twelve-month period from July 2024 to June 2025, these visionary disability leaders undertook rigorous, regionally focused research projects aimed at advancing accessibility, inclusion, and disability justice. This event will spotlight the research insights, innovations, and community-driven findings that emerged from the first cohort—and introduce the next wave of Fellows who are ready to carry this vital work forward.The Haunted: That Thing and Night Terrors
Wednesday, Dec. 10, 7 - 8:30pm GMT, online
A dance performance by Lucy Clark and live reading by Alice Vernon followed by an in-conversation between the artists, THE HAUNTED creator Joanna Holland, moderated by Peter Bonnell.The Weight of Disability Webinar (see below for how to register)
Friday, Dec. 12, 1pm PT, on Zoom
This webinar will focus on the often unseen weight that people with disabilities must carry and address on a daily basis. It will also explain the value of and ways to build resilience. At the same time, we will spend some time in this session unpacking the burden and limitations of resilience. The webinar will be hosted by Jennifer Chassman-Brown. For the Zoom link and to request accommodations, please email jlesner@accesscentralcoast.org.