Crip News v.159

Giving Tuesday, new honors, new works, calls, and events.

Dec 02, 2024

Giving Tuesday

Tomorrow is Giving Tuesday in the US, an annual event introduced in 2012 by the 92nd Street Y and the United Nations Foundation. It is one of the best contemporary examples of what the late disability historian Paul Longmore called “conspicuous contribution”: a moral rite to balance out but still maintain consumerist spectacle. Last year, it raised $3.1 billion.

The “charity model” of disability has functioned as cultural protection for ableism, so Giving Tuesday is a tricky concept for organizers who often work against what boosters call a “global generosity movement.” Still, it’s a moment to get some much-needed coin to people doing urgent work. So if you’re looking for some ideas for your own donations, consider…

HEARD's Commissary Fund to help incarcerated deaf/disabled people get essential items like food, hygiene products, and stamps for communicating with loved ones.
PeoplesHub’s disability political education for movement workers, including their Community Care Clinic series that continues tomorrow, Dec. 3 from 3 - 5pm ET.
The COVID-19 Longhauler Advocacy Project’s grassroots, patient-led work on Long Covid.
Crip News. (😇)

New Honors

The cover of a book has a brown background like a paper back with large letters of the book's title and author.

DeafBlind writer John Lee Clark’s book Touch the Future: A Manifesto in Essays was named to the longlist of PEN America’s Award for the Art of the Essay.
New Disabled South's Plain Language Policy Dashboard, which uses “a combination of AI and human analysis,” and the Described and Captioned Media Program that offers “accessible educational media to students with disabilities” are among the winners of the 2024 Anthem Awards.
Disability arts organization Unlimited announced the 2024 shortlist for its UK and International Partner Awards.
The 2024 Disability Power 100 list sponsored by British charity Shaw Trust included artists Marc Brew and Victoria Jenkins in the top 10.

Not New News

Awards often celebrate the things that keep disabled people down (careerism, hustle, meritocracy of the individual). And in each of the instances above, the coordinating organizations have blatant contradictions in their shows of support for disabled artists and organizers:

It’s unclear if PEN America’s spring award ceremony will continue as planned, given last year’s cancellation when writers protested the organization’s support for the genocide in Gaza.
Last year, the Anthem Awards gave a Special Achievement Award to disabled actress Selma Blair, who has a pattern of xenophobic, Islamophobia, and anti-immigrant hatred.
Unlimited has done nothing to condemn the genocide in Gaza.
The Disability Power 100 announcement event featured the Minister for Social Security and Disability, the government agency the UN found commits “grave and systemic” violence against disabled people.

New Works

A red, orange, and yellow background looks like an image from a heat map. Thick black text says RED REMINDS ME. Day Without Art and the letters “out” are in parentheses.

For Day With(out) Art 2024, the art world’s annual event recognizing the ongoing HIV/AIDS epidemic on Dec. 1, Visual AIDS commissioned a program called Red Reminds Me… consisting of seven videos “reflecting the emotional spectrum of living with HIV today.” Featuring work by Gian Cruz (Philippines), Milko Delgado (Panama), Imani Maryahm Harrington (USA), David Oscar Harvey (USA), Mariana Iacono and Juan De La Mar (Argentina/Colombia), Nixie (Belgium), and Vasilios Papapitsios (USA).

The cover of a report shows a Black femme leading a march with a megaphone and signs pointing to different directions like Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

Building Movement Project has released a new report called “Sounding the Alarm: Nonprofits on the Frontlines of a Polarized Political Climate.” It finds that 73% of organizations working on DEI, immigrant rights, abortion access, LGBTQIA+ rights, and Palestine have faced or are anticipating “threats to their reputation/their office or personnel, or reductions in funding.”

A Black disabled artist is painting a hand pointing to the right using a paintbrush in his mouth. — Image from **Vaal University of Technology**.

In Vanderbijlpark, South Africa, the Vaal University of Technology’ hosted the Khulisa Disability Network’s s 2nd annual Khulisa Arts Festival (Khudafe) featuring disabled artists and their partnerships to promote access.
In Mpumalanga, South Africa, the Mpumalanga Blind Skills Development Hub recently showcased the work of visually impaired artists at the Nelspruit Art Gallery.

A disabled white artist is in many places at once across a hill of large grey rocks. She uses orange crutches in several places, variously in motion and at rest. — Image by **Sven Hagolani**.

This week is the UK premiere of Claire Cunningham’s Songs of the Wayfarer, a wandering, cross-species solo show.

CALLS

Grantmakers in Health is seeking broad participation from organizations working on “behavioral health” (broadly conceived) in a survey about “strategies, successes, and challenges related to behavioral health investments.” More here.

EVENTS

This rectangular graphic features a photo of a person with short brown curly hair and a black jacket facing a wall of rectangular prints by Pelenakeke Brown at BRIC House. Three prints are in view – one is bright yellow with a deep blue loopy shape in the middle, one is purple with long greenish-blue streaks all across it, and only the corner of a green one with a purple arc shape is visible. There are looping lines of text on all of these prints, but it’s too small to be legible. Text below the photo reads: shall we go together?: A Symposium on Care, Equity, and Access in the Arts. Full schedule is here! Saturday, December 7, 9:30AM-7PM, at BRIC House & Virtual, Free with RSVP.

shall we go together?: A Symposium on Care, Equity, and Access in the Arts

Saturday, Dec. 7, in-person at BRIC (NYC) and online

How can arts organizations continue to support disabled artists and build models that center care, equity, and access? Join BRIC for a hybrid symposium reflecting upon these questions through the lens of our current exhibition, to hold a we. Featuring a full day of virtual and in-person offerings, including an artist and curator tour, roundtable discussion, participatory workshops, and closing hybrid dance party.

What Now, What Next? COVID, Long COVID & Disability Justice Today

Thursday, Dec. 5, 6:30 - 8:30pm ET, on Zoom

Join Long COVID Justice & TransEquity for a community conversation featuring Dr. Oni Blackstock, Dean Spade, and Gabriel San Emeterio, with a performance by Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha. Moderated by Emi Kane.

Who’s in the Room? Disability and Accessibility in the US Fashion System

Tuesday, Dec. 3, 12pm ET, on Zoom

With the support of the Ford Foundation, Dr. Ben Barry (Dean of Fashion, Parsons) and Sinéad Burke (CEO of Tilting the Lens) have created a survey for all employees within the US fashion industry - those who are disabled and non-disabled - to gain insight into their lived experience and professional expertise. By completing this survey, you will help us develop a better understanding of the current positioning of disability within the fashion workforce and explore how organizations can foster psychological safety and embed accessibility and accommodations for disabled and neurodivergent employees. On December 3rd, Ben and Sinéad will host a webinar to discuss the research and address questions to support industry-wide engagement.

the remote Film Club: Our First Priority

Thursday, Dec. 5, 2:30 - 4pm ET, on Zoom

This is a collaboration between RestFest Film Festival and the remote body - two orgs aimed at fostering community, prioritizing chronically ill & Disabled folks. This month’s film: Our First Priority, a horror short film about medical gaslighting by Disabled Queer horror and documentary filmmaker Ariel Baska. Film Duration: 9 minutes, 41 seconds (00:09:41) Click here to watch the film.