INTENTIONS
1. Cripple is a publishing initiative that supports the endeavors of disabled artists and designers. As mentioned above in our welcome section, we do quote unquote “publishing” as a very expansive term.
2. Cripple is described as quote unquote “purposely non-linear” because everything about disability and neurdivergence is unpredictable, fluctuating, growing, receding and requires flexibility and intention.
3. Cripple was founded by emily sara (www.emily-sara.com) in the thick of covid (still ongoing) of twenty twenty from bed—she is queer, disabled and neurodivergent. cripple is an extention of her hybridized art and design practice.
4. Cripple uses the word “we” even when, at this time, majority of the administrative work, organizing and design is done by emily. We use “we” because “we” are regularly hiring other disabled and neurodivergent individuals to assist with projects to bring the works of other disabled and neurodivergent artists and designers to fruition. Survival when you are disabled and neurodivergent requires community, assistance and support. Our collective survival rests on these qualities as well. Cripple would not exist with out consideration and support of our disabled and neurodivergent community.
5. Cripple believes in an intersectional lens when supporting disabled and neurodivergent content. This means that although we support content pertaining to disability and neurodivergence—content that relates to race, gender, environment, class and more—is asbolutely paramount to our dialogue as well.
6. Cripple strives to use terminology that exists closer to plain language and far from art speak. We believe that access begins with language—and though not everything can be 100% accessible at all times (because of conflicting access needs)—it’s critical that we do not uphold the violence of language that dominates our art and design sectors. This also includes support of quote unquote “errors” of language, art and design—so that we can strive to support access over quote unquote “correctness.” The concept of the error is also centered in the history of Disability Aesthetics. Disability Aesthetics was a concept and publication written by Tobin Siebers in twenty ten.
7. Cripple believes in instilling access as much as possible and to do otherwise is to uphold ableism and direct harm. Cripple strives to consult and take into consideration our diverse community and their individual access needs. We recognise that access is a forever process and one that continually evolves.
8. Cripple, the publishing initiative, is lowercase and named after a word that references the history of extreme, violent harm enacted upon disabled and neurodivergent communities. Cripple is a reclaimed terminology and we recognize that this term does not solely belong to any one individual or organization nor does every disabled individual endorse the use of the term cripple.
9. Cripple is a publishing initiative that subscribes to the 10 principles of Disability Justice as founded by the collective Sins Invalid. Sins Invalid is a disability justice based performance project that incubates and celebrates artists with disabilities, centralizing artists of color and LGBTQ / gender-variant artists as communities who have been historically marginalized.
10. Cripple believes and uses the term disabled as an expansive term to include neurodivergence.
11. Cripple believes in revision and consideration from our community at large and that these intentions will be forever changing and updated. Though these intentions are numbered, it is to emphasize a list and not a priority of one over the other. Please do reach out to us in our contact form, below, if you have additonal suggestions, concerns or questions.
Here are all of cripples current and ongoing projects:
• Instagram resources pertaining to intersectional news related to disability and neurdivergence. Posts are made regularly and stories are made on a daily basis. We also have a highlight that has a link to an instagram channel for jobs, grants, residencies and other resources that anyone and everyone is welcome to subscribe to.
• Regular book giveaways of critical texts that relate to contemporary disabled (including neurodivergent) culture. These are not necessarily texts which we publish ourselves. Book giveaways are posted on instagram on an irregular basis.
• Continuing to publish our own texts and other content by disabled artists and designers. This content will soon be available and located under Things, located below.
• Lending our instagram home and collaborating with other disabled organizations, in support of fundraising for Palestinians who are currently experiencing a full-scale genocide.
• A curated list of resources related to disability and neurodivergence. This list continuously being updated and is free. This content will is available and located below, under Resources.
• An ongoing lecture series that highlights the work of disabled and neurodivergent artists, designers and access workers alike. This lecture series will be recorded and uploaded to our youtube channel. All videos are hyperlinked below under the Digital Library.
• Applying for a non-profit status.
• Applying for grants to fund all of these projects and pay disabled and neurodivergent artists and designers (and more) for the incredible work that they do.
Upcoming goals of cripple (short term):
• Online Shop — Updating our shop experience and hosting work by other disabled artists and designers, soon to be located under Things, located below. Many of these items will also be free for digital download.
• Documentary series — A documentary series showcasing the studios (and non-studios since so many individuals from our community are in bed or cannot afford studio space on top of their individual survival) of disabled artists and designers.
• Purchasing a 3D printer — Hosting an online archive of 3D mobility devices that can be downloaded for free and printed by the user or to be printed in house at cripple and mailed to individuals who need these tools.
Upcoming goals of cripple (long term):
• Grants — Cripple has a long term goal of dispersing quote unquote “no strings attached” grants on a regular basis to disabled artists and designers. This means that individuals can use this money for anything they deem necessary whether it’s food, healthcare, art supplies or otherwise. These grants would also be highly flexible in being dispersed so that it will not interfere with the restrictions set when receiving assistance via disability/social security or similar. Some government support systems can still be suddenly stopped if an individual receives over a certain preditermined threshold in a month. This threshold amount is still often not enough for survival but can be detrimental to an individuals care if these services are suddenly stopped. Because our current society also has shortfalls in our educational system and support for disabled and neurodivergent individuals is not on the same level as their non-disabled counterparts, cripple will be focusing on disabled artists and designers who are at the beginning to early stages of their career. When this financial support is launched, we will post it on our instagram account, send it out as an email and have it posted on this site as well.
• Financing for access equipment and mobility devices — Cripple has a goal of having a fund and simple application process for individuals to apply for access equipment and mobility devices that they deem necessary. Our research has found that individuals who are multiply marginalized have an even larger barrier to access equipment and mobility devices through insurance. This fund would have a short application and would not require documentation of disabilities, as this is one of the many reasons why acquiring mobility devices can be so difficult. Many individuals are disabled or neurodivergent but don’t have the financial means or time for testing. Additionally, individuals who are multiply marginalized can also receive harsher rejections surrounding acquiring treatment or because of familial stigmas—which make getting testing, treatment and insurance approvals significantly more difficult to achieve. Anything that anyone deems as access equipment or mobility devices for themselves would be appropriate to apply for—whether it’s bed lifts, delivery service subscriptions, wheelchairs, screen reader subscriptions, fidget toys, medication costs or otherwise. When this financial support is launched, we will post it on our instagram account, send it out as an email and have it posted on this site as well.