Netflix’s ‘Crip Camp’ to be recognized on International Day of Persons with Disabilities by The UN’s Agency
The UN’s Agency, the International Labour Organization (ILO), To Co-Host Special Conversation With Crip Camp Documentary Co-directors Nicole Newnham and Jim LeBrecht, Andraéa LaVant, and Judy Heumann, With A Special Message From ILO Disability Rights Advocate and Academy Award-winning Actress, Marlee Matlin, in Recognition of International Day of Persons With Disabilities on December 3, 2020
Conversation To Be Part of Global Disabled Employee Resource Group, PurpleSpace’s, 24-hour #PurpleLightUp Global Broadcast
This week, in recognition of International Day Of Persons With Disabilities (December 3rd), the International Labour Organization (ILO), the only tripartite United Nations agency and the recipient of the 1969 Nobel Peace Prize, is hosting a globally-available conversation on Higher Ground Productions’ acclaimed documentary, Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution to discuss disability equity in employment and the significance of the day. The ILO brings together governments, employers and workers of 187 UN member states to set labor standards, develop policies and devise programs promoting decent work for all. Participants in the conversation include Disability Rights Advocate and Academy Award-winning actress Marlee Matlin, world-renowned Disability Rights Activist and one of the subjects of Crip Camp Judy Heumann, Crip Camp co-directors Nicole Newnham and Jim LeBrecht, and Crip Camp Impact Producer Andraéa LaVant.
“In this year, more than ever, we need to highlight and celebrate the contribution that persons with disabilities make to our societies,” notes Stefan Tromel, Senior Disability Specialist at the ILO. “Not only does Crip Camp deliver on this but it also shows how the disability rights movement played, and continues to play a critical role in promoting the required changes in legislation and policies which will lead to the full inclusion and participation of persons with disabilities worldwide”.
Down the road from Woodstock, a revolution blossomed at a ramshackle summer camp for teenagers with disabilities, transforming their lives and igniting a landmark movement. Produced by Higher Ground Productions, Crip Camp is the story of one group of people and captures one moment in time. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of other equally important stories from the Disability Rights Movement that have not yet received adequate attention. The filmmakers are committed to using the film’s platform to amplify additional narratives in the disability rights and disability justice communities to broaden the number of voices and share the mic.
Launched in 1992, the UN’s International Day of Persons With Disabilities was conceived to promote the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities in all spheres of society and development, and to increase awareness of the situation of persons with disabilities in every aspect of political, social, economic and cultural life. This year, the ILO is recognizing Crip Camp for its incredible achievements in both igniting a revolution for disabled rights and continuing to push the conversation forward through the film and its continued work on a global scale to lobby for increases in accessibility and representation.
The conversation will take place during #PurpleLightUp, a 24-hour free online event and part of the UN’s larger celebration of International Day of Persons With Disabilities. Now in its fourth year, Purple Space’s #PurpleLightUp has impacted thousands of organizations across the globe, working with them to launch new inclusive workplace policies and practice for disabled employees, holding networking events and lighting up iconic landmarks purple in recognition
Crip Camp is available globally on Netflix.
He is a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic, accredited by the Cannes Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival and more, is a member of the International Cinephile Society (ICS), The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics (GALECA), Hollywood Critics Association (HCA) and the International Press Academy. Among his many achieved goals with AwardsWatch, he has given a platform to underrepresented writers and critics and supplied them with access to film festivals and the industry and calls the Bay Area his home where he lives with his husband and son.
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