In The Politics of Autism, I discuss the issue's role in campaign politics. In the 2016 campaign, a number of posts discussed Trump's bad record on disability issues more generally. As his actions as president indicated, he has little use for Americans with disabilities.
President-elect Biden has a much better record but some activists are wary.
#CripTheVote is a nonpartisan campaign that engages politicians and voters on disability issues in the United States. It was coined by Alice Wong, a disabled activist, media maker, and founder and director of the Disability Visibility Project. The campaign chose this name in part because "selective use of 'crip' or 'crippled' by people with disabilities is a conscious act of empowerment through 'reclaiming' a former slur as a badge of pride," according to the #CripTheVote website.
“We had the idea for the campaign, centering Disability justice as a means of reshaping those politics,” Gregg Beratan, #CripTheVote co-organizer and disabled activist tells Verywell.
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According to Beratan, community priorities will only be met with pressure. “Pressure from the #CripTheVote community or a group like ADAPT will be needed," Beratan says. "I believe that is the only way the Disability Community has ever gotten anything."
“Biden was the last candidate to release a disability policy, and he only did so after being hounded by the Disability Community,” Beratan continues to explain. “President-elect Biden has shown little sign that he intends to prioritize our community.”
