Identity

In the 1990s, people argued over the best words to use. Some activists chose to take back old, hurtful words like cripple and call themselves “crips” to fight negative stereotypes. For example, British disability-rights singer Johnny Crescendo (pictured below) wore a famous t-shirt that read, “Piss on Pity.” Nadina LaSpina later taught courses on disability identity and culture in one of the earliest disability studies courses at The New School.

Date: Jul 25, 1993

Image Description: Two people wearing matching blue and white baseball caps lean over a folding table outdoors to make protest signs. Using thick markers, one person writes the word “CRIPS” in blue ink while the other writes in red marker on an adjacent poster board.

Date: Jul 25, 1993

Image Description: A photograph of British singer and disability rights activist Johnny Crescendo. He is wearing a bold, statement-making t-shirt that reads “Piss on Pity,” a slogan used by activists in the 1990s to reject charity-based attitudes and demand equal rights instead.

Date: Jul 25, 1993

Image Description: A color photograph of two young activists at a march on a city street. A man sitting in a wheelchair holds a brown cardboard sign that reads “NOT DISABLED BUT DISabled.” Next to him, a woman wearing a straw hat holds a sign that reads “WAKE UP.”