Knock Around :
As the film documents , the occupation and resulting legislation was a big win for disability rights in the U . S ., but it was just the beginning . For instance , protections were only legislated for federally funded programs ; the measures did not apply to private organizations . Protests continued throughout the 1980s , culminating with the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act ( ADA ) of 1990 , which mandated equal access to employment , transportation and public places for nearly 40 million physically and mentally disabled Americans . But as time and Crip Camp tells , the passage of legislation and enforcement of legislation are very different things . Still , the film shows how solidarity , courage and conviction are instrumental to great progress , and how unity , be it forged at a summer camp or shared at a sit-in , can bring about change .
“ You can make a law , but if society ’ s attitudes don ’ t change , it ’ s not worth a lot ,” says former camper Denise Sherer Jacobson by the film ’ s end . LeBrecht adds , “ There are still many things to change besides ramps . There are minds .”
Crip Camp : A Disability Revolution is streaming now on Netflix .
Tell us your thoughts on it at tritonmag @ ucsd . edu
EVERY SUMMER for the past 30 years , UC San Diego has welcomed school-aged children to campus for an experience like no other : Knock Around Camp . There , the university grounds become a playground for kids aged five through 16 , where they experience art , nature , science and of course , summer fun . From rock climbing at Canyonview to the tide pools at Scripps , kids get a taste of Triton excitement , while UC San Diego students serve as positive role models as camp counselors .
Hosted by UC San Diego Recreation , Knock Around Camp began informally with a half-day program in 1991 — 10 kids and one counselor . Bringing 200 kids to campus each week at its most recent peak , Knock Around has come to include specialty camps such as beach camp , leadership camp for high schoolers and many different sports camps . Yet even as it grew , the camp remained small at heart . Katie Shaw-Bullock ( A . K . A . Gidget , her counselor codename ) has been director of Knock Around Camp since 2012 : “ These kids went to different schools , grew up in different neighborhoods ,” she says , “ but they knew every summer they would come together here . Some of our counselors were once
campers themselves too and felt so strongly about the program and their experience that they wanted to be here when they ‘ grew up .’” One such camper-turnedcounselor was Liam Barrett ’ 19 ( A . K . A . Dobby ), who spent every summer at Knock Around since age five . “ The counselors were my role models and the superheroes of my life ,” he says . “ Having experienced how special Knock Around and the counselors can be for a kid , it was absolutely something I wanted to be a part of as a UCSD student .”
For many other Tritons , being a counselor adds another dimension to their education and can even be a life-changing experience . This was the case for Chad Butler ’ 97 , drummer for alternative rock band SWITCHFOOT : “ Knock Around gave me an appreciation for the influence you can have on kids . I saw them become more confident — even just scoring a goal on a soccer field , those things give kids courage and selfesteem ,” he says . “ That experience shaped my appreciation for investing in the lives of children and led us as a band to support youth charities here in San Diego .” ( Read more about Butler and the band on p . 46 .)
Were you part of Knock Around Camp ? Tell us at tritonmag @ ucsd . edu
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