About the Anthology
The overall intention of this project is to create a collection of reflections, essays, poetry and creative non-fiction by disabled, Deaf and Blind dharma practitioners, adding to the brilliant lineage of work by people and groups like Alice Wong, Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha, Sin Invalid, and Disabled Writers. We are also exploring the possibility of a blog and including artwork and even short fiction!
This is an emergent idea adapting to circumstances, access needs, and a growing community of collaborators. It is as much about creating an anthology as it is about creating a community.
This is an emergent idea adapting to circumstances, access needs, and a growing community of collaborators. It is as much about creating an anthology as it is about creating a community.
Collaborating & Contributing
Part of Cripping this process is challenging traditional publishing models and current processes for calls for submissions. We want to create intentional community to support one another as writers and practitioners, accounting for the impact living with disability has on our lives.
We are currently spreading the word to as many people as possible so folks who might want to contribute know about this opportunity. Contributors need not be established writers, or consider themselves to be writers at all. We are committed to providing support for contributors to share their voice by working in small groups according to access needs and needs as writers.
We are currently spreading the word to as many people as possible so folks who might want to contribute know about this opportunity. Contributors need not be established writers, or consider themselves to be writers at all. We are committed to providing support for contributors to share their voice by working in small groups according to access needs and needs as writers.
Intention for Representation
We set a strong intention to represent a broad range of experiences from the Disabled, Deaf, and Blind communities, including centring and uplifting Black, Brown, Asian, Indigenous, mixed-race, Queer and Transgender voices.
For the purposes of this project, we define "disability" from a social, cultural, and individual perspective. Included in this is how ableist infrastructure, social systems and culture impact us, as well as the physical and emotional impact of disability. In this regard, we are seeking representation from folks with physical disabilities, neuroatypical brains, chronic illness, chronic pain, unpredictable symptoms, the Deaf & Blind communities, and those living with mental illness.
This project is informed by the principles of the Disability Justice movement, as defined on the Sins Invalid website:
For the purposes of this project, we define "disability" from a social, cultural, and individual perspective. Included in this is how ableist infrastructure, social systems and culture impact us, as well as the physical and emotional impact of disability. In this regard, we are seeking representation from folks with physical disabilities, neuroatypical brains, chronic illness, chronic pain, unpredictable symptoms, the Deaf & Blind communities, and those living with mental illness.
This project is informed by the principles of the Disability Justice movement, as defined on the Sins Invalid website:
- INTERSECTIONAL — Ableism, coupled with white supremacy, supported by capitalism, and underscored by heteropatriarchy, has rendered the vast majority of the world “invalid.”
- LEADERSHIP OF THOSE MOST IMPACTED — “We are led by those who most know these systems.” –Aurora Levins Morales
- ANTI-CAPITALIST POLITIC — In an economy that sees land and humans as components of profit, we are anti-capitalist by the nature of having non-conforming body/minds.
- COMMITMENT TO CROSS-MOVEMENT ORGANIZING — Shifting how social justice movements understand disability and contextualize ableism, disability justice lends itself to politics of alliance.
- RECOGNIZING WHOLENESS — People have inherent worth outside of commodity relations and capitalist notions of productivity. Each person is full of history and life experience.
- SUSTAINABILITY — We pace ourselves, individually and collectively, to be sustained long term. Our embodied experiences guide us toward ongoing justice and liberation.
- COMMITMENT TO CROSS-DISABILITY SOLIDARITY — We honour the insights and participation of all of our community members, knowing that isolation undermines collective liberation.
- INTERDEPENDENCE — We meet each others’ needs as we build toward liberation, knowing that state solutions inevitably extend into further control over lives.
- COLLECTIVE ACCESS — As brown, black and queer-bodied disabled people we bring flexibility and creative nuance that go beyond able-bodied/minded normativity, to be in community with each other.
- COLLECTIVE LIBERATION — No body or mind can be left behind – only mobbing together can we accomplish the revolution we require.