Cripplepunk

Cripplepunk
A photo of the handles of a wheelchair, which are covered in silver spikes
Decade of origin	2010s
Key motifs	Mobility aids, punk motifs, closed captions, image descriptions
Key values	Pride in being disabled, self love and acceptance, disability advocacy, being autonomous, disability rights
Related aesthetics	Medicalcore Punk

Cripplepunk (also known as cpunk, crippunk, or cr*pple punk) is an aesthetic and a movement that focuses on disability pride, primarily for physical disabilities. Cripplepunk involves accepting and loving oneself for, not despite of, disabilities, mobility aids, and the struggles that come with them. It also rejects the myth of disabled people as "inspirational" heroes simply because they have a disability, and that they have to be perfectly nice and submissive to be respected by able-bodied people. Many people involved in Cripplepunk bond over their struggles, being treated as lesser by able-bodied people, and the ableism in the medical industry and society as a whole. Cripplepunk is for physically disabled people specifically.

History

Cripplepunk was created by the late tumblr user @crpl-pnk(real name Tyler Trewhella), after they posted a picture of them standing with their cane, a cigarette dangling out of their mouth, with the caption "cripple punk" and the description "i'm starting a movement." It was reblogged and liked by 40,000+ people, and the caption "cripplepunk" became used as a tag for physically disabled people fighting against the norms placed on them by society. Disabled people used the tag to share tips with each other about medication, discussed their experiences with ableism, shared art, and generally celebrated each other and practiced solidarity.

Visual

Cripplepunk aims to normalize disabilities and accessibility, and as such, Cripplepunk activists fight for closed captions, image descriptions, wheelchair ramps, feeding tubes, cheaper mobility aids, and recognition of intersectionality in disabled spaces.

Fashion

Here is the picture that started cripplepunk, a photo of Tyler Trewhella outside of a diner.

As an aesthetic, Cripplepunk borrows many elements of punk, such as spikes and studs, leather outfits, and bright colours. A part of Cripplepunk is embracing the fact that as a disabled person, you stand out, and taking that and running with it. Many Cripplepunk looks involve pins and patches naming one's disability or otherwise stating that it's nobody's business, bedazzling wheelchairs, canes, walkers, prosthetics, scooters, and other aids, and wearing what you want, regardless of what other people think.

Media

Under construction.

Movies

• Ex Drummer

Gallery

A photo of someone's hand. They are wearing a handmade ring split made of silver wire around the middle joint of their middle finger.

A photo of a customized wheelchair.

A selfie of a person holding their handle of their cane close to their face.

A photo of someone standing in front of a building and wearing punk clothing. Their hair is blue and they have many pins on their vest. They are holding a cane.