Cripplepunk

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The following article contains and discusses content that may be distressing to some readers.
Reason for Warning: This page contains uncensored usage of a slur in the context of a community that uses it as a form of reclamation.

Cripplepunk
Other names	C-Punk
Decade of origin	2010s
Creator/s	Tyler Trewhella
Key values	Pride in being disabled, self love and acceptance, disability advocacy, being autonomous, disability rights

Cripplepunk (also known as c-punk, Crippunk, or Cr*pple Punk, able-bodied people should use these terms to refer to it due to the word "cripple" being a slur) is a movement that focuses on disability pride, exclusively 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

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

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

Cripplepunk is not an aesthetic but rather a political movement, and as such there is no strictly associated style. Crust punk style inspirations are somewhat popular among cripplepunks, and so is the customisation of mobility aids, including adding spikes or chains.

Media

Under construction.

Movies

• Ex Drummer

Resources

External links to help get a better understanding of this movement.

• CripRevolution
• Core principles of Cripple Punk

Blogs

• crpl-pnk (Tyler Trewhella)
• Cripple Culture
• Crippunkx

Gallery

A photo of the handles of a wheelchair, which are covered in silver spikes to prevent non-consensual grabbing/moving of the wheelchair

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

A photo of a customized wheelchair.

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.