Crip Coffee Break: Crochet 101

DCC’s Crip Coffee Break is a chill and comfy space to meet people and take a break. Come as you are! We’ll put a pot of coffee on and we have snacks as well as tea/hot chocolate. Different meetings have different ways for us to hang out together– but we’ll let the conversation be guided by what’s going on in our lives or what’s on our minds. This is an intentional space for people with disabilities (and people thinking through their relationship to disability identity) to build community. More details in the audience note!

Wednesdays @ 3pm

• Mar 5: Conversation Hour: Coping & Hoping in the Current Moment
• Mar 12: Paint & Sip: Tea Party Edition
• Mar 19: Crochet 101

Audience note: Crip Coffee Break is an intentional space for people who are disabled or who are exploring their own relationship to disability identity. We define disability and disability experience broadly to include any kind of body or mind that doesn’t fit into cultural norms about what a bodymind should be and do. This can include physical disabilities, sensory disabilities, psychological disabilities and/or mental health conditions, traumatic brain injury, chronic illness, chronic pain; it can include Crohn’s, dyslexia, neurodivergence, madness, et cetera. And we welcome those in our community who think they may have a disability but aren’t sure. Whether you have an official diagnosis or not, this space is yours.

We ask that nondisabled folks respect that this is an intentional space for disabled people to build community with one another.

Wondering about the word “crip”? Crip is a reclaiming of the insult “cripple,” and as Carrie Sandahl explains, it “has expanded to include not only those with physical impairments, but those with sensory or mental impairments as well” (27). It is, to quote Eli Clare, a “cousin” to the term queer: “words to shock, words to infuse with pride and self-love, words to resist internalized hatred, words to help forge a politics” (Exile & Pride, 84). We’re using “crip” here as an invitation to community, one that’s built around questioning ableist norms, sharing our lived experiences, and cross-disability solidarity.

Covid safety: UIC does not require masking, but we are still masking in our spaces as an accessibility measure for chronically ill / immunocompromised folks and those living interdependently with them. Please wear a mask!* We’ll have extras on hand. People may be sipping/eating and then replacing their masks. Zoom is another Covid-cautious option.

Access Information: Some of these gatherings will have CART captions, but not all. Please reach out to the DCC to learn more. The DCC is located on the 2nd floor, which is accessible by elevator. CART will be provided. We use fragrance free products in the DCC, but UIC is not a fragrance-free campus. To maintain a low-fragrance environment, please refrain from wearing scents to DCC events. Let us know about any other access requests at dcc@uic.edu or 312-355-7050.

*If masking conflicts with your access needs, please get in touch. We can work something out!