Commotion: Britney Spears and Disability Rights

After Britney Spears’ court testimony against her conservatorship was released last week, conversations have been circulating on social media about the disability rights movement. Activists say Spears’ experience is part of a long history of people who, under similar legal circumstances, have lost the right to control their own lives. Others speculate that Spears is not disabled, which removes the link between these issues. Some commenters are critical of the conservatorship on the claim that Spears is not disabled, implying that if she were, the conservatorship might be more appropriate.