A massive figure in U.S. history and the civil rights movement died on March 4th, 2023. However, most Americans do not know her name.
Judy Heumann was born on December 18th, 1947. At the age of two, she contracted polio and began to use a wheelchair. While she was growing up, she was denied access to school because her wheelchair was considered a “fire hazard.” Judy quickly learned that she would have to fiercely advocate for the opportunity to have the same rights that her non-disabled peers were guaranteed.
Once a camper, Judy worked as a counselor at Camp Jened. Camp Jened was a summer camp for disabled people. The Netflix documentary “Crip Camp” focused on Camp Jened and many of the disability rights activists (including Judy) who attended the camp.
Judy went to college and studied to be a teacher. This was an impressive feat, considering that not many disabled students were allowed or able to attend college due to accessibility barriers and the negative mindset of society. Yet again, she was denied working in schools because she was still considered a “fire hazard” due to concerns over being unable to evacuate herself or her students. After she was denied a teaching license, Judy sued the New York Board of Education over this and the board ultimately decided to settle. She became the first teacher in New York to use a wheelchair.
Throughout her life, Judy helped organize many demonstrations. She helped organize the shutdown of Manhattan traffic in protest of President Nixon’s veto of the 1972 Rehabilitation Act. She was hauled off of an airplane for insisting she had a right to her seat. Later, she organized the San Francisco Federal Building sit-in, which lasted for twenty-eight days.
After founding the World Institute on Disability, she served in the Clinton and, later, Obama administrations. She has also worked with the UN to implement international legislation on disability rights. Her efforts were instrumental in the passage of Section 504 and the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Judy Heumann helped create monumental change for disability rights. Having curb cuts on sidewalks, accommodations in school, and protections in the workforce are all due to the efforts of disability rights activists. The courage and fearlessness she displayed throughout her life are admirable. Although many people will never recognize her impact, Judy Heumann helped improve our world and inspired today’s disability rights activists to continue the fight.
If you want to learn more about Judy Heumann, we highly recommend her book Being Heumann: An Unrepentant Memoir of a Disability Rights Activist.
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