Heumann and Disability Rights

Kenccid highlights Judith Heumann for Women's History Month
Kenccid highlights Judith Heumann for Women's History Month

On March 3, 2023, the world was shaken with the news of the passing of Judy Heumann, renowned Disability Rights Advocate.

It’s been a full year since her passing. 

Her legacy has already outlived her. 

For Women’s History Month this year, we want to highlight the wins she secured for individuals with disabilities. Her wins were hard fought. Many of them we take for granted today. But had it not been for her unwavering spirit, many of these wins would not have been possible. But first, let’s take a step back and learn a bit more about Judy.

Widely regarded as the Mother of the Disability Rights Movement, Judy’s life and the obstacles she faced as an infant would propel her to the center stage of the fight for rights for persons with disabilities.

Born in 1947, Judy contracted polio at just 18 months old, spending three months in an iron lung. Although she beat the disease, she would need the support of a wheelchair for mobility the rest of her life. 

She struggled to attend school as a child, being forced to take classes with other students with disabilities in the basement. One principal even went as far as calling her a “fire hazard”. 

Undeterred, Judy went on to earn her Bachelor’s Degree in Speech and Theater, as well as a Master’s Degree in Public Health. 

It was when she applied to become a teacher in New York City in 1970, that she first came to prominence. After passing all examinations, she was denied because she could not walk

Judy sued the New York Board of Education. 

And won. 

In 1977, Judy was one of the leaders that organized the historic 504 Sit-In in San Francisco. 

The purpose of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act was to end discrimination against persons with a disability for any program being funded with federal funds. 

Although Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act had been signed into law since 1973, it took the Sit-In in 1977 to put this law into effect. The regulations needed to enforce this law had been neglected, rendering the law effectively useless. 

With the support of the Black Panther Party and the Glide Memorial Church for meals, the sit-in lasted 26 days – the longest on record.  

Judy was also a central figure in the passing of additional legislation including:

  • Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
  • Americans with Disabilities Act
  • UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Judy would go on to serve in high visibility roles in the US government, including Assistant Secretary for the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services in the Department of Education and the first Special Advisor for International Disability Rights at the U.S. Department of State. 

In her white paper, Road Map for Inclusion: Changing the Face of Disability in Media, Judy argued that the same strides that other underrepresented groups had fought for needed to also extend to persons with disabilities. 

Without her laser focus on fighting for the rights for individuals with disabilities that were long overdue, we wouldn’t be here. 

We miss you dearly, Judy.

We will carry on your work. 

KenCCID

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