Remembering Judy Heumann

Published on 9 March 2023 at 15:12

An icon of disability activism, Judy Heumann was known by many as the "Mother of the Disability Rights Movement." She was influential in the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and in the enforcement of Section 504, both of which were vital to making American society accessible to people with disabilities.

 

Heumann was born December 18, 1947 in Brooklyn, NY to Jewish immigrants from Germany. At only eighteen months old, she contracted polio. As a result, she grew up using a wheelchair for mobility, and faced many barriers to education, employment, and civic engagement. However, she did not point to her disability as a the source of the barriers. Rather, she identified lack of accessibility and discrimination as the primary hurdles to participating in American society. Her experiences at Camp Jened helped formed her knack for community organizing and she and many other former campers grew up to become leaders in the Disability Rights Movement.

 

To remember Judy Heumann, I've pulled together a short list of resources about her and the Disability Rights Movement. The fight for accessibility and acceptance of disabled Americans is far from finished, but Heumann was a giant of the disability community, and we thank her for her service.

Image Description: Four tiny, tea light candles are lit against a black background. The text says, "Remembering Disability Advocate, Judy Heumann, December 18, 1947 - March 4, 2023."

Credit: Made using Canva

About Judy Heumann and the Disability Rights Movement

  • Crip Camp: Available on Netflix, this movie follows the lives of several movers and shakers in the Disability Community, starting in the years at Camp Jened, through the passage of the ADA and to the present. The full title is Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution.
  • Being Heumann: Her memoir was written with Kristen Joiner. The full title is Being Heumann: An Unrepentant Memoir of a Disability Rights Activist.
  • Rolling Warrior: This is the Young Adult version of Judy Heumann's memoir. Also written by Heumann and Joiner, the full title is Rolling Warrior: The Incredible, Sometimes Awkward, True Story of a Rebel Girl on Wheels Who Helped Spark a Revolution.
  • The Heumann Perspective: Judy was the host of this podcast and YouTube channel which celebrates activists in the disability community.
  • A Brief History of the Disability Rights Movement: Assembled by the Anti-Defamation League, this will give you a short history of Disability Rights in America.
  • Disability Rights Timeline: Temple University has put together this timeline of disability rights, which includes some of the bad as well as some of the good.

Sources

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