The passing of Judy Heumann, disability rights activist

Where would I and the millions of others with disabilities be without Judy Heumann? I shudder to think.

I was not even three when she was part of the  28-day non-violent sit-in at a federal building in San Francisco to get Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 enforced. 504 prohibited discrimination of people with disabilities at any place that got federal money….read more in my previous post.

I had no real clue or idea of what she did until nearly thirty years later when I saw this documentary. I was floored. I knew getting 504 enforced was no small feat, but that short film, made it seem impossible. I was grateful, empowered, and humbled.

Though Judy was by no means alone in her fight for disability rights, she became its voice. The protests became one of the first times people with ALL disabilities came together: cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, polio, mental, learning, etc.– Not just separate entities for one impairment.

It was an act of solidarity–one that carried over to the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990.

Judy went on to serve under Presidents Clinton and Obama, was a major part of Crip Camp on Netflix and wrote her memoir Being Heumann.

I am forever grateful to her.

For details to live stream her memorial service, Wednesday, March 8, 2023, click here.

Until the next.