By Jennifer Milharcic, IDJ Webinar Coordinator and Jody Courtney, IDJ Communications and Hub Coordinator
Image description: The center is a picture of Judy Heumann. She has on a print shirt with palm leaves in shades of blue. Her collar length hair is light-brown, and she has a big smile. At the top of the picture are the words “In Loving Memory,” and underneath it reads “Judith Heumann 1947-2023.” The background is made up of pinks, purples, and yellows. The words “Disability Justice,” “Advocate,” “Activist,” and “Author” are around the picture.
Indiana Disability Justice grieves the recent death of Judy Heumann. We recognize her decades of disability advocacy which paved the way for the work that we do today.
1970, Judy Heumann filed the first disability lawsuit in federal court because the New York School System would not hire her as a teacher. They said Heumann would be a “fire hazard, ” which was the same argument they gave when she was enrolling in kindergarten. Heumann won the case and became the first New York teacher who used a wheelchair.
In 1977, Heumann helped lead over 100 Disabled advocates and allies in overtaking a federal building in San Francisco for 4 weeks. They would not leave until government officials listened to what they had to say. The US government needed to create regulations to how Public Law 504 was enforced. PL 504 prohibited publicly and federally funded entities from discriminating against people with disabilities. Heumann and the others won the battle.
Heumann helped establish the first independent living center for people with disabilities. These organizations support people with disabilities in their independence.
Heumann had a big role in the passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act, and she later served under the Clinton and Obama administrations.
Heumann also had a passion for empowering disabled people around the world, and her 2020 autobiography “Being Heumann” illustrates this.
Judy Heumann was about disabled people having dignity, respect, accessibility, and directing their own lives.
Indiana Disability Justice upholds and will be carrying on these values. We encourage you to do the same. Visit us at www.indisabilityjustice.com.
We will always remember Judy for helping the disability community get where we are today. May we keep working forward.