Disability-Rights Trailblazer Judith Heumann Dies; She Helped Create ADA
The world-renowned activist and quadriplegic served in both the Clinton and Obama administrations and was a fellow or board member at some of the nation’s leading nonprofits, news media outlets reported. President Joe Biden called her "a rolling warrior for disability rights in America."
The Wall Street Journal:
Judith Heumann, Disability-Rights Activist, Dies At 75
Judith Heumann, a renowned activist who helped secure legislation protecting the rights of people with disabilities, has died. She was 75 years old. Ms. Heumann died Saturday in Washington, D.C., according to a statement from her family. Over decades of activism, Ms. Heumann played a role in developing national disability-rights legislation, including the Americans with Disabilities Act. She was also involved in the passage of the United Nations’ Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. (Otis, 3/5)
The New York Times:
Judy Heumann, Who Led The Fight For Disability Rights, Dies At 75
A quadriplegic since childhood, Ms. Heumann (pronounced human) began her career in activism waging a one-woman battle to be allowed to work as a teacher in New York City when discrimination against disabled people was not widely understood as a problem. She went on to become an official in the Clinton administration, a special adviser in the Obama State Department and a fellow or board member at some of the nation’s leading nonprofits. She was also featured in the Oscar-nominated 2020 documentary “Crip Camp.” (Traub, 3/5)
Heumann mourned as 'trailblazer' and 'fearless champion' —
The Hill:
Biden Remembers Disability Rights Activist Judith Heumann As ‘Rolling Warrior’
President Biden on Sunday remembered disability rights activist Judith Heumann, who passed away on Saturday at 75, as a “trailblazer” and a “rolling warrior.” ... “Judy Heumann was a trailblazer – a rolling warrior – for disability rights in America. After her school principal said she couldn’t enter Kindergarten because she was using a wheelchair, Judy dedicated the rest of her life to fighting for the inherent dignity of people with disabilities,” Biden said in a statement. (Sforza, 3/5)
The Wall Street Journal:
Judith Heumann, Disability-Rights Activist, Dies At 75
Actress and activist Marlee Matlin called Ms. Heumann “a fearless champion” in an online tribute. “Millions of people who have faced barriers owe her a debt of gratitude,” Ms. Matlin, an Oscar-winning actress with hearing loss, posted on Twitter. (Otis, 3/5)
NPR:
Activist Judy Heumann Led A Reimagining Of What It Means To Be Disabled
Judy Heumann was the first person I called when, in 1987, I reported my first story on disability rights. Judy, who contracted polio when she was 18 months old, gave me the quote that perfectly summed up that little-known civil rights movement. "Disability only becomes a tragedy when society fails to provide the things we need to lead our lives — job opportunities or barrier-free buildings, for example," she said. "It is not a tragedy to me that I'm living in a wheelchair." That idea seemed so unexpected and strange that my editors at a newsmagazine decided not to publish my story. It was still a radical claim that disabled people didn't see themselves, or their conditions, as something to be pitied. (Joseph Shapiro, 3/4)
