Frieda Zames facts for kids
Frieda Zames (October 29, 1932 – June 16, 2005) was an American disability rights activist and a mathematics professor. She worked hard to make sure people with disabilities had the same rights and opportunities as everyone else. With her sister, Doris Zames Fleischer, Frieda wrote an important book called The Disability Rights Movement: From Charity to Confrontation. This book tells the history of how people fought for disability rights.
Life and Career
Frieda Zames was born in Brooklyn on October 29, 1932. She passed away in Manhattan on June 16, 2005. When she was a child, she got a sickness called polio. This made her disabled. Because of her disability, she lived in a special institution for many years. The school system often put physically disabled students in less challenging classes. So, Frieda mostly taught herself many things.
Education and Early Work
Frieda went to Brooklyn College and earned her first degree. She was a top student there. Her mother went with her to college every day and helped her carry her books. Frieda then worked as an actuary at MetLife. An actuary is someone who uses math to figure out risks for insurance companies. She later earned a higher degree, a doctorate, in mathematics from New York University. In 1966, Frieda started teaching math at the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) in Newark. She taught many different levels of math classes. She retired in 2000 as an Associate Professor of Mathematics Emeritus.
Fighting for Disability Rights
Frieda's work as an activist began in the 1970s. She joined a group called Disabled in Action. She started using a motorized scooter, which made it easier for her to travel to protests. In one of her first protests, she joined other activists. They surrounded a Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) bus during busy hours. They were protesting because the buses did not have ramps for wheelchairs. This protest was part of a bigger effort. It led to all MTA buses getting wheelchair lifts starting in 1981.
After the Americans with Disabilities Act became law, Frieda joined a successful lawsuit. This lawsuit helped make the famous Empire State Building accessible for people with disabilities. She also worked to make her own school, NJIT, accessible for wheelchairs. Frieda also fought for things like "curb cuts." These are ramps on sidewalks that make it easier for wheelchairs to cross streets. She worked to make restaurants, subways, ferries, public restrooms, and other public buildings accessible too. Frieda used different ways to fight for rights. This included civil disobedience (peaceful protests), lawsuits, and writing to get full participation in public life for disabled people.
Frieda believed in fairness for everyone. Her sister, Doris Zames Fleischer, said that Frieda also supported equality for women, racial minorities, and other groups who faced unfair treatment. Frieda served on the board of several important organizations. These included Disabled in Action, the New York State Independent Living Coalition, the Disabilities Network of NYC, and WBAI, a radio station.
Awards and Honors
Frieda Zames received the George Pólya Award from the Mathematical Association of America in 1978. She won this award for her work describing the Schwarz lantern. This is a special shape that helps show how the area of smooth surfaces cannot be perfectly measured by flat shapes that are very close to the surface. In 2009, a street corner in Manhattan was named Frieda Zames Way in her honor. It is at the corner of First Avenue and East 4th Street.
