Judith Heumann facts for kids

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Quick facts for kids Judy Heumann
Heumann in 2014

Special Advisor for International Disability Rights
In office June 7, 2010 – January 20, 2017
President	Barack Obama
Preceded by	Position established
Succeeded by	Sara Minkara (2021)
Assistant Secretary of Education for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services
In office June 1993 – January 20, 2001
President	Bill Clinton
Preceded by	Robert Davila
Succeeded by	Robert Pasternack

Personal details
Born	(1947-12-18)December 18, 1947 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died	March 4, 2023(2023-03-04) (aged 75) Washington, D.C., U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Jorge Pineda (m. 1992)
Education	Long Island University (BS) University of California, Berkeley (MPH)

Judith Ellen Heumann (born December 18, 1947 – died March 4, 2023) was a brave American leader. She fought for the rights of people with disabilities. Many called her the "Mother of the Disability Rights Movement." She worked hard to make sure everyone, no matter their abilities, had fair chances. Her efforts helped create important laws and policies. These changes made life better for children and adults with disabilities around the world. She helped bring disability rights into global discussions.

Early Life and Education

Growing Up and Early Challenges

Judy Heumann was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Her parents, Werner and Ilse, came from Germany. They were Jewish immigrants. Judy was the oldest of three children. She grew up in Brooklyn, New York. Her family had faced great hardship. Many of her relatives died in the Holocaust.

When Judy was 18 months old, she got polio. This illness meant she used a wheelchair for most of her life. Judy believed that being disabled was not a tragedy. She said it only became a problem when society didn't provide what people needed. Things like job opportunities or buildings without stairs.

Fighting for Education

Judy and her parents had to fight for her to go to school. The local public school first said she couldn't attend. They worried she would be a fire hazard because she used a wheelchair. For three years, she learned at home for only an hour, twice a week.

Judy's mother, Ilsa, was also an activist. She challenged the school's decision. Because of her mother's efforts, Judy could attend a special school. This was for disabled children, starting in fourth grade. When it was time for high school, the city wanted her to learn at home again. Judy's mother and other parents protested. They put enough pressure on the school to change the rule. Judy started high school in 1961.

Camp Jened and Finding Community

Every summer, from age 9 to 18, Judy went to Camp Jened. This was a special camp for children with disabilities in Hunter, New York. At camp, she realized she wasn't alone. She shared joys, anger, and frustrations with other campers. They all faced similar challenges. At Camp Jened, Judy met future disability rights activists. The documentary Crip Camp (from 2020) shows the campers, including Judy.

Judy went to Long Island University. She graduated in 1969. Later, she earned a Master's degree in public health. This was from the University of California, Berkeley in 1975. While at Long Island University, Judy started her activism. She organized protests with other students. They demanded ramps for classrooms. They also wanted the right to live in dorms.

A Teacher's Fight for Fairness

In 1970, Judy was denied a teaching license in New York. The school board thought she couldn't get herself or her students out during a fire. She sued the Board of Education for discrimination. A newspaper headline read: "You Can Be President, Not Teacher, with Polio."

The case was settled without a full trial. Judy then became the first teacher in New York City to use a wheelchair. She taught elementary school for three years.

Policy Work and Advocacy

Starting Disabled in Action

Judy received many letters from disabled people. They heard about her lawsuit. Many shared their own stories of unfair treatment. In 1970, Judy and her friends started Disabled in Action (DIA). This group worked to protect people with disabilities. They used protests to push for civil rights laws.

Early versions of a law called the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 were not approved. President Richard Nixon vetoed them in 1972 and 1973. In response, DIA held a sit-in protest in New York City in 1972. Judy led 80 activists. They sat on Madison Avenue, stopping traffic.

Leading the Independent Living Movement

Ed Roberts invited Judy to California. She worked for the Center for Independent Living from 1975 to 1982. She was a key supporter of the independent living movement. This movement helps disabled people live independently. Judy helped put federal laws into action. These laws supported programs for special education and rehabilitation. They helped millions of disabled youth and adults.

Shaping Important Laws

In 1974, Judy worked for the U.S. Senate. She helped create a law. This law later became the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. This act ensures that children with disabilities get a free and appropriate public education.

The Historic 504 Sit-in

In 1977, a government official refused to sign important rules. These rules were for Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. This was the first U.S. federal civil rights protection for disabled people. To make the official sign, protesters began a sit-in.

The official tried to force them out. He ordered that no food or medicine be allowed inside the building. But other groups helped. The Delancey Street Foundation and The Salvation Army brought food. A protester named Kitty Cone found a way to keep medicine cool. The Black Panther Party also helped. They brought hot meals and snacks to the protesters.

On April 5, 1977, protests happened in ten U.S. cities. The main protest was the 504 Sit-in in San Francisco. Judy Heumann and Kitty Cone led this sit-in. About 125 to 150 people refused to leave. It lasted 28 days, until May 4, 1977. This was the longest sit-in at a federal building. The official finally signed the rules on April 28, 1977.

Founding the World Institute on Disability

Heumann at a conference in 1981

Heumann co-founded the World Institute on Disability with Ed Roberts and Joan Leon in 1983. She served as co-director until 1993. This organization worked globally for disability rights.

Working in Government

Judy held important roles in government. She was the first Director for the Department on Disability Services in Washington, D.C. She also served in the Clinton Administration. From 1993 to 2001, she was Assistant Secretary of Education. She focused on special education and rehabilitation services.

Global Impact with the World Bank

From 2002 to 2006, Judy was the first Advisor on Disability and Development for the World Bank Group. She helped the World Bank include disability rights in its global work. She worked with governments and groups to improve policies. These policies helped disabled people worldwide live and work in their communities.

Special Advisor for International Disability Rights

Judy Heumann and Barbara Ransom at a disability law event in 2019.

In 2010, President Barack Obama appointed Judy. She became the Special Advisor on International Disability Rights for the U.S. State Department. She was the first person to have this job. She served from 2010 to 2017. During this time, she tried to get the U.S. Senate to approve a treaty. This was the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. It was based on the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

Her role at the State Department ended in 2017. The new administration later removed this special advisor position. However, the Biden administration brought it back.

Work at the Ford Foundation

From September 2017 to April 2019, Judy was a Senior Fellow at the Ford Foundation. She worked to include disability issues in the foundation's projects. She also promoted including disability in charity work. Judy co-wrote a paper called "Roadmap for Inclusion." It talked about the lack of disabled people in media. It also discussed stereotypes. The paper called for more disabled representation in movies and TV.

Author and Podcaster

Judy's book, Being Heumann: An Unrepentant Memoir of a Disability Rights Activist, was published in 2020. In March 2021, she started a podcast. It was called The Heumann Perspective. On it, she talked with disabled leaders and their supporters.

Personal Life

Judy Heumann married Jorge Pineda in 1992. They lived in Washington, D.C. She passed away there on March 4, 2023, at the age of 75.

Featured in Media

Judy Heumann was featured in many documentaries and media projects:

The 2008 documentary The Power of 504 showed her prominently.
She appeared in the 2011 documentary Lives Worth Living.
Judy gave a TEDTalk in 2017.
Comedy Central made a 2018 episode of Drunk History about the 504 Sit-in. Actress Ali Stroker played Judy.
She discussed disability representation in media on Bloomberg in 2019.
Judy was interviewed by Trevor Noah on The Daily Show in 2020.
She is featured in the 2020 documentary Crip Camp.
A biographical film, Being Heumann, began filming in 2025.

Awards and Recognition

Judy Heumann received many awards for her important work:

2022: Humanitarian Pioneer Award from the Women's Entrepreneurship Day Organization. She was honored at the United Nations.
2022: Named one of the BBC 100 Women.
2020: Time magazine named her their 1977 Woman of the Year (in a retrospective).
2020: Henry Viscardi Achievement Awards.
2020: Critics' Choice Documentary Award for being a "Most Compelling Living Subject" in Crip Camp.
2019: The Lurie Institute for Disability Policy gave her an award for her leadership in civil rights.
2018: Women's Caucus Award from the National Council on Independent Living.
2018: Society for Disability Studies President's Award. They recognized her five decades of activism. They noted her work changed lives globally. They highlighted her belief: "nothing about us without us."
2017: Dole-Harkin Award from the U.S. International Council on Disabilities.
2017: InterAction Disability Inclusion Award for her impact on disability inclusion worldwide.
2014: The Berkeley Rotary Club gave her and Ed Roberts the Rotary Peace Grove Award.
She received the Max Starkloff Lifetime Achievement Award. This was for her dedication to the Independent Living and Disability Rights Movements.
She also received the Champion of Disability Rights Award. This was for her lifelong commitment to human and civil rights.
Judy was the first person to receive the Henry B. Betts Award.
She was awarded seven honorary doctorates. These included degrees from Brooklyn College and New York University.