Judy Heumann: The Mother of the Disability Movement
Judith (Judy) Heumann, an inspiring disability rights activist, has been regarded as the mother of the disability movement for quite some time. She is especially recognized for her leadership in the historic 504 Sit-In, a protest to implement legislation that prevents discrimination against the disabled.
Born in Philadelphia on December 18, 1947, Heumann contracted polio at the age of two in Brooklyn, New York. Polio, short for poliomyelitis, is a virus that causes paralysis. While a polio vaccine has been created, polio used to be one of the most feared diseases in the world due to its contagious nature – it is spread through contaminated food and water – and inability to be cured. Heumann was confined to a wheelchair for the rest of her life. She was denied the right to attend school because she was considered a “fire hazard” at the age of five; the principal physically blocked her and her family from entering the campus on the first day of kindergarten.
Heumann’s parents continuously advocated for her rights as a child, eventually enabling her to attend a special school and public high school. Heumann inherited tenacity and courage from her parents, beginning to advocate for herself and others in the disabled community. Heumann attended Long Island University in Brooklyn, where she organized students to start demanding ramps for access to classrooms. Heumann said, “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.” This intrigued the general population, as Heumann’s notion of disability being celebrated rather than pitied was unheard of at the time. Disability itself is not a tragedy, but discrimination against it is.
Upon graduation, she participated in Camp Jened as both a camper and counselor. Camp Jened was a summer camp for disabled people in the Catskills in New York. Crip Camp, a Netflix documentary, centralizes its focus around this camp, a safe haven for the disabled to come together and feel less alone. At Camp Jened, they can feel like normal kids and be free from the confining chains of society. When reminiscing on her time spent at Camp Jened, Heumann said, “we were dating like you would if you didn’t have a disability, we were swimming, and playing baseball and arts and crafts, but we were also having time to gather our own voices… It was a liberating time; we could be ourselves and it absolutely helped formulate our futures.”
Also in the 1970s, Heumann took her activism to another level. She battled the New York Board of Education (NYBOE) when they refused to give her a teaching license because again, she was considered a fire hazard. Heumann sued and the NYBOE settled; she became the first teacher in the state to use a wheelchair. Heumann additionally took part in a series of demonstrations: shutting down Manhattan traffic to protest Nixon’s veto of the 1972 Rehabilitation Act, getting hauled off an airplane for insisting that she had a right to her seat, and more.
Arguably, Heumann’s most important demonstration was the 504 Sit-In in San Francisco, California. Heumann led disabled people in seizing a building for 28 days to protest for implementing Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. Section 504 prohibited discrimination against people with disabilities in programs and activities receiving federal funding. This included things like libraries, transportation services, and schools. You may recognize the term 504 from 504 plans in schools, which ensure student accommodations.
During the 504 Sit-In, Black Panthers gave the protesters food and the next-door lesbian bar owner brought shampoo for everyone to wash their hair. It was a beautiful display of multiple oppressed groups coming together to fight for civil rights. Seeing people who can’t even stand standing their ground shows that we have no excuse. Secretary Califano ultimately caved and signed Section 504, making the sit-in successful.
While testifying to members of Congress after the 504 Sit-In, Heumann confronted Eugene Eidenberg from the Health, Education, and Welfare Office, saying, “I would appreciate it if you would stop shaking your head in agreement when I don't think you understand what we are talking about.”
Unfortunately, Heumann passed away earlier this year on March 4, 2023 at the age of 75. However, her long-lasting impact will never be forgotten, and her legacy permeates this country to this day. Heumann’s fiery nature sparked fires among disabled people and federal officials across the nation, leading to improved accessibility and opportunities for the 56 million disabled people in the United States and the 1 billion globally. I guess it turns out that Judy Heumann actually was a fire hazard.
