Judith Heumann is considered to be the mother of the disability rights movement. She died at age 75, on March 4, 2023.
Judy was a pioneering disability rights advocate whose life reshaped policy and public attitudes in the United States and around the world. As a child in the 1950s, she was denied entry to public school because she used a wheelchair. Her early legal fight to attend school set the tone for a lifetime of activism centered on civil rights, accessibility, and independence.
In 1977, Heumann helped lead the historic 26‑day sit-in at the federal building in San Francisco to demand the signing and implementation of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. This action secured the first federal civil rights protections for people with disabilities, banning discrimination by entities receiving federal funds. She also co-founded Disabled In Action in New York, mobilizing direct-action campaigns, and worked with the Center for Independent Living in Berkeley to advance the independent living movement, which reframed disability policy around autonomy and community support rather than institutionalization.
Heumann’s activism and coalition building were central to the momentum that led to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990, establishing sweeping protections across employment, public services, and public accommodations. She later served in key U.S. federal roles, including Assistant Secretary for the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services at the Department of Education (1993–2001), and Special Advisor for International Disability Rights at the State Department (2010–2017), where she expanded disability inclusion in domestic and foreign policy.
Globally, Heumann helped shape and promote the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and worked with institutions like the World Bank and international NGOs to integrate disability into development programs. She was instrumental in expanding accessibility across education, transportation, and public infrastructure, promoting assistive technology and accommodations in schools and workplaces, and advancing early standards such as curb cuts and accessible transit.
A powerful public voice, Heumann co-founded the World Institute on Disability, authored the memoir “Being Heumann” and the young readers’ adaptation “Rolling Warrior,” and was a central figure in the Oscar-nominated documentary “Crip Camp,” which brought disability rights history to a wide audience. Widely honored for her leadership, she mentored generations of advocates and policymakers.
Heumann’s lasting impact includes securing foundational legal protections, building institutions that center independent living, and shaping global norms through the CRPD. Her blend of direct action, coalition building, and policy work established a template for disability rights advocacy that continues to drive change in the U.S. and worldwide.