Remembering Judith Heumann, Disability Rights Activist
Created by Linda Tripp, collection development librarian
Judy Heumann, an influential and internationally recognized leader in the Disability Rights Independent Living Movement, passed away on March 4. Heumann, who had contracted polio as a child, worked tirelessly for the development and implementation of legislation to end discrimination against all those with disabilities, including Section 504, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Rehabilitation Act, and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. She served in the Clinton and Obama administrations, and was the World Bank’s first adviser on disability and development. Heumann was 75. Learn more about the incredible determination and life of the “mother of disability rights” with these books from the Library’s adult and youth collections:
- “Being Heumann: An Unrepentant Memoir of a Disability Rights Activist” by Judith E. Heumann, with Kristen Joiner
The influential disability rights activist recounts her lifelong battles for education, employment and societal inclusion, in a personal account that includes coverage of her role in advising the Carter administration to help create the Americans with Disabilities Act.
- “Fighting for Yes!: The Story of Disability Rights Activist Judith Heumann” by Maryann Cocca-Leffler
A picture book biography for younger children, celebrating the life and work of disability rights activist and icon Judith Heumann and highlighting one of her landmark achievements–leading the historic 504 Sit-in in 1977.
- “Rolling Warrior: The Incredible, Sometimes Awkward, True Story of a Rebel Girl on Wheels Who Helped Spark a Revolution” by Judith E. Heumann, with Kristen Joiner
One of the most influential disability rights activists in US history tells her story of fighting to belong in this adaptation of Heumann’s memoir for young readers.