1947
Judith "Judy" Heumann was born on December 18th, 1947 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to German-Jewish immigrant parents Ilse and Werner Heumann.
1948
After her family relocated to Brooklyn, NY, Judy contracted polio at 18-months-old. She was in an iron lung for three months and then began using a wheelchair for mobility.
1950s
At the age of 5 when registering for kindergarten, Judy was denied the right to attend school. The school was inaccessible and her parents were told she would be a "fire hazard" due to her wheelchair. Instead, the school district sent a teacher to her house for only two and a half hours a week.
After years of her parents fighting the school district, Judy finally attended school in the fourth grade. She was put in a segregated classroom for disabled students.
1965
Judy graduated high school and went on to study at Long Island University. She majored in Speech and Theater with a minor in Education.
1969
Judy applied for her teaching license and passed her written and oral exams, but was failed on her medical exam because she could not walk. She sued the New York Board of Education and Judge Constance Baker Motley (the first Black female to become a Federal Judge) urged the board to reconsider.
Judy was granted her teaching license making her the first wheelchair-user to become a teacher in the state of New York. She taught 2nd grade for two years.
1973
Founded in 1972 by Ed Roberts, Judy joined the board of the Center for Independent Living in Berkeley, CA in 1973. She was also the deputy director from 1975-1982.
1977
Judy was a leader in the historic 504 Sit-In in San Francisco. The 26-day protest (the longest sit-in at a federal building to date) led to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act being signed into law. Section 504 ensures that no program receiving federal funding can discriminate against a person with a disability.
1983
Judy, along with Joan Leon and Ed Roberts, founded the World Institute on Disability.
1988
On September 27, 1988 Judy testified before a joint House-Senate Hearing on Discrimination on theBasis of Disability in Washington DC. In this testimony, Judy championed the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in order to encourage the US Government to take congressional action to protect the rights of disabled citizens. The ADA was passed into law by President George H.W. Bush on July 26, 1990.
1992
Judy married her husband, Jorge Pineda after meeting at a MIUSA conference the year before in Eugene, Oregon.
1993 to 2001
Judy was appointed by President Clinton to serve as the Assistant Secretary for the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services in the Department of Education. The legislation she helped implement served over 8 million disabled people
1994 to 2022
Judy was awarded several honorary doctorate degrees from universities across the United States including New York University, University of Pittsburgh, Long Island University, University of Illinois, Champaign, University of Toledo, Middlebury College, and Smith College.
2007
Judy was appointed as D.C.âs Director for the Department on Disability Services by Mayor Adrian Fenty. During her time she was a liaison to the Developmental Disability Administration, as well as to the Rehabilitation Services Administration.
2010 to 2017
Judy was appointed by President Obama to be the first Special Advisor on Disability Rights for the U.S. State Department. During her time in the state department, she worked to make disability rights a part of the State Department's agenda and pushed for an international version of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).Â
2017
On September 14 the Ford Foundation officially named Judy Heumann as a senior fellow. The foundation, whose mission is one of advocating for human rights, established her as a fellow for her work of fighting for disability justice in America and across the world.Â
2018
Judy gave a TED Talk discussing the 504 protest and other forms of activism she has done. Judy also talked about how there's still progress to be made concerning the fight for disability justice.
2020
Judy is featured in 2020 award winning, Oscar-nominated documentary film Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution. The film directed by James LeBrecht and Nicole Newnham and produced by the Obama Higher Ground Production Company.Â
2020 to 2021
Being Heumann: An Unrepentant Memoir of a Disability Rights Activist, is a memoir of Judy's life the was written by Judy and co-authored by Kristen Joiner. It was published by Beacon Press. Following its release, the Young Adult version, Rolling Warrior, was published in 2021. Both audiobooks are read by Ali Stroker, the first wheelchair user to preform on Broadway.
2021
The first episode of the Heumann Perspective podcast came out on March 15th, with the last episode coming out March 6, 2024 a year after Judyâs passing. Each episode featured a conversation focusing on various topics and their intersections with disability culture.
2023
Judy passed away on March 4, 2023 at age 75. Her impact has and continues to be lauded by many for the work she did to force conversations and the movement of disability justice into our society. She leaves behind a legacy forever inspiring us to speak out and fight against injustice across the world.
