Super Heumann

The legacy of the late, great disability activist Judy Heumann

Martin Luther King, Jr. Rosa Parks. Harvey Milk. Susan B. Anthony. Malcolm X. Harriet Tubman. These are pretty much the only civil rights leaders that are taught in American schools. They were all important historical figures, and while their true lives are usually watered down in high school textbooks, their legacies live on. Shamefully, there is one name never mentioned among these greats: Judy Heumann.

Born in 1947 and growing up in New York City, Judy contracted polio at 18-months-old. When she became old enough to go to school, she was denied entry because it was decided that her disability made her a “fire hazard.” Thank goodness they were still cool with asbestos and lead paint. After pushback from her mother, Judy was allowed to attend the fourth grade in person but would have to return to home instruction when she reached high school. NYC’s Board of Education would eventually walk that back, too.

While being the catalyst for many accessibility protests while in college, she attempted to obtain her teaching license. You might want to brace yourself for shocking development that happened next… she was denied. The BoE said that she couldn’t safely get out of a school building in the event of a fire. Remember kids, don’t make things better in the name of safety. Instead, keep everything the same and blame other people for their problems.

Guess what? She sued and won again, becoming New York’s first wheelchair-using teacher.

After teaching for three years, Judy moved to California where she would accomplish what is in my opinion one of the most important and bad-ass achievements in the history of American politics. In 1977, Joseph Califano (douchebag politician) refused to sign Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the very first piece of civil rights legislation that offered protections to disabled people. His refusal to sign this into law sparked protests around the country and led to Judy organizing 150 disabled people to occupy the San Francisco Office of the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare. Begun, the 504 Sit-In, has.

For 28 days, these physically and mentally vulnerable heroes put their bodies and lives on the line. Despite food shortages, power outages, and even a bomb threat, they endured. With help from the Delancey Street Foundation, Salvation Army, and the Black Panther Party, Judy and the others were provided with enough food to keep their mission going. Califano eventually signed Section 504 on April 28, 1977, giving disabled people across the country the massive victory they deserved.

I won’t go into more about Judy’s life, mostly because I can’t do her legacy justice nor can I type that much with one finger. I encourage everyone to read her memoir Being Heumann and watch the documentary Crip Camp. A few years ago, I had the privilege of being interviewed by Judy for her podcast The Heumann Perspective, something I consider to be one of the proudest moments of my career.

Judy Heumann is the definition of a pioneer. Her trailblazing push for equality paved the way for millions of disabled people to be treated with dignity and be granted the same rights as those without disabilities. She is the reason why I went to public school in an inclusive setting and why I am able to be a substitute teacher today. Her level of advocacy and activism for justice is something I strive to have even just a fraction of one day. I literally would not be who I am today without her. It’s well past time that her name and life’s works are taught in schools so everyone can understand what it means to fight for a cause. Plus, kids need to know that government sucks and sometimes you have to get radical and take over a federal building to get what is right and fair.

Judy once said "Disability only becomes a tragedy for me when society fails to provide the things we need to lead our lives––job opportunities or barrier-free buildings, for example. It is not a tragedy to me that I'm living in a wheelchair." Damn right.

Judy passed away on March 4. The disabled community, America, and the world lost an icon. Thank you for giving me so many opportunities to have the life that I choose for myself. I’ll see you in another life, Judy.

Solidarity forever.

-Steve