Judy Heumann Legacy

Have you heard the big news? The @AppleTV film adaptation of Judy’s memoir Being Heumann has begun filming! Directed by @sianheder.director , written by Siân and @sitting_pretty , and starring @ruthmadeley as Judy 💜 . . . Image Description: White graphic with Apple TV logo and text “Directed by Siân Heder. Starring Ruth Madeley. New Film: Being Heumann” and a photo of Siân Heder on set.

Judith “Judy” Heumann—widely regarded as “the mother” of the disability rights movement—passed away in Washington, D.C. on the afternoon of March 4, 2023. Judy was at the forefront of major disability rights demonstrations, helped spearhead the passage of disability rights legislation, founded national and international disability advocacy organizations, held senior federal government positions, co-authored her memoir, Being Heumann, and its Young Adult version, Rolling Warrior, and was featured in the Oscar-nominated documentary film, Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution. Read the full press release at judithheumann.com . . . Image Description: A collage of two photos of Judy Heumann. To the left; A black and white photo of Judy Heumann at the 504 protests in the 70s. Judy is a white woman with short brown hair who uses a wheelchair. She is wearing glasses and a jacket with a pin that says “Sign 504 Now” She is passionately speaking at a microphone. To the right; A headshot of Judy Heumann, a white woman with shoulder-length brown hair wearing red glasses, a blue v-neck shirt, and a gold necklace. She is smiling warmly.

This International Day of Persons with Disabilities (#IDPD) join us to celebrate the legacy of Judy Heumann (@theheumannperspective ), who was often called the mother of the #disability rights movement. Learn about her tireless advocacy for the inclusion of disabled people in society at our link in bio. #EveryoneIncluded

@History included Judy Heumann on their list of 250 People Who Shaped America! “Over 250 years, the United States has been shaped by people who influenced how it works—and how it feels to live here. This list of 250 American changemakers goes beyond a roll call of the usual icons to also include the quieter architects of everyday life, figures who transformed our rights, our culture and our expectations of what this country can be. The list is designed to explore and debate: Come for the names you know, stay for the discoveries that may change how you see America.” . . . Image Description: History logo with images of American leaders and text on top “250 People Who Shaped America.” Below is a black and white image of Judy Heumann speaking into a microphone and wearing a Sign 504 pin beside text: “Judith Heumann: Making disability a civil rights issue, she led activists in the longest occupation of a federal building in U.S. history and pushed through the first comprehensive law mandating accessibility and banning discrimination on the basis of disability.”

On April 28, 1977, Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare Joseph Califano signed regulations enforcing Section 504 of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act, requiring accommodations for people with disabilities in all federally-funded institutions. The signed regulations were the result of organizing by disabled activists—and the longest nonviolent occupation of a federal building in U.S. history. 📸: Activist Judy Heumann speaking at a Section 504 rally (HolLynn D'Lil)

On this day in 1977, the 504 Sit-In began. Judy was a key leader in this historic 26-day protest (the longest take-over of a federal building in US history) to demand that Section 504 regulations of the Rehabilitation Act be signed. Learn more about the sit-in, Section 504, and Judy’s contributions through her book Being Heumann (Apple TV+ film adaptation coming soon), the documentary @CripCampFilm , and other resources at judithheumann.com/resources . . . Image Description: Judy Heumann speaking passionately to Joseph Maldonado (Regional Director of HEW) in a room full of protestors with various disabilities

Day 13/ 31 Women’s History Month Judy Heumann (1947–2023) @theheumannperspective Judith Heumann, known to many as Judy Heumann, became one of the most influential leaders of the modern disability rights movement. After contracting polio as a child, she began using a wheelchair. When she later applied to become a teacher in New York, the New York City Board of Education denied her a licence, claiming she could not safely evacuate children in the event of a fire. In 1970 she sued the Board of Education and won, becoming one of the first wheelchair users to teach in the New York public school system. But the fight did not stop there. Heumann went on to help lead the disability rights movement that demanded access to schools, transport, buildings, and employment. She was a central organiser in the historic 504 Sit-In protests of 1977, where disabled activists occupied a federal building in San Francisco for nearly a month until the government agreed to enforce anti-discrimination protections. That movement helped pave the way for major legislation including the Americans with Disabilities Act, which made discrimination against disabled people illegal across much of public life. Judy Heumann spent more than fifty years advocating for disability rights in the United States and around the world. Her work reshaped how societies understand disability as a matter of civil rights, access, and dignity. If you want to learn more about her life and the movement she helped build: • Being Heumann: An Unrepentant Memoir of a Disability Rights Activist by Judy Heumann • Crip Camp (2020 documentary about the disability rights movement) • Her work with the World Bank and U.S. State Department advancing global disability rights Thank you for remembering incredible women with me - Danielle @womenscircleonline #disability #disabledrights #judyheumann #herstory #womensrights

Judy Heumann: teacher, warrior, lover, friend, ancestor. 12/18/47 to 3/4/23. I can’t believe it’s been 3 years since we lost Judy. She’s been a constant presence in my mind, as I’ve been slowly but steadily illustrating her children’s book, The Right To Belong. Here is a sketch from the book, and a few of my favorite photos of her. The book comes out next year, I’ll share more when it’s time. I miss you, Judy. Thank you for seeing me, believing in me, and trusting me with this work. I hope you and Jorge are dancing together on the astral plane. 💜 🤲🏻 🕯️

Remembering my friend and mentor, THE Judy Heumann, on the anniversary of her passing. Forever grateful to have met one of my heroes. I dedicated both our 2023 charting song “Lift Me Up” and my book I IDENTIFY AS BLIND to Judy, and I wrote a ton about her legacy within disability culture and her impact on me personally. She encouraged me to pursue building RAMPD, was there to laugh when I laughed, cry when I cried, took my makeup tips and advice, and always had me on speaker phone when she needed to let someone know she had a “singer friend!” Miss you girl, I know you are up there gabbing away, and playing my song for every body! Y’all, whether you’re reading I IDENTIFY AS BLIND, listening to “Lift Me Up”, or watching Crip Camp, do something in honor of Judy today ❤️ [IMAGES - Lachi and Judy smiling together followed by a blue and pink I IDENTIFY AS BLIND graphic with a quote from the book “Cultures need heroes, and Disability Culture is no different. One of my disabled-girl-realness heroes was Judy Heumann. You know that saying, ‘Never meet your heroes? In Judy’s case, I’m gonna have to disagree.”]

It’s “March Forth”! Get out there this month in honor of trailblazing disability rights advocate (and friend of my great aunt and uncle) Judy Heumann (December 18, 1947–March 4, 2023). 🌸🌷🌺 Times are tough but so are we. All these signs are real signs taken from the @pbs documentary “Change, Not Charity: The Americans with Disabilities Act” directed by @jimlebrecht Visit @theheumannperspective for more info on Judy’s life and work, and how to keep involved. Section 504, which Judy and other advocates fought hard for, is currently under attack in the courts from a coalition of red states. So if you live in Alaska, Florida, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, South Dakota, or Texas, please contact your governor or state AG to tell them to drop the lawsuit in Texas v Kennedy. #disabilityrights #protect504 #judyheumann #section504 #disabilityhistory #marchforth2026 #americanswithdisabilitiesact #ada

Today marks 3 years since Judy’s passing 💜 Every March 4th serves as a reminder to “march forth” in her honor! Artwork by Avital Dayanim, photo by Shuran Huang . . . Image Description: Judy Heumann in her wheelchair smiling. Around the photo is a yellow and pink collage with flowers and leaves.

On the set of Judy’s @appletv movie, BEING HEUMANN. Excited to introduce Judy to the world! 📸 credit: Michael Gibson