Judy Heumann, the renowned disability rights activist who played a key role in securing legislation protecting the rights of disabled people, passed away at the age of 75.
Her death was confirmed by her brother, Rick Heumann, who said that she had been in the hospital for a week with heart issues related to post-polio syndrome.
Heumann contracted polio at the age of two, which left her unable to walk. She spent the rest of her life advocating for disability rights, both for herself and for others.
Heumann’s advocacy work led to the passage of landmark legislation such as the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, and the Rehabilitation Act. She also played a key role in the passage of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Heumann was widely recognized as the “mother of the disability rights movement” for her tireless advocacy work, which included protests and legal action.
Heumann was born in Philadelphia in 1947 and raised in New York City. Her parents, German-Jewish immigrants who escaped before the Holocaust, struggled to secure a place for their daughter in school due to discrimination against children with disabilities.
Heumann graduated from high school and earned a bachelor’s degree from Long Island University and a master’s degree in public health from the University of California, Berkeley.
Heumann’s advocacy work helped change societal expectations for children with disabilities, making it possible for them to be included in mainstream education and pursue higher education. She also helped people with disabilities accept and take pride in their identity, and understand their own power.
Heumann’s life and legacy were celebrated by dignitaries, past presidents, disability rights organizations, and people with disabilities around the world.
»Judy Heumann passes away at the age of 75«
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