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Four decades ago, Judith Heumann helped to lead a groundbreaking protest called the Section 504 sit-in — in which disabled-rights activists occupied a federal building for almost a month, demanding greater accessibility for all. In this personal, inspiring talk, Heumann tells the stories behind the protest — and reminds us that, 40 years on, there’s still work left to do.
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Explore Further
- Judith Heumann – disability warrior – Listen to ABC Podcast (52 mins)
Judith Heumann caught polio as a toddler in Brooklyn in 1949. The disease left her paralysed, and her parents were told to put her into an institution. Instead, they fought for Judy to go to school just like every other kid in the neighbourhood. As a teenager, Judy went to summer camp and found a community of other disabled kids with high expectations like her. Together they became a generation of disability rights activists who changed the world. Judy passed away last week, aged 75, from heart complications stemming from her polio. - Disability Justice Links
- Books to Read About Social Change in 2021
Includes book – Being Heumann: An Unrepentant Memoir of a Disability Rights Activist
