A sad day for the disability community, RIP Judy Heumann

Cher_Alumni

It's a sad day for the disability community today as it has been announced Judy Heumann, the "mother of disability rights", sadly died yesterday at the age of 75 years old.

The BBC reports on Heumann's early years:

Born in 1947 in Philadelphia and raised in Brooklyn, New York, she contracted polio when she was two years old and lost the ability to walk.

She was not allowed to attend pre-school, because her wheelchair was considered a "fire-hazard", and when she eventually got into a school at age nine, she recounted being treated as a "second-class citizen".

Her parents fought for her rights as a child, and she went on to study speech therapy at Long Island University and earned a masters in public health from the University of California, Berkeley.

In the 1970s, she won a lawsuit against the New York Board of Education and became the first teacher in the state to use a wheelchair.

A key figure in bringing about the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990, Heumann's legacy will live on beyond her years, paving a more equitable way for disabled people across the globe. 

For those more interested in learning about Heumann, you can watch her in action in the Oscar-nominated documentary, Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution.

Feel free to leave any thoughts in the comments below   

Sandy_123

Oh wow what a lady rip

durhamjaide2001

That's really sad to hear thank you m for letting us know about it. I'm sorry for everyone who's affected by this. My thoughts and prayers are with all her family who have lost this lovely lady. 

Cher_Alumni

I agree, she was a trailblazer whose loss will be widely felt 

SueHeath

Amaizing to hear about what Judy achieved in her life and how good to have her parents fight for her rights, 
wouldn't life be horrid without all the people like Judy. RIP and Blessing to her family x

Strawberry1

RIP 🙏 JUDY . 

Grinchy

An inspiring lady, may she rest in peace

Lisa82

Cher_Scope said:

It's a sad day for the disability community today as it has been announced Judy Heumann, the "mother of disability rights", sadly died yesterday at the age of 75 years old.

The BBC reports on Heumann's early years:

Born in 1947 in Philadelphia and raised in Brooklyn, New York, she contracted polio when she was two years old and lost the ability to walk.

She was not allowed to attend pre-school, because her wheelchair was considered a "fire-hazard", and when she eventually got into a school at age nine, she recounted being treated as a "second-class citizen".

Her parents fought for her rights as a child, and she went on to study speech therapy at Long Island University and earned a masters in public health from the University of California, Berkeley.

In the 1970s, she won a lawsuit against the New York Board of Education and became the first teacher in the state to use a wheelchair.

A key figure in bringing about the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990, Heumann's legacy will live on beyond her years, paving a more equitable way for disabled people across the globe. 

For those more interested in learning about Heumann, you can watch her in action in the Oscar-nominated documentary, Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution.

Feel free to leave any thoughts in the comments below   

Sorry for the loss of this amazing lady. My thoughts go out to her family and friends. Thank you for sharing this sad news with us, Cher.