December 18 marks the birthday of Judith “Judy” Heumann (1947–2023), a pioneering advocate whose work reshaped disability rights and accessibility around the world.
Often called the “Mother of the Disability Rights Movement,” Heumann devoted her life to advancing inclusion and equality. Her relentless leadership helped millions of people with disabilities gain greater opportunities to learn, work, live, and participate fully in their communities.
Heumann’s activism was rooted in lived experience. After contracting polio at 18 months, she used a wheelchair for mobility and confronted pervasive physical and social barriers. In 1970, when New York City denied her a teaching license because she couldn’t walk, she challenged the decision. She prevailed, becoming the first wheelchair-using teacher in NYC and setting an early precedent for disability rights.
Her organizing didn’t stop there. Heumann co-founded the World Institute on Disability (WID) and played a central role in the historic 504 Sit-In of 1977, which pushed the federal government to finally enforce Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973—one of the first U.S. civil rights laws to prohibit disability discrimination in programs receiving federal funds.
Throughout her career, Heumann held influential roles in the United States and internationally, advancing implementation and awareness of cornerstone laws and frameworks, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), and the U.N. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). She served as Assistant Secretary for the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services in the U.S. Department of Education (1993–2001), Advisor on Disability and Development at the World Bank (2002–2006), and became the first Special Advisor for International Disability Rights at the U.S. Department of State (2010–2017).
Beyond policy, Heumann amplified the stories of the disability community. Her memoir, Being Heumann (and the YA adaptation, Rolling Warrior), and the Oscar-nominated documentary Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution introduced disability history and culture to new generations—fueling public conversations about accessibility, inclusion, and justice.
Judy Heumann’s legacy lives in every ramp installed, every caption displayed, and every policy that affirms equal rights and access. On December 18, we celebrate her life and recommit to building a world where accessibility is recognized not merely as compliance—but as a human right.