Born in Brooklyn in 1947, Judith Heumann was paralyzed after contracting polio as a toddler Denied the right to attend public school because she couldn’t walk, she watched her mother, a community activist, demand inclusion for her daughter, who was eventually allowed to attend a special school and a public high school.
Her mother came to the US from Germany in 1935 while her father came in 1934. Heumann’s grandparents and great-grandparents died in World War II. Her brother Joseph Heumann is a film professor and author. Heumann had polio at the age of 18 months and used a wheelchair most of her life.
What are the themes of being Heumann?
Judith Heumann has devoted her life to fighting for the rights of people with disabilities, herself included. Facing History selected Judith Heumann’s 2021 memoir, Being Heumann, and the young adult version: Rolling Warrior, for an All Community Read. During this webinar, we introduced participants to the themes of identity, inclusion, belonging, and the civic agency found in this powerful memoir.
