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.
Where is Judy Heumann now?
Judith Heumann has devoted her life to fighting for the rights of people with disabilities, herself included. Heumann died in Washington D.C. on March 4, 2023, at the age of 75.
The American Association of People with Disabilities said on Twitter: “We are deeply saddened by the passing of Judy Heumann, known by many as a mentor, friend, and “the mother” of the disability rights movement.”
