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Judy Heumann Paper

Dayana M. Gonzalez

Department of Education, University of Nevada, Las Vegas

ESP 701: Introduction to Special Education and Legal Issues

Dr. Monica Brown

8 July 2022
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Judy Heumann Paper

Judy’s reflections on being a young child with a disability in school and socially.

Ms. Heumann’s experience ranged drastically between her social and school life.Before she

reached the age to attend school, Judy felt as though her life was just like everyone else. She

understood that things were different, but did not consider herself to be too different because her

friends always included her in activities. They would put roller skates on her shoes so she could

pretend she was skating, she would turn the rope for those who were jumping rope, and would

always be given the opportunity to participate in other activities and games as well. The

community that she lived in was a world that did not segregate her or change her life negatively.

It was not until she stepped foot outside of her community that she recognized she was different.

She was different because those in communities that were not hers looked at her as if she was

sick. She was different because the New York School Board of Education thought that she was

not capable of attending school with all the other children because “she was a burden”, however,

that was not going to stop her mother from fighting for her to receive an education just like her

siblings and friends. As Perri Meldon wrote in their article “Disability History: The Disability

Rights Movement ''(n.d.), it was the parents who formed groups like NARC–National

Association for Retarted Children, that helped students with disabilities receive an education

similar to those who did not have disabilities. Although Ms. Heumann was eventually able to

attend school at the Health Conservation 21, it was clear to her that the education system was one

of the only things that segregated her and others because of their disabilities. It became clear

when she attended a summer camp that was made especially for children with disabilities. Judy

wrote “At camp we tasted freedom for the first time in our lives.” (Heumann & Joiner, 2021).

She no longer was a burden to her family, her teachers, or friends. In the film Crimp Camp we
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saw that the experiences that people with disabilities experience at these camps made for them

allow them to be themselves rather than continuing to feel like burdens. It is a world where they

are allowed to exist as themselves.

Judy’s reflections on being a teenager with a disability in school and socially

In 1972, the U.S. The District Court for the District of Columbia ruled that the District of

Columbia cannot exclude any children with disabilities from receiving a public education. It was

around this time when Ms. Heumann had the opportunity to attend high school in the public

school system. The experience, unfortunately, was not what she had experienced while she was

at the Health Conservation 21 school. The students at Sheepshead Bay High School saw her to

be different from themselves. Judy states that “[she] felt like all they saw was [her] wheelchair”

(Heumann & Joiner, 2021). However, it was not just the students that made her feel this way. It

was as if the administrators and teachers looked at her differently. At graduation, Judy received a

special award for all her hard work in school, and rather than allowing her to sit up on stage with

all the other students who were receiving awards also, the principal wanted her dad to sit Judy up

in the front row off the stage to make it easier. As we watched the TED Talk given by Torrie

Dunlap, she gave us a perspective on what people without disabilities tend to do. They think that

having someone sit in a different place or going above and beyond, as she did cutting the

bleachers, may make someone feel better. However, as Judy informed us; her principal asking

her to sit up front rather than having her dad lift her onto the stage since there was no ramp, did

not help at all. Instead of helping, it made the situation worse. The spotlight was put on her, just

as it was for the student that Torrie Dunlap cut out the bleachers for. Ms. Heumann’s experiences

in high school were nothing like her experiences when she was in her early years. She went from

feeling a part of her community to completely segregated from those around her.
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Judy’s reflections on her years as an activist with a disability and why these years were

necessary to move the society in our country forward.

Anger and frustration were Judy’s motives for her early years as an activist. She began her work

in politics with anti-war movements, however, it intensified when she was denied the ability to

teach second grade because of her disability. Unfortunately, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 only

covered discrimination of race, color, religion, and national origin; therefore, it did not help her

case when she was denied the ability to teach because she has disabled. Judy was furious that she

was being discriminated against and there was no one and nothing to back her up; however, she

soon realized that that was not the case. She did not think that she would have the support that

she needed, but lawyers began to line up and journalists began to conduct interviews with her.

They wanted to help her fight her case. Judge Baker Motley changed the course of Judy’s civil

rights activism. Her fight during her early years made it extremely possible for changes to be

made. It opened up the door and made her see that there were others who were willing to help

make changes.

Judy’s reflections on her years working in government as an adult with a disability and why

these years were necessary to move education in our country forward.

Judy’s time while working in the government was crucial to help move education for people with

disabilities forward in the country. When the American Public Transit Association did not want

to make schools more accessible or integrate schools because it would cost too much money, she

continued to fight. With this she rallied for 24 days in the San Francisco office of the U.S.

Department of Health, Education, and Welfare with the hope of pressuring the Carter

administration to create protection for people with disabilities. Judy’s focus was not on having
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equal rights or forming groups for equal rights for people with disabilities. Rather, her focus was

on getting equity of access to rights. This is very important. When Judy was moved into the

general education classroom, she was expected to be the exact same because access is what was

wanted; however, Judy came to realize that just simply having access to education was not

enough. It was providing access that actually assisted those with disabilities in the correct

manner needed. It was providing tools necessary.

Judy’s final reflections in the last chapter concerning how the disability rights movement in

our country needs to continue moving forward.

“Do we want to be the people creating the government we believe in, or do we want to be the

people simply accepting whatever comes our way?” (insert citation). Judy speaks on how the

government and our county is constantly changing. Just because there are rights that are fought

for and given, does not mean that they will stay that way. So she says, “what is the [the] vision

for our society?” (insert citation). Movements need to continue to happen in order to see changes

happen in our society. Ms. Heumann believes that as a society it is our job to be leaders that fight

for love, equity, and justice for our world.

My Reflections

It is easy to try and say that we do have rights because they have been fought for before.

However, that is not the case. In this particular moment, I would say that the Civil Rights

Movement for Disabilities is at risk. We are currently under a governing power that seems to

slowly be ripping away rights from individuals that have been fought for over the years. Right

now, people with disabilities still have their rights; but they are rights that we all have to continue

to fight for. We have to ensure that those rights are not taken from them. Do they have equal
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rights to their peers without disabilities, I would say no unfortunately. I still see when a person

without disabilities acts differently towards a person with disabilities versus how they would be

with someone that does not have disabilities. I still see that not all buildings are made to be

wheelchair accessible. We say that “persons with disabilities have the same right as all people”,

but I find that to not be true.

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Resources

Heumann, J., & Joiner, K. (2021). Being Heumann: An unrepentant memoir of a disability

rights activist. Random House Inc.

Meldon, P. (n.d.). Disability History: The Disability Rights Movement (U.S. National Park

Service). National Parks Service. Retrieved July 8, 2022, from

https://www.nps.gov/articles/disabilityhistoryrightsmovement.htm