Dear friends,
On Saturday, the disability rights movement lost one of its greatest souls. Judy Heumann became an ancestor on March 4, and in doing so, she left us with the great responsibility of honoring her legacy of working tirelessly to ensure that disabled people have the power to shape their own destinies. I had the great privilege of interviewing Judy on Down to the Struts back in 2021.
We chatted for a couple of hours, and within that time, she had introduced me to multiple people over email, given me career advice, and sent me into stitches of laughter with her wicked sense of humor. It was an unforgettable conversation that I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life. I only wish I had known of Judy sooner. I only wish that every child, especially disabled children, learn the history that Judy and her many compatriots made. But sharing that history, holding it close and never forgetting it, is the task for those of us left behind.
For Judy, the work was never finished. I hope that by sharing stories of the disability community, Down to the Struts can amplify and grow the movement that Judy so loved and nurtured through her boundless kindness and generosity. Rest in power, Judy.
I’m reposting the below wonderful remembrance from my friend, Peter Torres Fremlin, in the Disability Debrief. It’s a powerful chronicle of Judy’s vast reach, and a great repository of resources to learn more about her life and work. If you’re not familiar with Judy, please do check out the links that Peter has shared. The Debrief is an incredible repository of disability news and events around the world—I’m an avid reader, and I highly recommend this newsletter to my readers and listeners as well.
In solidarity,
Qudsiya
The below is an excerpt from Disability Debrief, a newsletter and collection of resources by Peter Torres Fremlin:
Our movement is in mourning
Remembering Judy Heumann, and how she changed us.
Dear Debriefers,
Sometimes the news breaks your heart.
Judy Heumann passed away on Saturday, aged 75. She transformed the life chances of disabled people in the US and around the world.
We will mourn her for the rest of our lives.
One, that made a multitude
I only met Judy once. That's all she needed to touch your soul. She showed a respect and belief in me that I struggle to have for myself.
She gave time to so many of us, so generously. The photos I have are exactly like those everyone else has: smiles, laughter, caught in Judy's charisma. These moments are one of the treasures she left us.
Judy connected us. As she insisted, her story is one of community, and it's a community that she did so much to make. “At heart,” she wrote, “I am a networker and a convener.” She opens her autobiography:
“It wasn’t actually an ‘I,’ it was a ‘we.’ For any story of changing the world is always the story of many. Many ideas, many arguments; many discussions; many late-night, punchy, falling-apart-laughing brainstorms; many believers; many friendships; many failures; many times of almost giving up; and many, many, many people. This is my story, yes, but I was one in a multitude.”
Through these connections, Judy made coalitions and led protests that changed the place of disabled people in the United States and beyond. Her fierce vision of equality is reflected in policy and legislation worldwide. She changed what is possible for us and what we can believe in ourselves.
“We made a lot of progress”
The obituary from Joseph Shapiro traces Judy's life, born in 1947 in the US. She was the daughter of Jewish parents who escaped Germany before the Second World War. At five years old, she was, in her wheelchair, turned away from kindergarten because the principle saw her as a “fire hazard”.
Judy was indeed a hazard: a hazard to those she had to fight. She went on to change policy on education, lead the longest occupation of a federal US building, shape landmark disability legislation, and work across the world to promote disability rights.
When I asked her in 2017 if she was happy with the way societies had changed, she told me she was “not satisfied with progress, but we made a lot of progress”. She lamented the missed opportunities, not because of resources, but because people choose not to make a difference. “We're still spending a lot of time trying to convince people”.