Judy Heumann was a lifelong advocate for the rights of disabled people. She contracted polio in 1949 in Brooklyn, New York, and began to use a wheelchair for her mobility. She was denied the right to attend school because she was considered a “fire hazard” at the age of five. Later in life, Judy was denied her teaching license after passing her oral and written exams, but being failed on her medical exam. She sued the Board of Education and went on to become the first wheelchair user to become a teacher in the state of New York. She was instrumental in the development and implementation of legislation, such as Section 504, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Rehabilitation Act, and the UN Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities which have been advancing the inclusion of disabled people in the US and around the world and fighting to end discrimination against all those with disabilities. She passed away on March 4, 2023.
