2020 Fordham Distinguished Lecture on Disability
Speaker: Judy Heuman
"The Disability Rights Movement: Where We’ve Been, Where We Are and Where We Need to Go"
The lecture was held on Wednesday, October 14, 2020.
Judy Heumann is 72 years of age, had polio in 1949 in Brooklyn NY, and has out of necessity become an activist. She has played a pivotal role in the development of the Disability Rights Movement with colleagues in the US and around the world. She discussed experiences growing up in a world where there were no laws that made it illegal to discriminate against disabled people and the formation of a cross-disability movement that has grown stronger over the past decades. The growth and empowerment of the Movement has resulted in the passage of critical pieces of legislation such as the IDEA, Section 504, and the ADA. These laws are making dramatic changes in certain aspects of life, but the benefits are not equally felt across the entire disability community. Heumann's discussion not only enables us to look at the past and the current state of affairs but also discusses where the Disability Rights Movement needs to advance. Audience participation is essential.