Maryann Cocca-Leffler

This was a great biography of Judith human. Judith was the main drive-in getting disability laws passed that made sure that people with any type of disability have the same freedoms as those with no disabilities. It would ensure that anyone or any entity, who receives money from the federal government, must make things ADA or handicapped accessible. This is a fantastic biography because it points out all the time Judith was told no. It had nothing to do with Judith as a person but more with her special accessories. I think this book will help kids understand that you can still be different and be fantastic. Differences are a good thing not a bad thing.… (más)

This is an engaging and fascinating picture book biography about Judith Heumann, one of the activists who worked for Section 504's ratification. It begins with her childhood experiences as a wheelchair user who was barred access from nearly every experience the other neighborhood children were able to have--including going to school. The discrimination she faced from public and religious officials was eye-opening. She was even denied a teaching license after completing the certification program due solely to her use of a wheelchair. While this is a long read, it portrays the need for ADA accessibility in a personal and empathetic way, as well as covering the long battle for section 504 and the way different communities came together for protest and support. I will be adding this to my Civil Rights legislation unit for fifth graders.… (más)

Judith “Judy” Heumann was born on December 18, 1947 and was struck by polio at age 18 months. As an adult she was widely regarded as “the mother” of the disability rights movement.

Judy used a wheelchair for most of her life. She had to fight for the right to go to school. When she attempted to enter kindergarten, the principal blocked her family from entering the school, labeling her a “fire hazard.” During her childhood, there were no ramps anywhere, but plenty of stairs, and so she was stuck at home most of the time. There was only one place she felt included: Camp Oakhurst, a summer camp for kids with disabilities, which had ramps and trails and was totally wheelchair-friendly. The author writes:

“Judy dreamed that someday the world world would be like camp, a world that included them.”

At age 14, Judy started going to a school that was wheelchair-accessible; it took her an hour and a half each day to get there, but “for the first time, she had real exams and real grades.”

She went on to college to study to become a teacher. [After graduation, at first the New York Board of Education refused to give Judy a teaching license because they feared she could not help evacuate students or herself in case of fire. She sued and went on to become the first teacher in the state to use a wheelchair.]

She formed a group with other disabled students to talk about the barriers they faced and to come up with ideas to change that:

“Judy and her friends knew that disability rights were civil rights, and they wanted to work to help make changes. She joined student government and became active in politics.”

She helped create “Disabled in Action,” an organization to fight for the rights of all people with disabilities. She worked to help pass Section 504 of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act, which forbade organizations and employers from excluding or denying individuals with disabilities an equal opportunity to receive program benefits and services. The law meant that buildings would have to be wheelchair accessible, streets would have sidewalk ramps, and buses would have lifts.

There was a great deal of resistance to the law, as it would eat into profits of companies by costing them money to make life more accommodating for the disabled. It was not signed into law until April 28, 1977. The story ends with the signing of that bill.

Back matter includes a message from Judith Heumann, an Author’s Note about Judith’s life and about the history of disability rights, and selected sources on both. In Judy’s note, she explains that there are many different kinds of disabled people, such as the blind, the deaf, and the immunocompromised, who still experience discrimination and have to fight every day for their rights. She implores people to help change the world and make it better for everyone.

The author, in her note, writes more about the protest for the passage of Section 504, in which Judy participated. Activists including Judy staged a sit-in at the offices of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare until the bill was signed; it was the longest nonviolent occupation of a federal building in US history. Section 504 formed the basis for the expanded consideration for disabilities of the American Disabilities Act, signed into law on July 26, 1990. In addition, Judy helped found the Berkley Center for Independent Living, the Independent Living Movement, and the World Institute on Disability.

Cartoon-like illustrations by Vivien Mildenberger in muted colors capture the panoply of activists for the disabled and the range of emotions they experienced during their fight for the first disability rights legislation.

Evaluation: It is important for kids of all kinds to be able to walk in the shoes of those who have less than they do for whatever reason, whether "less" means less food, less safety, or less rights. Kids can be encouraged to think about how they would feel with unequal opportunities and what they can do to help those who still don't have them.

Note: Judy Heumann died on March 4, 2023. You can read an obituary which also contains a summary of her life and major achievements, here.… (más)