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Being Heumann
Being Heumann: An Unrepentant Memoir of a Disability Rights Activist | Judith Heumann, Kristen Joiner
51 posts | 19 read | 20 to read
Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Heumann co-founded the World Institute on Disability with Ed Roberts and Joan Leon in 1983, serving as co-director until 1993. Assistant Secretary of the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services at the US Department of Education. served as the World Bank Group's first Advisor on Disability and Development. Director of the Department of Disability Services for the District of Columbia. Special Advisor on Disability Rights for the US State Department.
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review
TieDyeDude
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Pickpick

This was a fairly quick read. It starts with the joys of childhood, then the realization she was "different" and the challenges she has growing up that informed her later activism. The majority of the book detailed the San Francisco Federal Building sit-in. The third act was a rapid fire listing of the rest of her career. ⬇️

TieDyeDude Personal details were limited, which is fine if she wants to be remembered for her work, though she does provide insight into her insecurities and self-doubt, and how she pushed through those obstacles. A nice mix of biography and first-person historical retelling. Also, 🎄😁 4mo
Megabooks I have this on my shelf and need to get to it. My mom is a polio survivor too. Great looking tree!! (edited) 4mo
41 likes2 comments
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MallenNC
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Pickpick

This was our July #SheSaid book and I‘m glad our group spurred me to finally read it. This book really helped me learn about Judy Heumann‘s life and work. It goes into a lot of detail about the sit-in and U.S. Capitol steps protest that she helped lead, and how the ADA and other laws changed expectations for accommodations in this country. I am just young enough to not know much of what things were like before that, so this was eye-opening.

review
Singout
Pickpick

An excellent #SheSaid memoir of a persistent disability rights advocate from the 60s to last year. Neumann lived with polio, was part of a formative youth camp for disabled teens and dedicated her life to collaborating on causes such as the first U.S. federal civil rights protection for people with disabilities, obtained through a nation-wide protest and one-month sit-in in 1977. Passion, diversity, dedication.
#Nonfiction2023 #Imagine

Singout HIGHLY recommended: the award-winning film “Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution“ which tells this story from multiple perspectives, and is available on Netflix and elsewhere. https://cripcamp.com/ 8mo
13 likes1 comment
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Riveted_Reader_Melissa
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Pickpick

Heumann does a great job sharing her personal experiences, challenges, the history of the movement, and her perspective. Like many civil rights movements, so much seems obscured by time, and was new to me now. It‘s won, why teach the history? But as recent history has shown us and Heumann outlines in its final chapter…history is a very slippery slope and things can change without much fanfare if we are not vigilant and don‘t know our history.

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Riveted_Reader_Melissa
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ncsufoxes I can‘t even with Sessions. Him & DeVos couldn‘t explain IDEA or FAPE or any other thing regarding education. My MIL thought I was overreacting when she voted for Trump. I told her that him & his administration see my son as a burden on society not someone who deserves equal rights or an equal education. I can only hope that things don‘t go backwards again in the future. 8mo
Riveted_Reader_Melissa @ncsufoxes I hope so too, I worry for this country of ours. 8mo
24 likes2 comments
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Riveted_Reader_Melissa
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Quote: part 2

#SheSaid

ncsufoxes Gorsch also being appointed to the Supreme Court after his big ruling in Colorado basically denying Autistic children the same rights to a basic education. Definitely made a lot of parents in my group of Autistic parents very nervous about what would happen in the future. We already fight so hard to get schools, doctors, society to understand us & our kids. Last thing we need is more barriers. 8mo
22 likes1 comment
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Riveted_Reader_Melissa
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Quote: part 1

You think you know all the behind the scenes stuff an administration did…and then you learn there was so much more 🫣

#SheSaid

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Riveted_Reader_Melissa
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ncsufoxes Disability rights = civil rights. Until our society & lawmakers see it that way there will continue to be barriers put in the way of disabled people. It‘s up to society to change the rules & norms not up to the disabled person to change who they are. 8mo
20 likes1 comment
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Riveted_Reader_Melissa
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Some of the discussions at the end, about the slippery slope are alarming.

#SheSaid

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Riveted_Reader_Melissa
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Some of these quotes at the end, echo how much the tide is turning on so many long fought for civil rights issues. Disability included.

#SheSaid

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Riveted_Reader_Melissa
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Hello #SheSaid

This one went by fast for me, and was even better when I switched to ebook….something about the narrator was just bothering me 🤷‍♀️ (personal thing, but I felt like she was reading it as a children‘s book at times).

See you in the comments 😉

Riveted_Reader_Melissa I liked that she manages to give us a great view into her personal life and struggles, as well as the movement itself and political hurdles involved, as well as the changing perceptions to get things actually accomplished. 8mo
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MallenNC I was glad to read this and learn more about her life. I had heard of her and knew a little about the sit in and protest on the steps of the Capitol, but this gave me a much better understanding of how much she changed the U.S. 8mo
Riveted_Reader_Melissa Some of the stuff at the end, about trump…still scary stuff, and sone I didn‘t even realize he did. 🤯 (edited) 8mo
Singout This book was excellent: I admit I sometimes drifted after the part where they won the legislation change, but the ongoing persistence and complexity of the issues and perspectives was really powerful. Highly recommended: the documentary Crip Camp, about Camp Jened and the ensuing passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act described in this book. https://cripcamp.com/ 8mo
charl08 Such a good read: she was so passionate and committed to making a difference. 8mo
Riveted_Reader_Melissa @Singout I also added a book she mentioned Becoming Real in 24 Days by HolLynn D‘Lil 8mo
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Riveted_Reader_Melissa
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Hello #SheSaid! How‘s it going this week? Everyone catching up? I know a few of you hadn‘t gotten your copies yet last week.

MallenNC I got my book and caught up with this week‘s section. I thought all the details about the sit in and other protests were so interesting. All of that was before I was born so it‘s hard now to imagine a time when disabled people were treated as something that mattered less than money. I‘m glad to be reading this! 8mo
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Riveted_Reader_Melissa @MallenNC I‘m so glad you are enjoying it. I have a disability…what is often referred to as an invisible disability because you can not see it immediately by looking at me, no huge clues like a wheelchair or cane…. And when I started school it was still the beginning of inclusivity in schools…born in 1973. But even then, there were places that treated as you are here, but in a separate room, with a separate teacher. Luckily it changed over ⤵️ 8mo
Riveted_Reader_Melissa ↪️ for me. I was very lucky to be born just before the change. Because my brain always worked just fine…and no school would have been very very boring for me. So I always considered myself extremely lucky to be born when I was, when things were changing. I‘m not sure if it would have happened when it did without the polio generation before, that put pure physical disabilities in front of more people…because as with all prejudice, getting ↩️ 8mo
Riveted_Reader_Melissa ↪️To know people that are “differented” is usually the way to break through those prejudgments. So without a large spread portion of the population with disability after polio, affecting every type of family, I‘m not sure it would have happened. 🤷‍♀️ 8mo
MallenNC I‘m just a little younger than you. It‘s amazing how expectations of what a school had to provide has changed so much. You may be right that polio was a turning point. 8mo
ncsufoxes My parents both worked at a state school for disabled adults when I was growing up (pretty much an institution). So I was exposed to being around physically disabled people at a young age. On one hand I see the changes in terms of most institutions are in the past (although there is still one in MA). I see how much things have changed in terms of education from when Heumann started. But I also see now the ability to get acceptable services in 8mo
ncsufoxes Education as full of so many leaps & hurdles, especially for kids with mental health or invisible disabilities. There is unfortunately no singular set of rules that everyone follows. Every state, district can have their own interpretation of how special education services can be determined. Which puts such an onus on parents to try to understand & fight. It‘s also become who has the best lawyers can get the better services (at least that was how 8mo
ncsufoxes It was in our old district in CA. Our district spent more on keeping lawyers on retainer than what they did on special education). Anyhow I‘m probably deviating but I‘m so thankful for people like Judy who was brave enough to fight & never stop fighting. It‘s still hard to believe that the ADA is a little over 30 years old. There unfortunately is still a lot of work to do in terms of full inclusion in schools & society. As we move away from 8mo
ncsufoxes Looking at disability from a medical model & we start to break down some of the social constructs surrounding disability hopefully there will be bigger impacts & more changes. 8mo
Riveted_Reader_Melissa @ncsufoxes and isn‘t that sad, paying the lawyers instead of putting the money into the children‘s education. I know they legally need to protect themselves, but still sad that our society is constructed that way. 8mo
Riveted_Reader_Melissa @ncsufoxes I also liked that she framed it as a part of life, we all age and can be benefit from disability rights & protections. That basically it benefits all of society. 8mo
29 likes13 comments
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LitsyEvents
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repost for @Riveted_Reader_Melissa:

Hello #SheSaid! I hope you are all having a great weekend!

I am loving this book so far, the narrator is a bit overly perky at times, but I love the content, story, and message. How are you all doing with this inspirational read.

original post:
https://www.litsy.com/web/post/2611068

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Singout

“The reality is, asking people to do something for you when you‘re not paying them, or they‘re not required to do it, means it‘s a favour. And doing favours for someone gets old. Favours mean that they have to stop what they‘re doing, to help you with what you‘re doing, which always feels like an interruption. At camp I didn‘t have to secretly rank what I needed in order of importance so I wasn‘t asking for too much at once.”

This. Is. My. Life.

Riveted_Reader_Melissa I‘ve related to a lot of this as well. 8mo
5 likes2 comments
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Riveted_Reader_Melissa
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Hello #SheSaid! I hope you are all having a great weekend!

I am loving this book so far, the narrator is a bit overly perky at times, but I love the content, story, and message. How are you all doing with this inspirational read.

MallenNC I was delayed in getting my library hold in so I didn't get the book until this weekend. I am going to catch up so I can comment before next weekend. I am looking forward to learning more about Judy Heumann. 8mo
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Singout Yes, this is fascinating, although I agree with the “perky” element (esp on audiobook): how do the “parts” you name correspond to the chapters? 8mo
Singout Never mind, I found the parts start w chapters 5 and 9. 8mo
Riveted_Reader_Melissa @Singout Sorry about that, I should have added the chapters in each part too 8mo
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ncsufoxes
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July is #disabilitypride month. My career has centered around working with disabled children & families, primarily in early intervention. I also have an Autistic son. I read a lot of disability research/studies/stories. Tagged is my favorite book (July #shesaid read). Judith Heumann was an amazing trailblazer in the disability community & the US. One of my local bookstores, Brookline Booksmith, has complied a great list of books.

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Riveted_Reader_Melissa
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Next up for July #SheSaid!

Put in your library holds and interlibrary loans!

Megabooks I actually own this one, and my mom is a polio survivor too. I will try to join around my CL commitment! 👍🏻👍🏻 9mo
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charl08 A great read. So inspiring. 9mo
TheKidUpstairs My hold came in early and I read the whole thing in two days. 9mo
Julsmarshall I've got this on hold! 9mo
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ncsufoxes
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Judith Heumann sadly passed away suddenly the other day. She was such an amazing & extraordinary woman who did so much for the disability rights movement. She was a trailblazer & will sadly be missed as she had continued to do so much for the disability community.

https://judithheumann.com/

ReadingRachael Thank you for sharing, I read about her passing but was not previously familiar with her. 13mo
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Kshakal
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Today I got to be part of a group that watched this documentary and then had some seriously inspired discussion about the ADA and why we never hear about the trailblazers that made it happen!

review
Kshakal
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Pickpick

I read this book for a diversity book club and boy am I glad I did! It is so poignant and gives the history of the fight for equality for individuals with disabilities… a fight I I still fight everyday for my students!

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Chelseabillups30
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Pickpick

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

My review of this one was long past the character limit that Litsy has, so if you care to, you can check it out on Goodreads here:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3471947772

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Chelseabillups30

Lacking respect for those we don‘t know or understand makes it easy to blame inequality and poverty on individuals—rather than on the system. Once we‘re caught up in blaming each other, how can we possibly create a society that values equality?

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Chelseabillups30

When whole groups of people become segregated from others in society, it weakens the fabric of our democracy. Distance & segregation are breeding grounds for failures of understanding & empathy & ultimately injustice & the denial of others‘ rights. If we allow ourselves slowly to become a country where we are simply unable to imagine ourselves in another‘s shoes, we can‘t understand the complexity of how discrimination occurs and how it feels.

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Chelseabillups30

How we treat disabled people, how we treat minorities, boils down to our fundamental beliefs about humanity. Do we believe that we all have something to contribute, regardless of where we‘re from, how we move or think, the language we speak, the color of our skin, the religion we choose, and the people we love? Do we believe in equality? We need to look inside and think deeply about whether we really believe this to be true.

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Chelseabillups30

If you were to acquire a disability tomorrow it would be a change. But I can tell you this: it wouldn‘t have to be a tragedy. We are all human. Why do we see disability differently from any other aspect of being human?

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Chelseabillups30

How can anyone know what their life would have been?
I can only know that it was meant to be what it is.
I am who I was meant to be.

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Chelseabillups30

Disability is seen as a burden, a tragedy.
But what if it wasn‘t?
What if someone‘s story began with the words: “I never wished I didn‘t have a disability.”

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Chelseabillups30

Disability is a natural aspect of the human condition. As people live longer, as we fight more wars, as medical care continues to improve—more and more people who might have died in an earlier era will live. Perhaps with a disability. We should accept it. Plan for it. Build our society around it.

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Chelseabillups30

The underlying assumption is that people with disabilities have less potential to learn, less ability to contribute, are less capable. That we are less equal. Do we really believe this?

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Chelseabillups30

Change never happens at the pace we think it should. It happens over years of people joining together, strategizing, sharing, and pulling all the levers they possibly can. Gradually, excruciatingly slowly, things start to happen, and then suddenly, seemingly out of the blue, something will tip.

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Chelseabillups30

The truth is, the status quo loves to say no.

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Chelseabillups30

Inevitably, being ignored puts you in the position of having to choose between making a fuss or accepting the silent treatment. If you stand up to the ignorer and get in their face, you break the norms of polite behavior and end up feeling worse, diminished, demeaned.

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Chelseabillups30

When someone ignores you, it‘s an intentional display of power. They‘re essentially acting like you don‘t exist, and they do it because they can. They believe that nothing will happen to them. Ignoring silences people. It intentionally avoids resolution or compromise. It ignites your worst fears of unworthiness because it makes you feel that you deserve to be ignored.

EJG31 At my workplace, someone who is in a very high position of authority operates like this. That passage is so very accurate. For me I took some satisfaction when I called him out on repeatedly ignoring me. Watching him try and come up with excuses and pleading ignorance at least alerted him to the fact that I was aware and was not going to be silent. It's not always that straightforward though. 2y
20 likes1 comment
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Chelseabillups30

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.

review
tenar
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Pickpick

Judith Heumann‘s autobiography is written in plain language, but with those everyday words she and her co-writer tell a damn good story. Heumann helped spearhead the longest sit-in protest in a US federal building, when - in the year of our lord 1977 - the US government was, in their own words, considering creating a “separate but equal” standard for disabled citizens. As a polio survivor used to fighting for her rights, Judy wasn‘t having it.

tenar If you‘d like to learn about the 504 Sit-In, a historic and successful protest for civil rights made possible by cooperation among disability activists, a rogue journalist, churches, a machinist‘s union, and the Black Panthers, this book is a great way to hear the story from the inside. Another great way is to catch the documentary Crip Camp, featuring Judy, on Netflix! #DisabilityReadathon 2y
charl08 Such a great book! 2y
bookishbitch I watched Crip Camp. It is excellent and I learned so much about the movement. 2y
44 likes1 stack add3 comments
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Kshakal
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I am taking a class this semester and was invited to join a diversity book club… super excited to read this book! 🤓

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Chelseabillups30
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So I have a lot of pending orders I‘m waiting for delivery of right now, but NONE of them are from Amazon for once!! 😂

So to my surprise an Amazon box shows up at my door just now….and panic set in when I realized I got something I didn‘t pay for! 😜🤣🤪

My friends y‘all.
Book mail is the best mail!!
She knows my taste, too.
I don‘t feel good and have a read-a-thon kicking off this weekend.

A perfect surprise gift. And perfect timing!

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jenniferw88
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Day 28 #tbrpile

smalldogs_bigbooks2419 Yes! This is one book I encourage everyone to read. Have you seen the documentary Crip Camp? 3y
AutumnRLS Definitely on my wishlist to get. 3y
NikkiM5 @smalldogs_bigbooks2419 Crip Camp was so good ❤️ 3y
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ncsufoxes
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Today is the 31st anniversary of the passing of the ADA and it‘s also #disabilityawareness month. Some of my favorite books, good beginners of disability history, stories (I have a ton of other books on parenting, activity books, so on). If you are interested in learning more about disability rights, How to Be an Antiracist podcast recently did a great one on Ableism (which of course helped me find more books to read) #Integrateyourbookshelf

ChasingOm Awesome! These are all on my TBR. 😅 3y
15 likes1 comment
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Soubhiville
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#curiouscovers #littenlisten (with a woman on the cover)

Another book on my #audioathon TBR. Someone posted about this last month and I immediately stacked it.

Eggs Perfection 👏🏻📚👍🏼 3y
65 likes1 comment
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ncsufoxes
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April #bookspin, happy to get two #bookspinbingos this month & double spin. Being Heumann and The Great Believers were definitely my favorite books so far this year

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! Love your color combo!!! 3y
5 likes1 comment
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ncsufoxes
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Pickpick

This was such a great book. I‘ve spent my life working with people with disabilities. Now as a mom of a child with invisible disabilities stories like this are so awe inspiring. The author was at the forefront of many of the actions that are in place today. It‘s still so hard to believe that the ADA was only passed in 1990. What‘s even more frustrating is that there are still people trying to dismantle disability rights to this day, the fight cont

ncsufoxes The fight goes on. 3y
TheAromaofBooks Great progress!! 3y
9 likes3 comments
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charl08
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Pickpick

Such a great read!

I learnt a lot about disability activism, and will look for more books in this area (as I also learnt I need to learn a lot more).

Cinfhen Wow!!! You‘re blowing through the books!!!!!🤩 (edited) 3y
charl08 @Cinfhen no, this one's NF. I've been reading it in chunks (and it is a pleasingly succinct memoir rather than one that rabbits on settling old scores. (See autobio of Elvis Costello, which drove me nuts.) 3y
Cinfhen Hahaha/ sounds great 😊 I‘m not a fan of public rants, either ....although I don‘t mind a little juicy gossip 😉 3y
49 likes3 comments
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charl08
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Finished the fabulous Being Heumann.
Takes me to #100 books this year.
Some of the lovely covers.

TheSpineView Wow! That's incredible! I am only at 42. I need to get moving! 💙📖💙📚💙 3y
MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm Y‘all making me look real bad... 😂😅🤣 3y
BarbaraBB So many!! Very impressive 3y
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charl08 @thespineview @MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm @BarbaraBB I usually read about 300 a year. I still bitter that "Eight Lives..." with 900+ pages doesn't count for 3 books!! More seriously, though I like to keep track but hope it doesn't sound like a race - more a record of a good time spent reading. 3y
Cinfhen 🙌🏻❣️💫🥳 3y
erzascarletbookgasm Wow! 🙌👏 3y
MegaWhoppingCosmicBookwyrm Hehe, I was lamenting to my husband how Goodreads counts books with more than one book in them as one book still. I now have to keep my own count to stay accurate. 😅 I don‘t really compare myself to others, as long as I‘m beating my previous years, I‘m pretty happy. ⊂◉‿◉つ A sincere congrats on hitting 100! 🎊❤️ 3y
Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick Amazing! I am at 42 with 3 in progress, and that includes a few children's books and graphic novels. 3y
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charl08
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...the Black Panthers... had pushed their way into the building [where the sit in was being held] with fried chicken and vegetables, walnuts and almonds...

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charl08
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But I was beginning to learn something very important: when institutions don't want to do something, to claim that something is a "safety" issue is an easy argument to fall back on. It sounds so benign and protective. How could caring about safety possibly be wrong or discriminatory? ....

Prairiegirl_reading I really need to read this!!! Thanks for sharing. 3y
charl08 @Prairiegirl_reading I watched "Crip Camp: a disability revolution" recently on Netflix about the campaign for disability rights and she is so inspiring. 3y
Prairiegirl_reading @charl08 yeah it‘s great! She is so inspiring! The disability rights movement is interesting to me. I‘ve had this on my tbr since I first heard about it but haven‘t gotten to it. 😕 3y
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ncsufoxes
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April #bookspinbingo board, I‘ve been averaging 4 books a month with grad school back in full swing (5 weeks till thesis proposal is due). I‘m looking forward to summer break and not reading as many academic papers.

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 3y
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 3y
11 likes2 comments
review
smalldogs_bigbooks2419
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Pickpick

I haven‘t finished this book yet, but the story is near and dear to my heart. As a person who was born with several medical conditions and disabilities, the passing of the Americans With Disabilities Act was a huge deal. Judy Heumann was a pioneer in its formation. Whether you or someone you love has a disability, or not, this is one I absolutely call a must-read. The related documentary Crip Camp is also amazing.

charl08 Just reading this now: wonderful book. 3y
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Kar2b
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Pickpick

2020 is the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the 75th anniversary of National Disability Employment Awareness Month in October. And yet, people with disabilities are still greatly unemployed, underemployed and not included both virtually and in person when things are inaccessible. We can do better; we must do better. To start, everyone should read this book!

charl08 I agree! 3y
10 likes1 comment
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Bethgarvinloflin1
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Pickpick

Amazing book!!!!

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