Tuesday, July 26, 2022 5pm ET | 2pm PT – Judy Heumann in Conversation with PBS Books – Virtual pbsbooks.org
Join trailblazer and disability activist Judy Heumann, who is considered the mother of the disability rights movement, in a conversation about her books Being Heumann and Rolling Warrior. Judy’s bravery, persistence, and signature rebellious streak speaks to every person fighting to belong and fighting for social justice. In this young readers’ edition of her acclaimed memoir, Being Heumann, Judy shares her journey of battling for equal access in an unequal world—from fighting to attend grade school after being described as a “fire hazard” because of her wheelchair, to suing the New York City school system for denying her a teacher’s license because of her disability. Learn about Judy and her work and have an opportunity to hear questions from Girl Scouts and answers from Judy Heumann.
In partnership with Girl Scouts’ Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace and Georgia Public Broadcasting, PBS Books is pleased to focus on Access in July celebrating the 32nd anniversary of the Americans with Disability Act (ADA). The ADA is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in all areas of public life, including jobs, schools, transportation, and all public and private places that are open to the general public. The purpose of the law is to make sure that people with disabilities have the same rights and opportunities as everyone else. This series of programs provides viewer (young and old) with an opportunity to learn more about the ADA, its history, and its impact by speaking with trailblazing authors and disability activists.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Judith (Judy) Heumann is an internationally recognized disability advocate. She served in the Clinton and Obama Administration and was a Senior Fellow at the Ford Foundation. Judy’s story was also featured in the documentary “Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution,” a 2020 American award winning documentary film produced by the Obama Higher Ground Production. In 2020, she published her memoir “Being Heumann: An Unrepentant Memoir of a Disability Rights Activist,” written with Kristen Joiner. There is also a Young Adult version called “Rolling Warrior.” Judy is now the producer of The Heumann Perspective, a podcast and YouTube channel that aims to share the beauty of the disability community.