In Celebration of Judy Heumann

0:00

(upbeat music)

0:01

- [Narrator] We will always remember you, Judy Heumann -

0:04

activist, leader, advocate, Oscar nominee.

0:08

- But I wasn't quite expected

0:09

for how much of a badass you would be.

0:11

(audience cheering)

0:12

- [Narrator] The fight you started in the 1970s

0:14

laid the groundwork for disability rights

0:16

and what became the Americans with Disabilities Act.

0:18

- We as disabled people need to band together,

0:22

speak out against oppression or discrimination

0:25

against anyone and that needs to be the norm.

0:29

- [Narrator] As the mother of the Disability Rights Movement,

0:33

your work cemented that we are not the problem.

0:38

We are the people who must drive change.

0:42

We will continue that fight for justice.

0:46

- [Narrator] Quoting activist Lillie Lainoff,

0:48

your memory "is a blessing,

0:50

it is a call to action,

0:52

it is a part of the why behind so much of our success."

0:55

Thank you, Judy Heumann.

0:00

(soft music)

0:01

- [Narrator 1] To tell the story of Judy Heumann's life

0:03

is to tell the story of saying no

0:05

to injustice and advocating for yourself and your community.

0:10

- [Judith] I've spent my entire life

0:11

fighting for disability rights,

0:14

and I can tell you that the challenges that I face,

0:17

are the same challenges that disabled people face

0:19

around the world.

0:21

- [Narrator 2] Judy understood that

0:22

by sharing our experiences in our own way,

0:26

we can both inspire other disabled people to take pride

0:31

in their identity and change the minds

0:34

of those who oppose our existence.

0:37

- I hope that you take away

0:39

from this the importance of telling story, the importance

0:43

seeing yourself as a leader, of bringing community together.

0:47

- [Narrator 1] Continue Judy's legacy

0:48

by sharing your stories

0:50

and listening to the stories of others.

0:52

(inspiring music)

0:00

(funky upbeat music)

0:01

- [Narrator] Judy Heumann once said,

0:03

"I simply refused to accept what I was told

0:07

about who I could be,

0:08

and I was willing to make a fuss about it."

0:12

You can read about that advocacy

0:15

in her memoir, "Being Heumann."

0:17

- The book continues to talk about my experiences

0:21

as I was growing up and some of the barriers

0:25

that I and many other people were facing.

0:28

- [Announcer] You can also learn about Judy

0:30

and the power of community

0:31

in the Oscar-nominated documentary, "Crip Camp."

0:34

- It gives you good information

0:36

about the Disability Rights Movement,

0:38

which many people are not aware of.

0:40

- [Narrator] As Judy shared, "this is my story,

0:43

but I was one in a multitude,

0:45

and I hope I will do justice to the many heroes,

0:48

those who are alive and those who are no longer among us."

0:51

- [Narrator] Thank you, Judy.

0:53

Let's continue her legacy of making a fuss.