A Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year for Nonfiction
LARGE PRINT EDITION
One of the most influential disability rights activists in US history tells her personal story of fighting for the right to receive an education, have a job, and just be human.
A story of fighting to belong in a world that wasn’t built for all of us and of one woman’s activism—from the streets of Brooklyn and San Francisco to inside the halls of Washington—Being Heumann recounts Judy Heumann’s lifelong battle to achieve respect, acceptance, and inclusion in society.
Paralyzed from polio at eighteen months, Judy’s struggle for equality began early in life. From fighting to attend grade school after being described as a “fire hazard” to later winning a lawsuit against the New York City school system for denying her a teacher’s license because of her paralysis, Judy’s actions set a precedent that fundamentally improved rights for disabled people.
As a young woman, Judy rolled her wheelchair through the doors of the US Department of Health, Education, and Welfare in San Francisco as a leader of the Section 504 Sit-In, the longest takeover of a governmental building in US history. Working with a community of over 150 disabled activists and allies, Judy successfully pressured the Carter administration to implement protections for disabled peoples’ rights, sparking a national movement and leading to the creation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Candid, intimate, and irreverent, Judy Heumann’s memoir about resistance to exclusion invites readers to imagine and make real a world in which we all belong.
“Thoughtful and illuminating, this inspiring story is a must-read for activists and civil rights supporters.”
—Publishers Weekly, Starred Review
“A driving force in the passage of the Americans With Disabilities Act looks back on a long career of activism . . . A welcome account of politics in action, and for the best of causes.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Consider this book an inspiring call for inclusiveness, courage, equity, and justice as well as a reminder of people’s power to change the world for the better.”
—Booklist
“Heumann’s personality shines throughout. Her voice is witty, persistent, and at times irreverent as she immerses readers in her story.”
—Library Journal
“Reading this memoir is like sitting down with a good friend and talking for hours, as self-described extrovert Heumann tells powerful and engaging stories from the frontlines of the disability civil rights movement.”
—Health Affairs
“A moving chronicle of social change, Being Heumann will restore your hope in our democracy and the power of our shared humanity.“
—Darren Walker, president, Ford Foundation
“Judy’s advocacy for disability rights began as a fight for her own future and then, as a leader of the movement, spanned the nation and the globe. As secretary of state, I relied on Judy’s insights, knowledge, sass, and wit to elevate advocacy for disability rights in our diplomacy. This important book will help ensure that every person gets a chance to live up to their full potential and will always have a place at the table.”
—Hillary Clinton
“It’s one of the ironies of American life that the one category into which almost all of us will fit at some time in our lives—people with disabilities—is often the last on the list of included groups in this country. . . . I met Judy Heumann almost four decades ago, and her writing, activist skills, and kindness helped me to see this simple truth. Her life story as an activist will enlighten readers everywhere.”
—Gloria Steinem
“Judy’s vision of a society that embraces all aspects of the human condition and where we face adversity with wisdom is truly transformative. . . . All who read her book will be better for it.”
—Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook, author of Lean In
“Judy’s story has shaken me to the core. For the first time, I see myself in someone else. Her fierce advocacy and work changing the laws around disability rights have undeniably paved the way for me to achieve what I have today. . . . A must-read.”
—Ali Stroker, Tony Award–winning actress
“A marvelous memoir by a disability hero who has paved the way for many of us. Full of fascinating stories from the disability rights movement, this book will guide future leaders as we work toward a barrier-free world.”
—Haben Girma, author of the bestseller Haben: The Deafblind Woman Who Conquered Harvard Law
“Being Heumann changed me. This clear-eyed, gripping book is necessary reading for anyone in a body. Judy Heumann is a true heroine: practical, courageous, and totally badass.”
—Sharon Guskin, author of The Forgetting Time
“Full of stories of triumph, love, and total badassery, Being Heumann is a look into a world and moment in history that very few know or appreciate. You don’t have to have a disability to completely relate to Judy’s story. Haven’t all of us been dismissed by others at some point in our lives? Readers will finish this book with a whole new perspective on people with disabilities and on their own lives too. Judy doesn’t just believe in the power of community and the potential of democracy to deliver equality and justice—she and her many friends and allies set out to prove, against all odds, that it is true. Their epic struggle to achieve civil rights protections for people with disabilities has remade our world, whether we realize it or not. Intimate and engrossing, this book is a profound gift. It should be read and cherished by all, as both an unforgettable portrait of one of our greatest activists and a road map for how to build a more just and inclusive world.”
—Nicole Newnham and Jim LeBrecht, directors of Crip Camp
“For everyone who cares about human rights around the world, Judith Heumann’s moving story and message of belonging is also a powerful call to action. A must read.”
—Yetnebersh Nigussie, disability rights activist
“If you’re searching for an excellent primer on the disability justice movement or a firsthand account of the power of the collective voice, you’ll want to pick up this book!”
—Jey Ehrenhalt, Teaching Tolerance School-Based Programming and Grants Manager
A Note from Judy
Prologue
PART ONE: BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, 1953
CHAPTER 1
The Butterfly
CHAPTER 2
Insubordinate
CHAPTER 3
To Fight or Not to Fight
CHAPTER 4
Fear of Flying
PART TWO: BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA, 1977
CHAPTER 5
Detained
CHAPTER 6
Occupation Army
CHAPTER 7
Soldiers in Combat
CHAPTER 8
The White House
PART THREE: BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA, 1981
CHAPTER 9
The Reckoning
CHAPTER 10
Chingona
CHAPTER 11
Humans
CHAPTER 12
Our Story
Acknowledgments
Notes
- “Because she made a fuss, Judy Heumann made everyone’s life better,” MSNBC/Rachel Maddow, tribute to Judy Heumann
- “Activist and Author Judith Heumann Dies at 75,” Kirkus Reviews, tribute to Judy Heumann and obit
- “Beacon Books Making the Jump from the Page to the Screen,” Beacon Broadside, featured in blog write-up
- “Disability Is a Thread in the Fabric of Life: A Reading Guide for Disability Pride, ” Beacon Broadside, listed in reading roundup
- “A Brief But Spectacular take on the disability rights movement,” PBS NewsHour, “Brief But Spectacular” video essay
- “5 Simple Ways To Make The Workplace Better For Disabled Employees,” Refinery29, book mentioned in piece
- “She’s considered the mother of disability rights — and she’s a ‘badass,’” The Washington Post, feature on author
- “What We’re Reading,” Learning for Justice (formerly Teaching Tolerance), book listed in “What We’re Reading” column in their Spring 2021 issue
- “Being Heumann,” Jewish Standard, article promoting Congregation Beth Sholom event
- “The 25 day sit-in that changed history,” Outlook/BBC World Service Radio, interview
- “The Summer Camp That Inspired The Disability Rights Movement,” On the Media/WNYC, interview
- “The Americans With Disabilities Act At 30,” 1A/National Public Radio, panel discussion hooked to ADA 30th anniversary
- “Disability Pride: The High Expectations of a New Generation,” The New York Times, report
- “30 Years After a Landmark Disability Law, the Fight for Access and Equality Continues,” TIME, feature for 30th anniversary of ADA
- “What the A.D.A. Means to Me,” The New York Times, profile
- “Crip Camp Star Judith Heumann Explains How Summer Camp Led To A Disability Rights Revolution,” St. Louis on the Air/St. Louis Pubic Radio, live phone interview
- “Sunday Show – April 19, 2020,” Morning News/KPFA Radio (Bay Area), live phone interview
- “Judith Heumann | Being Heumann: An Unrepentant Memoir of a Disability Rights Activist,” Free Library of Philadelphia, podcast recording of virtual event on 4/16/2020
- “How We’re Silenced—and the Power of Judy Heumann,” Ms. Magazine, essay
- “The Power of Spaces Built for People with Disabilities,” Literary Hub, excerpt
- “New Works by Writers with Disabilities Hit Publisher Lists,” Publishers Weekly, piece featuring Q&A with Heumann and Joiner
- “How a Free-Spirited Summer Camp for Disabled Teens in the ’70s Changed the World,” People, 4-page print feature in April 13 issue
- “This woman was the first wheelchair rider to become a teacher in New York City,” Good Morning America, online video interview
- “In Crip Camp, a rare spotlight for disability rights,” Washington Post, feature
- “How Judy Heumann Found Her Voice As a Disability Rights Activist at Summer Camp,” Shondaland, story about Crip Camp and author’s work in disability community
- “Episode 167: Judith Heumann Crip Camp (Netflix), Author Being Heumann,” Pop Culture Confidential, podcast interview
- “Why Netflix’s Crip Camp is a landmark for disability representation on screen,” Entertainment Weekly, story on Crip Camp documentary quotes author
- “The Activist Star of Crip Camp Looks Back at a Life on the Barricades,” The New York Times, Q&A
- “1977: Judith Heumann,” TIME, named 1977’s “Woman of the Year” as part of the magazine’s “100 Women of the Year” project
- “Confronting shame—and accepting my disability—with Judy Heumann,” Ford Foundation Blog, Q&A
- “Disability activist will spread her message of inclusion for all at Tucson Festival of Books,” Arizona Daily Star/Tucson.com, write up on book in advance of Tucson Festival of Books
- “Judith Heumann—Defying Obstacles in Being Heumann and Crip Camp,” The Daily Show with Trevor Noah/Comedy Central, interview
- “Reads for the Rest of Us: Feminist Books Coming Out in 2020,” Ms. Magazine, included in upcoming feminist reading roundup
- “Expand the Movement, Fight For Everyone’s Equality,” New Mobility Magazine, Q&A
- “A Talk With Disability Rights Activist Judith Heumann,” Hadassah Magazine, Q&A