Self-empowerment resources for parents and kids
A tribute to disability activist Judy Heumann + resources to help your kids along their self-empowerment journeys
Most of us didn’t grow up learning about Judy Heumann because, let’s be honest, disability rights weren’t exactly taught in schools and were mostly omitted from discussions about civil rights. This is not too surprising since many students with disabilities were not welcome in their neighborhood schools — or any public school — or even given access to public places. But everyone should know about Judy because there aren’t many foundational rights for disabled individuals that she didn’t directly influence. The benefit of these rights extends far beyond those they are written to protect.
Judy passed away on March 4, 2023. Reflecting on her legacy invites us to look at a history that makes people uncomfortable. A history that’s easy to dismiss with a “Never again!” without acknowledging that progress — or even the status quo — remains threatened by the next school administrator, budget cut, or election.
The needle is mercifully moving upwards, but as everyone reading this knows, changing culture can be much more challenging than changing the law.
Judy said, “When other people see you as a third-class citizen, the first thing you need is a belief in yourself and the knowledge that you have rights. The next thing you need is a group of friends to fight back with.”
Many incredible tributes are circulating about Judy’s life and legacy. Read them, study them, and digest the fact that the ADA was only passed in 1990! For some of us, the ’90s don’t feel so long ago. Then dive deeper and watch “Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution.” You’ll get a crash course in the rise of the disability rights movement, rooted in archival footage from a camp for disabled kids who grew up to quite literally change the world. But it’s so much more than that. After you’ve watched it, watch it again with your children if you think they’re ready. Because at some point, they might want to understand how far we’ve come — and how much we and they have left to do. I introduced it last weekend to my 13-year-old daughter who has cerebral palsy. We laughed and cheered, I cried, and we talked about disabilities in a way we hadn’t before.
I will fight for an inclusive, accessible world until my last breath. More importantly, I want my daughter to fight for herself in every way possible. Despite what the world may try to tell her, SHE is not the problem. Our kids are NOT the problem.
As Judy said in her memoir, “People had been internalizing the idea that our barriers were our individual problem for so long, it was hard to shift. People had to get out of the habit of thinking ‘I can’t get up the stairs because I can’t walk’ and get used to thinking ‘I can’t get up the steps because they’re not accessible.’”
Whether you want to start a revolution or just get through your day, we see you, and we stand with you. As Judy said, “The only way we were going to change anything was if we became impossible to ignore.” Thank you, Judy. Torch accepted. Let’s do this.
We were incredibly grateful for the opportunity to sit down and chat with Judy in the summer of 2020. Among our many takeaways, one big one is the importance of raising our kids to be strong advocates. We’ve put together some great resources to help you help your kiddos along their self-empowerment journeys, including a list of books, TED Talks, and online resources to get you started — plus Judy’s own work, including her books and TED Talk. For more resources, check out our “Judy Heumann Empowerment Series” with resources for adults and resources for kids. Looking to show your kids or their classmates what the ADA is all about? Check out our video, The ADA: Americans with Disabilities Act (For Kids, By Kids), and share widely.
Go forth and be calmly unstoppable,
Lindsay Crain, Head of Content and Community at Undivided
See the free resource library at www.undivided.io for more information about disability advocacy and resources for parents.
