Judy Heumann, a preeminent and internationally acclaimed activist, died on March 4, 2023, at age 75. Widely regarded as the “mother of the disability rights movement,” Judy, a visionary and tireless activist, committed her life to advancing the rights of people with disabilities in the United States and abroad. As a disabled woman and disability scholar, I have been profoundly impacted by Judy, both personally and professionally. More, she was a friend and mentor whom I was privileged to know
So what would Judy have us to do to honor her iconic legacy? The short answer is that we must continue to march forth and keep fighting until every law, policy, program, organization, and activity not only acknowledges but meaningfully includes disability at every level and in every area of life. For Judy, meaningful inclusion meant much, much more than inserting “persons with disabilities” in a long list of marginalized groups. And by every level, Judy meant every level, from the highest decision-makers to the individuals with whom persons with disabilities interface every day. And every area of life meant not stopping at ensuring that every school is accessible and every teacher trained, but also that persons with disabilities are centered in existential issues, such as climate action. Like the best kind of mindful aunt, she would expect more of all of us.
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Vol. 136 No. 1 Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr. This past summer, Stephen G. Breyer retired from active service after nearly three decades as a member of...
Vol. 133 No. 8 The editors of the Harvard Law Review respectfully dedicate this issue to Professor David L. Shapiro. Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Among members of the...
Vol. 133 No. 3 The editors of the Harvard Law Review respectfully offer this collection of tributes to Justice John Paul Stevens. Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr....
Vol. 132 No. 1 In Tribute: Justice Anthony M. Kennedy The editors of the Harvard Law Review respectfully dedicate this issue to Justice Anthony M. Kennedy. Chief Justice...
Vol. 131 No. 8 Editors' Note: Since publication of this In Memoriam, the editors of the Harvard Law Review have published additional pieces — unassociated with this In...