Being Heumann

4.5/5 stars

I first heard about Judy Heumann in the eye-opening Netflix documentary “Crip Camp,” which portrayed a 1970s camp for teens with disabilities that created such camaraderie and x that several of its attendees became pioneers in the early disabilities right movement. Heumann was easily the star of the movie, and I'm glad to find her new autobiography. Written in straightforward no-frills language, she modestly tells the story of her involvement in protests and sit-ins that advocated for the passage of landmark legislation that ensured that people with disabilities had equal access to education, transportation, employment, etc. I'm in my mid 50's and I didn't realize that the Americans with Disabilities Act was only enacted 30 years ago. It's still shocking to me that Judy, a polio victim born in the 1950s to Holocaust survivors, wasn't allowed to attend school and was expected to be institutionalized, or at best languish in a sheltered workshop.

Covers much of the same ground as “Crip Camp” but with more specific details about Heumann's childhood, and extends the story into Heumann's position in the Obama government as well as a bleak postscript about the progress that is already being reversed in the Trump administration. I don't want to use the word “inspiring” because I don't want to be patronizing but the fact is her accomplishments would be amazing for anyone, whether they have a disability or not.