Assembly Resolution No. 455

BY: M. of A. Simon

MOURNING the death of Judith Heumann, tireless
leader and advocate for the Disability Rights
Movement

WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to pay tribute to
citizens of the State of New York whose lifework and civic endeavor
served to enhance the quality of life in their communities and the great
State of New York; and

WHEREAS, Judith Heumann of Brooklyn, New York, died on March 4,
2023, at the age of 76; and

WHEREAS, Raised in New York City, specifically Brooklyn, Judith
Heumann attended P.S. 219 in a segregated program for students with
disabilities beginning in fourth grade, after years of homebound
instruction; and

WHEREAS, After failing the medical examination for her teaching
license on the grounds that her mobility impairment and wheelchair use,
due to the effects of polio, would prevent her from safely escorting
students out of the building in an emergency, Judith Heumann
successfully sued the New York City Board of Education in a landmark
case to obtain her teaching license; and

WHEREAS, Judith Heumann was a tireless advocate for the rights of
people with disabilities and an internationally-recognized leader in the
Disability Rights Movement; and

WHEREAS, Recognized as the founder of Disabled in Action, now known
as Disabled in Action of Metropolitan New York, as well as the
co-founder of both the National Council on Independent Living and the
World Institute on Disability, Judith Heumann is commonly viewed as the
"mother" of the Disability Rights and Independent Living Movements; and

WHEREAS, Judith Heumann was featured in the Oscar-nominated
documentary "Crip Camp," which also documented her lead role in
obtaining adoption of federal rules designed to protect the rights of
disabled people, and was the author of the memoir Being Heumann and its
young adult version Rolling Warrior; and

WHEREAS, New York State honors the memory of Judith Heumann and
celebrates her legacy of activism for people with disabilities in the
United States and around the world; and

WHEREAS, Judith Heumann's commitment to excellence, and her spirit
of humanity, carried over into a lifelong dedication to civil rights
advocacy; and

WHEREAS, With her throughout has been her husband, Jorge Pineda, who
feels privileged to have been a part of her life and rejoices in her
many achievements; and

WHEREAS, Armed with a humanistic spirit and imbued with a sense of
compassion, Judith Heumann leaves behind a legacy which will long endure
the passage of time and will remain as a comforting memory to all she
served and befriended; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
mourn the death of Judith Heumann, tireless leader and advocate for the
Disability Rights Movement; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to the family of Judith Heumann.