2023 -- H 6130
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LC002492
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S TATE OF RHODE IS LAND
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2023
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H O U S E R E S O L U T I O N
EXTENDING CONDOLENCE S ON THE PASSING OF DISABILITY RIGHTS ACTIVIST,
JUDITH ELLEN HEUMANN
Introduced By: Representatives Spears, Shekarchi, Blazejewski, Cotter, Carson,
Donovan, Speakman, Henries, Morales, and Kennedy
Date Introduced: March 07, 2023
Referred To: House read and passed
WHEREAS, It is with sadness that this House has learned of the passing of Judy 1
Heumann, leader of the San Francisco contingent, who protested for twenty-four grueling days, in 2
their ultimately successful fight for enforcement of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act; and 3
WHEREAS, Born in Philadelphia, Judy Heumann was the daughter of Werner and Ilse 4
Heumann. At three months old, she contracted polio and spent three months in an iron lung, and 5
resultantly spent her life in a wheel chair; and 6
WHEREAS, Ms. Heumann’s parents were both survivors and fighters. Her father and 7
mother’s parents had perished in Nazi Germany under Hitler after having sent their children to 8
safety in America, and her mother spent many years fighting for Judy’s education rights at a time 9
in our country’s history when disabled often meant 2nd class, shunned or ignored; and 10
WHEREAS, Eventually, at the age of nine, Ms. Heumann was enrolled in special 11
disabled classes. She attended a special high school, graduated from Long Island University, and 12
earned her Master’s degree from the University of California at Berkeley; and 13
WHEREAS, In 1970, while still in school, Ms. Heumann gained recognition for her 14
efforts as an advocate for the disabled, a calling and journey that would last throughout her life; 15
and 16
WHEREAS, In 1973, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act had been signed into law by 17
then President Richard Nixon but was still not enforced. The American Coalition of Citizens with 18
Disabilities (ACCD), which Ms. Heumann had helped to found, and protestors from ten States 19
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began protests to force the Health, Education and Welfare Secretary to sign and enforce the 1
regulations; and 2
WHEREAS, After a few days, many of the protest groups had given up, but the San 3
Francisco protestors, led and organized by Ms. Heumann continued their efforts, sacrificing every 4
human comfort and bringing about a revolution that clearly illustrated the resilience and strength 5
of herself and those she was fighting to protect; and 6
WHEREAS, On April 28th of 1977, victory was achieved after 24 days of protest, which 7
became the longest sit-in of a federal building in American history, a record that still holds today; 8
and 9
WHEREAS, Section 504 paved the way for the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) 10
in 1990, which extended the anti-discrimination rules to private sector workplaces, and resulted in 11
significant changes to accessibility for disabled individuals; and 12
WHEREAS, Ms. Heumann’s fight for the rights of the disabled did not end there. From 13
1993 to 2001, she served in the Clinton administration as an Assistant Secretary in the Office of 14
Special Education and Rehabilitation Services in the Department of Education, and was 15
appointed Special Adviser on International Disability Rights by President Barack Obama. She 16
also held positions as an adviser, was a fellow or board member with myriad institutions, and was 17
involved in passage of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons With Disabilities, 18
which was ratified in May 2008; and 19
WHEREAS, Judy Heumann dedicated her life to fighting for access for herself and others 20
to a life fully and equally lived and fully enjoyed with all the benefits that must be bequeathed 21
and entitled to all; now, therefore be it 22
RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island hereby 23
extends deepest condolences on the passing of Judith Heumann, and recognizes and honors her 24
memory and accomplishments in the disability rights movement; and be it further 25
RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to 26
transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to Rick Heumann and Family. 27
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