Book Review

Being Heumann: An Unrepentant Memoir of a Disability Rights Activist

By Judy Heumann and Kristen Joiner. Beacon Press, 2020. 240 pages. $26.95, hardcover.

In this autobiography, Heumann tells her story of fighting for the right to receive an education, have a job, and work for basic human rights for people with disabilities.

"Paralyzed from polio at eighteen months, Judy’s struggle for equality began early in life. From fighting to attend grade school after being described as a “fire hazard” to later winning a lawsuit against the New York City school system for denying her a teacher’s license because of her paralysis, Judy’s actions set a precedent that fundamentally improved rights for disabled people." Her expensive advocacy work lead to the creation of the Americans with Disabilities Act, as well as several other important laws and regulations positively affecting the lives of people with disabilities.