As Heumann points out, while change itself may take time, we cannot accept "no" in the meantime and need to be pushing as hard as possible when fighting for our rights.
It was an honor and privilege to interview UC Berkeley alumna and disability civil rights activist Judy Heumann about the pressing issues of the day and her life of phenomenal work in this field. We could not get to everything of course (there is just too much) so just zoomed in on her Bay Area years. Judy also provided strategies and tips for the current-gen of students and their allies. The key, as she explains in so many different ways, is a phrase I absolutely love - "Collaboration Cooperation."
I was hard-pressed as to what to include (vs leave out) in the 2000 word limit article. She had so much to say.
I am so much in awe because as mentioned in the article, the reason students with "more significant disabilities" (like me) are going to college really is because of the groundbreaking path laid by leaders like Judy in making legislation like IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Ed Act) a reality. She totally and accurately points out that it shows ADA and IDEA at work.
Judy actually asked me during the interview if I felt I benefitted from IDEA and was rather amused at my "yes and no" response. The conflicts over my school district expectations of me did rather mess up my elementary & middle school years (& hence the qualifier).
But Just Think - before IDEA's 1975 precursor (Education for All Handicapped Children Act) came along (thanks to folks like Judy), most of us would not be allowed in public schools at all.
Without all the accommodations legislated by laws that let me access mainstream education, I could not be studying at Berkeley today.
