Being Heumann

An Unrepentant Memoir of a Disability Rights Activist

By: Judith Heumann, Kristen Joiner

Narrated by: Ali Stroker

Tony-award winning actress Ali Stroker reads the story of Judy Heumann—one of the most influential disability rights activists in US history

A story of fighting to belong in a world that wasn’t built for all of us and of one woman’s activism—from the streets of Brooklyn and San Francisco to inside the halls of Washington—Being Heumann recounts Judy Heumann’s lifelong battle to achieve respect, acceptance, and inclusion in society.

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.

As a young woman, Judy rolled her wheelchair through the doors of the US Department of Health, Education, and Welfare in San Francisco as a leader of the Section 504 Sit-In, the longest takeover of a governmental building in US history. Working with a community of over 150 disabled activists and allies, Judy successfully pressured the Carter administration to implement protections for disabled peoples’ rights, sparking a national movement and leading to the creation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Candid, intimate, and irreverent, Judy Heumann’s memoir about resistance to exclusion invites readers to imagine and make real a world in which we all belong.

disability pride at it's best

fantastic memoir of our community showing our finest work demonstrating time tested social justice strategies

Excellent book suggested by ACLU

Excellent book suggested by ACLU. One of the best narrators I've heard in the dozens of audible books I've listened to.

So engaging

I loved this book and the performance was excellent 👏🏿 bravo to the reader for bringing this book alive for me.

Gran historia de vida

Un testimonio fundamental sobre la lucha por los derechos de las personas con discapacidad. Excelente narración.

Inspirational

I loved hearing about Judy’s life and all that she advocated for. She is such an inspiration and her actions made a difference for so many people.