When I first heard about Judy Heumann passing away this past weekend, I wanted to believe it was a hoax. She was such an amazing woman, and she had a lot more to offer. Even though she lived for 75 years, she changed the world dramatically and for that I must thank her. Judy was a true pioneer who worked hard to bring attention to pressing issues such as inclusiveness for education for those with disabilities, equal job opportunities for those with disabilities and inequality. She was also an incredibly strong advocate for human rights and never stopped fighting for a more just and equitable world.
Judy taught me one important lesson: you have to believe in yourself and you have to believe in the message you’re trying to spread, and you have to spread the message with compassion and Fuss.
Furthermore, we must not be afraid to dive deep into the reality of living with a disability, and we must be the ones who advocate for not just ourselves but for the whole world and the next generation.
The message of Judy’s message is one that can be carried forward to the next generation of advocates for a better world for those with disabilities as I am a young woman myself in my mid-twenties.
I strongly believe that there’s still a lot of work that needs to be done but with all the work that Judy’s done she was the engineer that kept the train going when it came to being our voices. Just listening to what she said about disability rights, being a voice, and making a difference, you can learn so much from her.
Whenever I advocate for myself or for others around me, I carry one of Judy’s quotes with me every day.
Change never happens at the pace we think it should. It happens over years of people joining together, strategizing, sharing, and pulling all the levers they possibly can. Gradually, excruciatingly slowly, things start to happen, and then suddenly, seemingly out of the blue, something will tip.”
Among Judy’s quotes, this one stands out to me most since it discusses the nature of activism and standing up for what is right. If we gave up when someone told us no, would change be created?
That’s why we must always speak up, no matter what, and spread the message on being a feisty badass for the disability community as Judy was. We should strive to be like Judy, who was brave and never gave up. She was an inspiration to many, and we should follow her example by standing up for what we believe in. We can all make a difference if we have the courage to speak out.
We must continue Judy’s legacy and speak out against injustices that people with disabilities face. We must also work together to create a more inclusive society where everyone is respected equally. We must all be brave and stand up for justice.
As a human being, this is exactly what I plan to do, because we all need to come together to make the world a more inclusive place for those with disabilities. We can do this by advocating for better access to services and resources, recognizing the strengths of people with disabilities, and by creating an inclusive society that values everyone equally. We must also strive to create a world that is free of stigma and discrimination.
