Aahana Swrup
‘Being Heumann’ charts the story of a galvanizing movement in which a group of unwavering protestors fights for their civil right to accessibility and equality. Directed by Sian Heder, the film revolves around Judy Heumann. She’s a disability rights activist who leads a grassroots movement to call for the enforcement of the legislation of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. The Act, establishing anti-discrimination laws against the community of people with disabilities, was passed in 1973.
Yet, five years later, the United States Department of Health, Education, and Welfare hasn’t signed the Section 504 regulations. When the disability rights activists take to the streets nationwide to protest, Judy leads the charge in the peaceful occupation of San Francisco’s Federal Building. In the coming days, the leader and her group of fellow iron-willed activists stage the longest-running sit-in, demanding Secretary Joseph Califano’s signature for the section. The film takes an up-close look at the life of Judith Heumann, a real-life activist whose leadership during the Section 504 sit-ins of 1977 laid the foundation for disability rights in the country.
Judith Heumann and the Historic Section 504 Sit-Ins
Shortly after her birth in 1947, Judith Ellen “Judy” Heumann contracted polio at 18 months old and subsequently lost her ability to walk. As such, she faced an uphill battle against discrimination from a young age. Initially, she was denied access to schooling, with a kindergarten principal labeling her a “fire hazard.” Nonetheless, her mother, Isle Heumann, continued to fight for her child’s right to education. Eventually, her daughter was able to attend a special school for children with disabilities and, later, a public high school. Heumann continued to face similar discrimination when she pursued a professional career after earning her bachelor’s degrees. In 1970, she entered a legal battle against the New York Board of Education after they refused to give her a teaching license based on their own assumptions and fears about her disability.
The case ended with a settlement, and Heumann became the first teacher in New York who used a wheelchair. Around the same time, she also engaged in activism work, advocating for the rights of the community of people with disabilities. When President Richard Nixon vetoed the 1972 Rehabilitation Act, she was a part of the resulting protest demonstrations. The Act was passed in 1973 with Section 504, which prohibited discrimination against people with disabilities by programs, services, etc. that were federally funded. Even so, as the presidency changed from Gerald Ford to Jimmy Carter, the issuance of the regulations for this section continued to be delayed. In 1977, as Joseph Califano became the new HEW Secretary, he claimed he needed time to review the regulations, keeping them in a frustrating limbo.
In response, protesters held demonstrations across the country, including a rally in San Francisco outside the Federal Building on April 5, 1977. Heumann was one of the leaders who helped organize this rally. At the end of the demonstration, she led the protesters into the building to demand answers from the HEW’s regional director, Joe Maldonado. When the director expressed his total lack of awareness about Section 504, the activist organized an overnight sit-in. Over time, the sit-in grew longer and ultimately lasted 26 days. Notably, the group received help and support from other activist organizations, such as the Black Panther Party, which routinely provided them with hot meals. During this time, other demonstrations also arose across different cities.
Yet, most of these sit-ins only lasted for a few days. Yet, despite the challenging circumstances, the protestors in San Francisco held out for weeks. Eventually, the decision was made to send leaders, including Heumann, to Washington, where they held vigils outside Califano’s house and the White House. Nonetheless, while some senators met with the group, the HEW Secretary and the President continued to evade them. When the leaders inevitably returned to San Francisco near the end of April, Heumann stayed behind at the capital. On April 28, April 28, 1977, Califano finally signed the regulations with some minor changes. The next day, the occupation at San Fransico’s Federal Building finally ended with the protestors emerging victorious.
Judith Heumann’s Memoir Lays Down an Authentic Foundation For Being Heumann
The film ‘Being Heumann’ found its earliest start in 2020 when filmmaker Sian Heder, best known for the Oscar-winning title ‘CODA,’ came across Heumann’s story. As a result, after reading the activist’s memoir, ‘Being Heumann: An Unrepentant Memoir of a Disability Rights Activist, she sent Heumann an email about potentially making a film about her life. After a meeting, the project got off to a promising start. After deciding to make the Section 504 sit-ins the center of the film she wanted to make, Heder delved into research. The memoir, which would go on to become the namesake for the movie, was the first and most crucial part of the research process.
However, the filmmaker also reached out to real-life people who were involved in the 1977 sit-ins. Alongside talking to around 30 such people, she also looked into the records of oral histories at San Francisco University’s Paul K. Longmore Foundation. While the project was still in development, Heder brought in Rebekah Taussig as a co-writer. The author brought her own personal experience as a wheelchair user, along with her doctoral expertise in Creative Nonfiction and Disability Studies. She played an instrumental role in shaping the story’s narrative as well as on-screen characterizations of the protestors. Ultimately, all these elements came together to imbue the biographical story with grounding realism, authentic representation, and historical accuracy.
Judith Heumann Passed Away in 2023
After the 1977 Section 504 sit-ins, Judith Heumann continued to unrelentingly move forward in her activism. She helped launch the Independent Living Movement and served as its deputy director until 1982. She also co-founded the pioneering global organization, the World Institute on Disability, in 1983. Afterward, she went on to serve under the Presidential administrations of Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. From 1993 to 2001, she served as the Assistant Secretary of the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services. In 2002, she joined the World Bank as its first Advisor on Disability and Development, a role Heumann fulfilled until 2006. In 2010, President Obama appointed her as the first Special Advisor on International Disability Rights for the U.S. State Department.
Eventually, Heumann left the post with the arrival of a new administration. Afterward, she continued her advocacy for disability rights at the national and international levels. She played a crucial role in the development of the Americans with Disabilities Act. According to expert estimates, her work helped approximately 56 million people with disabilities in the United States and about 1 billion people worldwide. On March 6, 2023, Heumann passed away at the age of 75. In the week leading up to her passing, the activist was hospitalized due to heart issues that some speculated had a connection to her lifelong polio diagnosis. Heumann’s death was mourned nationwide. She is survived by her husband, Jorge Pineda, her brothers, Ricky and Joseph, as well as the exceptional legacy she has left behind.
Read More: Where Was Being Heumann Filmed? All Shooting Locations
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