Being Heumann—a Timely Measure of our Empathy

This past summer marked the 35th anniversary of the passage and signing of The Americans with Disabilities Act, more commonly known as the ADA. In honor of this event, and at the suggestion of a friend, I read Being Heumann—An Unrepentant Memoir of a Disability Rights Activist by Judith Heumann with Kristen Joiner (Beacon Press, 2020, Boston). I was deeply moved by Judy’s story and also the wisdom that she had gained over the years while pursuing equal rights for herself and for others. Her memoir concludes with some wise council that is crucial to consider for those of us who wish to honor Lady Liberty’s legacy:

”How we treat disabled people, how we treat minorities, boils down to our fundamental beliefs about humanity. Do we believe that we all have something to contribute, regardless of where we’re from, how we move or think, the language we speak, the color of our skin, the religion we choose, and the people we love?

Do we believe in equality?

We need to look inside and think deeply about whether we really believe this to be true.

Because we already have the vehicle we need to make our society fair, to give everyone a voice, to protect and advance the right of those who are marginalized, and create the shared institutions that support us all. It’s our democracy.

If we keep valuing our democratic government and continue to invest in it, then we can solve problems of inequality. But we have to resist the temptation to give up on it when it gets complicated, because democracy is complex and its processes necessarily take time. By its very nature it must be so.” (p. 208)

Clearly this is a reminder to me that now is not the time to despair. Now is not the time to overreact. Now is the time to thoughtfully consider our values and then firmly stand up for our rights and the rights of others. We must lift our lamps. And as we do so, we can help keep Lady Liberty’s lamp burning brightly as well.