The Harkin Institute is proud to have worked with Judy Heumann closely over the years. Most recently, Judy Heumann was a keynote speaker at the Harkin International Disability Employment Summit in Belfast last year. Judy Heumann played a critical role in advancing rights of individuals with disabilities, an issue that remains a main focus of The Harkin Institute and Senator Tom Harkin (retired). We will miss her dearly and hope to continue her legacy of advocating for disability rights.
“As a survivor of polio, Judy Heumann was a giant in the ongoing struggle for disability rights and full inclusion in all aspects of society for persons with disabilities. Judy did not pass quietly through her 75 years of life. She was an agitator, a demonstrator, and inspirational leader. The disability community has lost an icon, but her legacy lives on in the expanded freedoms and opportunities for persons with disabilities.”
–Senator Tom Harkin (retired)
“Judy’s unyielding pursuit of equal rights for disabled people transformed our country and reverberated across the globe. It’s impossible to fully capture what a profound loss this is to the broader disability community. She is an icon. I join those mourning the loss of a leader, mentor, friend, and hero. Her legacy lives on in all of us who have been affected by her work. Let us honor her memory by continuing the fight for equal rights for all disabled people, everywhere.”
–Daniel Van Sant, Director of Disability Policy
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