Being Heumann

After the signing of Section 504, the years were challenging as Judith and her team at the CIL devised programs and strategies to implement the policies laid out within it. The American Public Transit Association complained about the cost of making transit wheelchair accessible, but the CID fought back by citing the cost as being equivalent to adding air conditioning. Judith notes that “the status quo loves to say no” (152), and her team made sure to have answers and rebuttals for any objections that came through. To this day, she believes that civil rights issues must be addressed with ingenuity, not excused away with complaints of cost or difficulties. In general, antidiscrimination laws are only enforced when someone complains about discrimination, and thus, Judith insists on the importance of speaking out and speaking back.

As complaints were brought to court, judges made rulings in every direction, showing a lack of consistency. Judith clarifies that equality is not about being the same but ensuring everyone has equal access, which means different things for different people. To combat these issues, the CIL formed the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF), which became “the first civil rights legal organization run by and for people with disabilities” (155).