Joint Statement on the Work and Legacy of the Late Judy Heumann from the Leaders of the American Education Research Association, the AERA Special and Inclusive Education Research SIG, and the AERA Disability Studies in Education SIG

March 17, 2023

Judith “Judy” Heumann, widely regarded as “the mother” of the disability rights movement, passed away unexpectedly in Washington, D.C., on the afternoon of March 4, 2023. Born in 1947 and diagnosed with polio at 18 months, Judy used a wheelchair for most of her life. After she was denied admission to New York City Public Schools and called a “fire hazard,” her mother advocated for her to attend her neighborhood school. Later, the same school district denied Judy a teaching license for the same reason. She sued and went on to become the first teacher in New York State to use a wheelchair.

She spent her entire life advocating on behalf of herself and others and was at the forefront of major disability rights demonstrations. Although Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act was passed under the Nixon administration, it was not enforced under either the Nixon or Ford administrations. Heumann’s advocacy and protests, including her participation and leadership in the 26-day takeover of a federal building in San Francisco, helped secure the eventual enforcement of Section 504 under the Carter administration in 1977. Section 504 protects the civil rights of people with disabilities by requiring that entities receiving federal funds not discriminate on the basis of disability in employment, education, or participation. Heumann’s continued activism inside and outside of government helped spearhead the passage of other disability rights legislation, including the Education for All Handicapped Children Act (now the IDEA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). She founded national and international disability advocacy organizations and held senior federal government positions, including as assistant secretary of the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services; Washington, D.C.’s first director for the Department on Disability Services; the first advisor on disability and development at the World Bank; and most recently, special advisor for international disability rights at the U.S. Department of State.

In her memoir and throughout her life Judy pushed back on the ableist notion that her disability or wheelchair use was anything she should feel shame about, saying, “Disability only becomes a tragedy when society fails to provide the things we need to lead our lives.” Judy’s story can be found in her co-authored memoir, Being Heumann: An Unrepentant Memoir of a Disability Rights Activist, and its young adult version, Rolling Warrior: The Incredible, Sometimes Awkward, True Story of a Rebel Girl on Wheels Who Helped Spark a Revolution. Parts of her story were also featured in the Oscar-nominated documentary film Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution.

More information about Judy Heumann’s life can be found here: https://judithheumann.com/the-world-mourns-the-passing-of-judy-heumann-disability-rights-activist/

May we, the greater AERA community, keep Judy Heumann’s incredible legacy alive by continuing the fight for disability rights through our work and lives.

AERA Special and Inclusive Education Research (#113) Special Interest Group (SIG) Leaders: Meghan Cosier, Ph.D.; Taucia Gonzalez, Ph.D.; Katie McCabe, Ph.D.; Heather Brown, Ph.D.; Jennifer Cowhy; and Shameeka M. Wilson

AERA Disability Studies in Education SIG (#143) Special Interest Group Leaders: Saili S. Kulkarni, Ph.D.; Emily A. Nusbaum, Ph.D.; Valentina Migliarini, Ph.D., Katherine Newhouse, Ph.D., and Kimiya Maghzi, Ph.D.

American Educational Research Association (AERA) Leaders: Rich Milner, Ph.D., AERA President; Felice J. Levine, Ph.D, AERA Executive Director

The Office for Diversity and Inclusion and the Provost’s Office would like to remind you of several celebrations, commemorations, and moments of raising awareness for members of our community during the month of March:

Heritage Month Celebrations:

Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month (March): The United States has observed Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month every March since 1987. Led by the National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities (NACDD), this month raises awareness about people who have disabilities that cause an impairment in language, learning, physical body, or behavior. Specifically, this campaign seeks to raise awareness about the difficulties people with disabilities face and the importance of including people with developmental disabilities in all facets of community life.

UConn seeks to ensure that people with disabilities have the same access to programs, opportunities, and activities as all others. The University does this, in part, through the Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, Education, Research, and Service (UCEDD), which is part of the nationwide Developmental Disabilities Network. UConn also supports neurodiversity through Neurodiversity at UConn and the Center for Neurodiversity and Employee Innovation.

In addition, UConn supports access through the Center for Students with Disabilities (CSD), which offers a variety of programs and services for students with disabilities, including at UConn Health. CSD utilizes MyAccess, which allows students to more easily request accommodations and facilitates faculty and staff efforts to meet those accommodations. Faculty and staff can request OIE’s training to increase awareness and understanding of disability access and responsibilities at UConn. UConn seeks to ensure that staff and faculty with disabilities are afforded reasonable accommodations through OIE, the Human Resources department, and UConn Health’s Human Resources. UConn also offers a Certificate of Interdisciplinary Disability Studies in Public Health.

Greek American Heritage Month (March): Also known as Hellenic Heritage Month, Greek American Heritage Month takes place in March to coincide with Greek Independence Day on March 25th. This day celebrates the contributions of Greeks and Greek Americans, and honors Greek language and culture.

Irish American Heritage Month (March): Irish American Heritage Month honors the achievements of Irish immigrants and their descendants in the United States. First celebrated in 1991, it is accompanied by a proclamation from the President of the United States. Irish American Heritage Month is held in March to coincide with St. Patrick’s Day.

Women’s History Month (March): Thanks to the efforts of the National Women’s History Alliance, March is recognized as Women’s History Month. First Celebrated as Women’s History week in 1981, Congress expanded the celebration in 1987 to celebrate the contributions women have made to the United States and to recognize specific achievements women have made throughout American history. The theme for 2023’s Women’s History Month is “Celebrating Women Who Tell Our Stories.” This theme honors women in every community who are devoted to producing art, pursuing truth, and reflecting on the human condition. At UConn, we celebrate women’s history every month of the year, especially through the Women’s Center and the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (WGSS) Program.

For Women’s History Month 2023, ODI and the Provost’s Office are excited to offer “Transformation Now!” This course provides a brief, detailed historical account of gender, the language that has shaped gender, the laws that have defined gender, and the various transnational revolutions that have taken place to redefine gender altogether. This pop-up course will run from March 6 to April 28 for graduate and undergraduate students; faculty and staff dates are TBD. Students are able to enroll through March 12.

Cultural and Federal Holidays:

International Women’s Day (March 8th): International Women’s Day is a global holiday celebrating Women’s rights. It celebrates women’s achievements, recognizes the challenges women face, and brings attention to ongoing issues related to gender equity, reproductive rights, and violence and abuse faced by women. The theme for 2023’s International Women’s Day is #EmbraceEquity, which recognizes that giving groups the same opportunities and resources is not enough, but that exact resources need to be allocated to help individuals achieve equal outcomes. This campaign recognizes that some groups face greater challenges and need greater resources in order to succeed.

Nowruz | Iranian New Year | Person New Year (March 20th – March 21st) Nowruz celebrates the beginning of the new year on the Iranian Solar Hijri calendar. It begins on the spring equinox (usually on or around March 20th), which marks the start of spring in the Northern Hemisphere. Nowruz has been a day of great celebration throughout Iranian history; it is mankind’s oldest known holiday and is still celebrated by more than 300 million people around the world. It celebrates the triumph of hope over despair and promotes values of peace and solidarity between generations and within families. This year, the Middle Eastern Cultural Programs (MECP) invite you to join our Nowruz celebration on Monday, March 20th, from 7:30 to 10:00 PM in the ODI Commons (Student Union room 103). Space is limited, so please RSVP.

St. Patrick’s Day (March 17th): This cultural and religious holiday is held annually on the traditional death date of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. St. Patrick’s Day has been celebrated in Ireland for a thousand years but has been celebrated by American parades since 1737. The largest St. Patrick’s Day Parade is held in New York each year.

Religious Holidays:

Lent (February 22nd – April 6th in Western Churches, February 27th – April 15th in Eastern Orthodox Churches): In Christianity, Lent is a liturgical season prior to Easter. Though mostly associated with Catholics, Lent is celebrated by members of Protestant and Eastern Orthodox Churches. Generally, Lent is a season of reflection and preparation celebrating Jesus Christ’s resurrection from the dead.

Purim (March 6th-7th): Purim is a joyous and merry holiday that celebrates the strength, resilience, and survival of the Jewish people. Specifically, it commemorates the deliverance of Jews in ancient Persia from a planned act of genocide ordered by the Persian king’s Prime Minister, a plot that was foiled by Queen Esther. The major theme of this holiday is overcoming baseless hatred against the Jewish people. Traditional celebrations include reading Megillat Esther (the Book of Esther); sending gifts of food to family; giving tzedakah (charity); enjoying a festive meal; and wearing costumes. Hillel will host a make-your-own Purim basket event on Tuesday, March 7th, from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

Holi (March 8th): Holi is a Hindu festival celebrating the end of winter and the triumph of love over evil. Originating in India and Nepal, Holi is celebrated globally. Also known as the “Festival of Colors,” the “Festival of Love” and the “Festival of New Beginnings,” Holi is seen as a new beginning. It is typically celebrated with two days of festivals. The first consists of a bonfire to symbolically burn away all the bad and the second consists of throwing powder dye into the air, covering all in attendance with vibrant colors. At Storrs, the Indian Student Association will be hosting Holi on the CLAS quad with color and games on 4/8. The rain date for this event will be 4/15.

Ramadan (March 22nd – April 21st): A holy month for Muslims that is used for spiritual reflection and growth, for helping those in need, and spending time with loved ones. Ramadan is a moveable holiday, beginning and ending with the crescent moon during the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. Muslims around the world typically observe a fast during daylight hours. UConn Dining will have specially prepared meals and will set up a station for students to collect those meals after sundown. Both South and Towers Dining Halls will be open late for Iftar. The Asian American Cultural Center (AsACC) will hold an Eid celebration. Members of the UConn Health community can participate in Friday prayers at Interfaith Murray-Heilig Chapel, located on the M-level in University Tower at John Dempsey Hospital. Check out these UConn student-made videos (Storrs| Hartford) about to best support Muslim students during Ramadan.

We welcome the celebration of each of these holidays on our campuses and encourage support for those requiring accommodations. You can find information and guidance about academic accommodations for religious observations on the Provost Office’s webpage.

To see more information about resources and events happening this month and throughout the semester, please visit our events page at www.diversity.uconn.edu/events.

ODI writes these letters in collaboration with our partners across the UConn system. If we inadvertently omitted a cultural or religious holiday, please let us know by emailing us at diversity@uconn.edu.

Sincerely,

Frank, Anne, and Jeff

Frank Tuitt
Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer

Anne D’Alleva
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs

Jeffrey F. Hines, MD
Associate Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer, UConn Health

The Office for Diversity and Inclusion and the Provost’s Office would like to remind you of several celebrations, commemorations, and moments of raising awareness for members of our community during the month of February:

Heritage Month Celebrations:

Black History Month (February): Black History month celebrates Black and African American history, culture, achievements, and excellence. It also draws attention to the lived experiences of Black and African Americans within the United States, including by celebrating Black and African American communities and creating awareness about issues these communities face. This celebration began in the United States in 1926, when Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH) head Dr. Carter G. Woodson recommended that schools use the second week of February—which holds the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass—to ensure students are exposed to Black history. Fifty years later, this week was expanded into a month-long celebration. Every president since 1976 has proclaimed February to be Black History Month.

The theme for this year’s Black History Month is “Black Resistance.” According to ASALH, this theme educates the community about the fact that “African Americans have resisted historic and ongoing oppression, in all forms, especially the racial terrorism of lynching, racial pogroms, and police killings since our arrival upon these shores. [Black Resistance] efforts have been to advocate for a dignified self-determined life in a just democratic society in the United States and beyond.” At heart of this theme is the recognition that Black and African American people have had to consistently push the United States to live up to its ideals of freedom, liberty, and justice for all.

Black History Month is a time to celebrate the fullness of Black and African American history and culture, though such celebrations cannot—and should not—be limited to a single month. At UConn, we believe that Black history, culture, and excellence should be celebrated every day. The University aims to provide opportunities for celebration, community building, and education through the African American Cultural Center (AACC) and Africana Studies Institute, as well as through a course on Anti-Black Racism.

We invite the entire UConn community to join in celebrating this year’s Black History Month. The UConn Foundation and UConn School of Social Work will be hosting an event, Giving Voice to the Black Experience: How She Resisted, featuring guest speaker Miles Wilson-Toliver. This event will be held on Wednesday, February 1, from 11:45 to 1:15 in Hartford. The AACC and USG are partnering to host a Black History Month Opening Ceremony featuring Dr. Cornel West. This program is Thursday, February 2, at 7:30 PM in McHugh Hall. All are invited; no RSVP is required. Global Café at Avery Point will also hold two events in honor of Black History Month, a discussion with Manju Soni on Student Activism and “Creating a Path that Matters: Entrepreneurship, Community Engagement, and Social Justice” a talk by Curtis Goodwin. Check out the Diversity website for more events.

Cultural Holidays: February holds several significant cultural and federal holidays:

National Freedom Day (February 1): National Freedom Day celebrates the end of slavery in the United States and recognizes the United States as a symbol of liberty. National Freedom Day was proposed in 1941 by Richard Robert Wright, Sr. to commemorate the day President Lincoln signed a Congressional resolution stating that “Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction.” This resolution would become the Thirteenth Amendment on December 18, 1865. National Freedom Day became a national holiday in 1948.

World Hijab Day (February 1): World Hijab Day was started in 2013 by Nazma Khan, who wanted to foster religious tolerance and understanding by inviting all women to wear a hijab for one day each year. In the decade since, World Hijab Day has grown to promote awareness, education, and empowerment in order to dismantle bigotry, discrimination, and prejudice against Muslim women. World Hijab Day celebrates religious tolerance and women’s rights around the world.

Valentine’s Day (February 14): Valentine’s Day is celebrated annually on February 14. The origins of the holiday are disputed; some accounts point to pagan fertility festivals while others point to St. Valentine, an early Christian saint martyred for performing weddings in defiance of a ban on marriage for military-aged men. Today, Valentine’s Day is typically regarded as a celebration of romantic love.

Presidents Day (February 20): President’s Day, also known as Washington’s Birthday on the federal level and for the State of Connecticut, is celebrated in the United States on the third Monday of February. Established in 1879 to honor Washington’s February 22 birthday, Presidents Day was moved to the third Monday of February in 1970 as part of the Uniform Monday Holidays Act to create more three-day weekends for workers. The holiday now celebrates all US presidents, past and present.

Religious Holidays: February holds several significant religious holidays for members of the UConn Community:

Candlemas (February 2nd): Candlemas is a Christian holiday that occurs 40 days after Christmas. Also known as Presentation of the Lord, Candlemas commemorates Jesus’ presentation at the Temple. For Catholics, in particular, Candlemas honors the purification of the Virgin Mary. Many Orthodox Christians celebrate by having beeswax candles blessed at church or at home. Candlemas is celebrated as Día de la Candelaria in many Spanish speaking countries. Whoever finds the baby figures hidden inside the Rosca de Reyes cake from El Día de Reyes / Three Kings Day is obliged to host the Candelaria gathering. Candlemas is halfway between the December Solstice and the March and March Equinox, marking the halfway point for winter.

Mardi Gras (February 21st): Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday, is a Christian holiday and global pop cultural event. Mardi Gras occurs the day before the start of the Christian Lenten season on Ash Wednesday. Fat Tuesday gets its name from the custom of using all the remaining eggs, milk, and fats in a household before beginning a Lenten fast. Mardi Gras is also the end of Carnival season that starts on Twelfth Night. It is usually celebrated with elaborate parades and the eating of king cake. Some of the most well-known Mardi Gras celebrations are held in New Orleans, Rio (Brazil), and Venice (Italy).

Ash Wednesday (February 22nd): Ash Wednesday is a Christian holiday of fasting, sacrifice, and prayer. Celebrated by Catholics, Orthodox Christians, and many Protestant denominations, Ash Wednesday marks the start of Lent, a 40-day period of repentance, fasting, and reflection leading up to the celebration of Easter. For Christians, Lent represents the 40 days that Jesus spent in the wilderness, where he fasted and resisted temptation. Though celebrations vary by place and denomination, Lent is typically seen as a season for intentionally focusing on Jesus’s life, ministry, sacrifice, and resurrection.

To see more information about resources and events happening this month and throughout the semester, please visit our events page at www.diversity.uconn.edu/events.

Sincerely,

Frank, Anne, and Jeff

Frank Tuitt
Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer

Anne D’Alleva
Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs

Jeffrey F. Hines, MD
Associate Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer, UConn Health