Today in Labor History April 5, 1977: U.S. disability rights activist stormed and occupied the offices of the US Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (HEW) in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, New York City, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Seattle. They demanded enactment of section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which had passed Congress four years prior. The law mandated that no federally funded programs could exclude persons with disabilities and put into place legal protections, and the right to accommodations, for students with disabilities. During the prior four years, HEW director Joseph Califano repeatedly delayed enactment of the law, while regulations were weakened to benefit business interests. During the San Francisco protests, disability rights activists Judith Heumann, Kitty Cone, and Mary Jane Owen organized a 25-day occupation of the US Federal Building with 150 other activists. Solidarity support was provided by the Black Panthers, allied politicians, and the International Association of Machinists, who donated food, mattresses, wheelchairs, and other equipment, and who helped a delegation get to Washington, D.C. The regulations for section 504 were ultimately signed into law on 28 April, 1977.

For a really great documentary on the birth of this movement, please see “Crip Camp, A Disability Revolution” (2020).

#workingclass #LaborHistory #CivilDisobedience #occupation #directaction #disability #ableism #union #solidarity # #blackpanthers #sanfrancisco #JudithHeumann #KittyCone #MaryJaneOwen #BlackMastodon

Today in Labor History April 5, 1977: U.S. disability rights activist stormed and occupied the offices of the US Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (HEW) in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, New York City, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Seattle. They demanded enactment of section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which had passed Congress four years prior. The law mandated that no federally funded programs could exclude persons with disabilities and put into place legal protections, and the right to accommodations, for students with disabilities. During the prior four years, HEW director Joseph Califano repeatedly delayed enactment of the law, while regulations were weakened to benefit business interests. During the San Francisco protests, disability rights activists Judith Heumann, Kitty Cone, and Mary Jane Owen organized a 25-day occupation of the US Federal Building with 150 other activists. Solidarity support from the Black Panthers, allied politicians, and the International Association of Machinists, who provided food, mattresses, wheelchairs, and other equipment, and helped a delegation get to Washington, D.C. The regulations for section 504 were ultimately signed into law on 28 April, 1977.

For a really great documentary on the birth of this movement, please see Crip Camp, A Disability Revolution (2020).

#workingclass #LaborHistory #CivilDisobedience #occupation #directaction #disability #ableism #union #solidarity # #blackpanthers #sanfrancisco #JudithHeumann #KittyCone #MaryJaneOwen #BlackMastadon

Drunk History's hilarious reenactment of the Section 504 sit-in, which eventually led to the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA), which was passed on this day in 1990.

Don't forget, rights are rarely "granted" by asking politely; they must be fought for. As far as those in power are concerned (Cis, White, Rich Men) if it's not a problem for THEM, it's not a problem.

#ADA #JudithHeumann #Section504 #AmericansWithDisabilitiesAct
#DisabilityPride #DisabilityPrideMonth

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y505KwHp4O4

🎧Out today🎧:
“Cycles of Resistance” by
Chelsea Hollow

https://aerocademusic.com/cycles-of-resistance

24 new art songs for soprano and piano commissioned by Chelsea from 9 composers: Niloufar Nourbakhsh, Sophie Xuefei Zhang, Anthony R. Green, Michael Wiener, Molly Joyce, Lauren McCall, Jason Cady, Özden Gülsün, and Myron Silberstein.

Texts: Chinese feminist poetry from the early 1900s; a Dutch sonnet on love conquering all evils; the unity of young Czech girls imprisoned in Room 28 at Theresienstadt Internment Camp; a reminder that all humans are part of the disability community at some point in their lives; maternal hesitation, clarity, and urgency in the Flint, Michigan water crisis; harrowing tales of the Turkish Femicide; Prayers of Peace from the traditions of Islam and Hinduism; & inspiring speeches by U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and activist Valarie Kaur.

#ArtSong #soprano #piano #AOC #ValarieKaur #Resistance #NewMusic #QiuJin #HenriëtteRolandHolst #JudithHeumann #FlintMichigan

A woman in this documentary recently passed away. Her name was Judith Heumann and she was one of the driving forces being the Americans with Disability Act.

She attended this camp in the 1970s that reminded me so much of Camp Algonquin. They made a movie about the camp and those who attended. It's such a great movie.

You could tell that she was going to change the world.

And she did.

It's on Netflix - here's the trailer for it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRrIs22plz0

#ADA
#JudithHeumann

Today was the funeral service for #JudithHeumann, the activist aptly named as the “mother of the #DisabilityRights movement.” Judith firmly believed that there was no aspect of American life that should be inaccessible to any person who wished to be a part of it.

The policy at the in-person service this morning was “#masks are optional, but encouraged.”

This cavalier and senseless policy at an event w/so many sick & disabled attendees is a dagger to the heart of Judith’s life’s work.

Watch this short documentary with vintage 1970s news footage about Judith Heumann and many others struggling to get Section 504--which was already U.S. federal law--to actually get enforced.

Cringe at the terms used in the 1970s to describe people with disabilities...

https://youtu.be/52XqupjXHIM

The Power of 504 by the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF)

#JudyHeumann #JudithHeumann #a11y #Disability #DisabilityRights #DisabilityJustice #Section504

Hello from #NewYork

What an honor being there

While we were filming, people put fingers on me,I would look so funny #dailylife

🫂#disabilityinclusion #judithheumann #disabilityinclusion #CSW2023

🐦🔗: https://n.respublicae.eu/k_langensiepen/status/1632966203336454144