Disability Rights Activist to Visit Campus on Wednesday, March 5

Judith Heumann

Judith E. Heumann, the special advisor for international disability rights at the U.S. Department of State, will visit Syracuse University on Wednesday, March 5. Heumann will speak as part of a panel titled “Promoting Inclusion of People with Disabilities—Through Law and Education” from 5-6:30 p.m. in Room 101 at the College of Law. CART and ASL services will be provided.

“Members of our University community have a unique opportunity to learn from Ms. Heumann’s diverse professional and personal experiences in disability rights and education, both domestically and internationally, and see how change is made at all levels from grassroots to the White House to the United Nations. Syracuse University is extremely honored to welcome her back,” says Katherine Vroman, special education doctoral student and president of the Beyond Compliance Coordinating Committee, one of the sponsors of the event.

Heumann is an internationally recognized leader in the disability community and a lifelong civil rights advocate. Before being appointed special advisor for international disability rights at the U.S. Department of State, she previously served as the director for the Department on Disability Services for the District of Columbia, where she was responsible for the Developmental Disability Administration and the Rehabilitation Services Administration.

From June 2002-2006, Heumann served as the World Bank’s first advisor on disability and development. In this position, Heumann led the World Bank’s disability work to expand the bank’s knowledge and capability to work with governments and civil society on including disability in the bank discussions with client countries; its country-based analytical work; and support for improving policies, programs and projects that allow people with disabilities around the world to live and work in the economic and social mainstream of their communities.

From 1993 to 2001, Heumann served in the Clinton administration as the assistant secretary for the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services in the Department of Education. Heumann was responsible for the implementation of legislation at the national level for programs in special education, disability research, vocational rehabilitation and independent living, serving more than 8 million youth and adults with disabilities.

Sponsors for the event include the Beyond Compliance Coordinating Committee, the School of Education and the College of Law’s Disability Law and Policy Program.