SUNY New Paltz is excited to present a virtual event with Judy Heumann, the “internationally recognized bad-ass disability activist” and former Special Advisor for International Disability Rights at the U.S. Department of State, on Wednesday, April 6 at 1 p.m. “In Conversation with Judy Heumann: Experiences of an Unrepentant Disability Rights Activist” is presented as part of the College’s annual Disability Studies Series, and will feature Heumann in conversation with Assistant Professor of Teaching & Learning April Coughlin about the past, present and future of disability rights. Known as the “Mother of Disability Rights,” Heumann is a pioneer in the development and implementation of equity legislation including Section 504, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Born in Brooklyn, New York, Heumann contracted polio in 1949 and began to use a wheelchair for mobility. She was a founding member of the Berkeley Center for Independent Living, which was the first grassroots center in the United States and helped to launch the Independent Living Movement both nationally and globally. In 1983, Heumann co-founded the World Institute on Disability as one of the first global disability rights organizations working to fully integrate people with disabilities into their communities via research, policy and consulting efforts. She served for the duration of President Clinton’s tenure as Assistant Secretary for the Office of Special Education & Rehabilitative Services in the Department of Education, and later served in President Obama’s Department of State from 2010-17. As Senior Fellow at the Ford Foundation from 2017-19), Heumann wrote “Road Map for Inclusion: Changing the Face of Disability in Media.” Heumann currently serves on a number of non-profit boards, including the American Association of People with Disabilities, the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund, Humanity and Inclusion, as well as the Human Rights Watch board. She is a featured subject in the Oscar-nominated documentary “Crip Camp: A Disability Revolution” and author of the 2020 memoir “Being Heumann.” Her podcast, The Heumann Perspective, features rich conversations around disability culture, art, entertainment, policy and advocacy. **Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86019991074**