Judith (Judy) Heumann formerly served as the Special Advisor for International Disability Rights at the US Department of State from 2010-2017. She is now building an online presence under The Heumann Perspective through social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Youtube. This new project is intended to broaden and spur discussions on the intersectionality of disability rights. On a recent trip to Washington, DC, Dr. Brent Elder made dinner plans with Judy Heumann, and she invited him to her home to film an episode of The Heumann Perspective. What follows is a short video of their conversation about inclusive education, representation in the media, and disability rights.
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The October 2018 “technical learning session” began like the opening ceremonies of the Olympics. The Global Disability Advisor of the World Bank, Charlotte McClain-Nhlapo, introduced each of the 12 country delegations represented at the session.
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I was invited to speak at a conference on disability in Seoul, South Korea, that was also a celebration of the Korean translation of “Federal Disability Law in a Nutshell,” written by Ruth Colker (the original edition included the late Adam Milani as co-editor). The conference coincided with International Disability Day, Monday, December 3rd. My wife, Trisha Moloney Schwartz, accompanied me as the trip’s sign language interpreter.
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You know you are in Japan when you see Hiroshima. The Atomic Bomb Dome brings to life the moment the bomb hit – it was one of a very few structures still standing after the blast, and it bears mute witness to the horror of that morning in August 1945. Here’s what ended World War II, and look at what it entailed: vaporized human beings, burning corpses, whole blocks and neighborhoods completely destroyed – gone without a trace. Visiting Hiroshima is like visiting Auschwitz. The context is different, but one basic truth remains: human beings destroyed other human beings on a massive scale.
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