The new Judith “Judy” Heumann Memorial Award for Leadership and Service in Accessibility, Disability Rights and Inclusion recognizes U.S. Department of State employees whose efforts in the area of accessibility and disability rights help create and maintain an inclusive work environment. Where employees with disabilities have equal opportunity and access. The award also commemorates Heumann’s work at the State Department and around the world.
Humann, known as the “mother of the disability rights movement”, was the first Special Advisor for International Disability Rights at the State Department, serving from 2010 to 2017. In this role, he developed and led America’s comprehensive strategy to promote and protect it. Working to advance the rights of persons with disabilities at the international level, removing barriers and creating inclusion.
Heumann also played a key role in the development and passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990, a landmark law that prohibits discrimination against individuals with disabilities in various areas of public life. Her work has had a profound impact on the advancement of disability rights nationally and internationally, bringing disability rights to the forefront of foreign policy and foreign aid.
The State Department established this new award to recognize an employee’s outstanding achievement in advancing the Department’s accessibility, disability rights, and inclusion goals that clearly highlight significant contributions related to accessibility and disability rights. Became the first annual award.
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