ADA generation activists carry on Judy Heumann's legacy as Being Heumann film opens

36m

Summary

The film Being Heumann, directed by Sian Heder, opened in theaters in November 2026 and premiered on Apple TV on November 13, 2026.
The film retells Judy Heumann's role in the 1977 San Francisco sit-in led with Kitty Cone, which won enforceable rules for Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
Section 504, a single sentence promising disability rights, needed regulations to be enforceable; the sit-in of a federal building lasted nearly a month and succeeded.
Judy Heumann, known as the mother of the disability rights movement, died in 2023; the Americans with Disabilities Act followed in 1990.
A new generation of activists, including Kaleigh Brendle's Judy's League, is pushing back against Trump administration efforts to roll back Section 504 protections.
In October 2026, a federal judge agreed to strip mentions of 'integration' of people with disabilities from Section 504 regulations.

Kaleigh Brendle, founder of Judy's League, said watching the film made her feel 'we're here again' but strengthened her resolve and gave her hope.
Liam Holland, 25, said the 'Sign 504!' chant gave him chills because the same battles are still being fought almost 50 years later.
Cricket Bidleman, 27, said history coming full circle was not encouraging but that disabled activists did it once and can do it again.
Ellana Crew, 30, said it is remarkable how many sentiments in the 1970s-set film, such as pity and charity-based attitudes, still feel relevant today.
Leigh White, 30, said disabled people are in a crucible being fired at on all sides, and urged remembering Heumann's grit and dedication.
Joe Shapiro, a former correspondent and friend of Heumann, said she was fueled by the idea of an ADA generation seeing the law as a floor, not a ceiling.

A new generation of disability rights activists carry on Judy Heumann's legacynpr.org· 36m
An NPR article reports that a new generation of disability rights activists, the ADA generation, carries on Judy Heumann's legacy as the film Being Heumann, opening November 2026 in theaters and on Apple TV, retells her role in the 1977 San Francisco sit-in led with Kitty Cone that won enforceable rules for Section 504; Heumann died in 2023. Activists like Kaleigh Brendle, who founded Judy's League, say they are pushing back against Trump administration rollbacks and an October 2026 ruling stripping "integration" language from Section 504 regulations, seeing the same battles fought nearly 50 years later.

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