Solutions Marketing Group

Providing clients with innovative strategies that position them to understand, penetrate and retain the disability market.

  • Home
  • About
  • What We Do
  • Blog
  • Learn From Us
    • Boot Camp
    • eBook
  • Contact
  • Home
  • About
  • What We Do
  • Blog
  • Learn From Us
    • Boot Camp
    • eBook
  • Contact

SMG Celebrates Women’s History Month: Judith Heumann

March 27, 2017

As the Solutions Marketing Group team continues to celebrate Women’s History Month, we are highlighting the significant contributions of exemplary women with disabilities. Today, we honor International Disability Rights Consultant and a pioneer in the disability rights movement, Judith (Judy) Heumann.

What sparked your desire to pursue disability advocacy as a career?

Judith HeumannWhen I was growing up, I wanted to be a teacher. I wanted to be a singer. I wanted to be an actress. I did not choose to become a disability rights advocate. But there were so many barriers limiting my options, both professionally and personally. Lack of accessible transportation, lack of accessible streets, prejudiced views towards me, my friends and millions of others I didn’t know because we had a disability. It became obvious to me that in order for me to pursue my dreams, I would have to work on removing these barriers. The civil rights movement enabled me to use the word “discrimination.” I was being discriminated against because I had a disability. I also was being discriminated against because I was a woman – a woman with a disability. Once I was able to publicly speak using the term “discrimination” in violation of my civil and human rights, I became much more empowered. Working with disabled people has always been a critical part of my life. While we have different types of disabilities, we faced discrimination. I realize as progress is made to end discrimination, it enables us to exercise our human rights. As a result, we become more empowered and recognize our voices must be stronger. I have learned that I cannot be ashamed of who I am. My disability has made me a stronger person.

What is your educational background?

I was denied the right to go to school until I was 9 years old. When I started going to school in the 4th grade, I was in a class only for disabled children that was racially integrated. I was the first student from my special education class to graduate and go to high school. Before that, students in my special education class stayed in the school until they were 21 and then went to segregated sheltered workshops. I went to a high school in Brooklyn, but couldn’t go to my neighborhood school since it wasn’t accessible. From elementary through high school, my daily commute was two to three hours. This was so long because we had to pick up other disabled students. Those long rides were a great opportunity for me to talk with my friends who had disabilities.

After high school, I went to Long Island University in Brooklyn, New York and majored in both speech and theater; and minored in education.  I studied to be a speech therapist, but had a passion to be a teacher. I shifted my focus and began taking classes to prepare me for the classroom. At that time, there were no teachers who used wheelchairs in the New York City public school system. After suing the  New York Board of Education because they considered my use of a wheelchair to be a fire hazard, I won the case, obtained my teaching credential and taught for 3 years, This made me the first wheelchair user to teach in the state of New York. I then decided to move across country to get my Masters in public health at University of California, Berkeley.

What is your specialty?

Advocacy, community organizing and public policy.

What was your first job?

I had many small jobs while in college. My first job was working at Camp Jened as an intern in upstate New York. This was a camp for disabled youth and I had been a camper there for years. I also worked at Long Island University as a college work-study student in the president’s office. While in college, I had a summer internship working as a social worker at a community senior center in Brooklyn.

What was your favorite job?

I don’t have one job that was my favorite job. I have been very fortunate to learn from every position I’ve had.  After suing and getting my teaching license, I was fortunate to teach disabled students for three years. The segregated environment I worked in was not ideal for me, or the students. But it gave me an opportunity to encourage the disabled students to dream their real dreams and to think about careers that they were interested in rather than what people told them they should do.

I also had an unpaid position as the President of Disabled in Action, in New York. This gave me and my friends the tools and experience we needed to advance the rights of people with disabilities.

I also served at the Berkeley Center for Independent Living (CIL), as the Deputy Director. That was a phenomenal job! As the first Center for Independent Living in the United States, we were able to do work I never dreamed possible. I worked alongside non-disabled and disabled people to fight for equality. I learned how to organize to get city, county, and state government to be more responsive to the needs of disabled people, which was a phenomenal experience. The Section 504 demonstrations were just one part of the work we were able to do and worked in collaboration with other disability rights organizations. We also worked with organizations from the labor movement, women’s movement, the interfaith community and every day citizens who cared about equality and drove that message in all of our work. Working at CIL was like being in a candy store.

I was a co-founder of the World Institute on Disability and worked collaboratively with Ed Roberts and Joan Leon. This was the public policy organization run by people with disabilities. This was a difficult but wonderful job because we created an organization from its infancy. We demonstrated that the voices of disabled people were critical in the areas of public policy and research.

My job as the Assistant Secretary for the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services was an honor I never thought I would have. Working in the Clinton Administration was difficult, but very rewarding. We pushed an agenda of inclusion, which brought voices of disabled people and parents to the table. We also hired disabled people in senior positions and worked to integrate disability across the Department of Education. We collaborated with agencies across the government to advance disability rights, which resulted in a progressive legislative agenda. This provided students with an opportunity for greater inclusion, not only in the classroom, but also placed focus on acknowledging that employment was a critical outcome of education. Supporting and strengthening Centers for Independent Living was also an important part of our agenda.

I also worked at the World Bank, as their first Advisor on disability. This position had some unique challenges. While the President of the World Bank was supportive of inclusion, many others did not see its value, which presented barriers. But, I am very proud of the work that we did to advance disability inclusion within the World Bank’s agenda.

As the Director of the Department on Disability Services for the District of Columbia, I had the privilege of improving services for disabled people, but also providing them with a voice and seat at the table.  I learned, first-hand, about the challenges the District faced and how we could make a difference.

Finally, I served as an Obama Appointee and was the first Special Advisor for International Disability Rights at the State Department. I had a small, dedicated team, and together we advanced disability inclusion in U.S. foreign policy and diplomatic work. This job enabled me to take what I learned over 40 years and share that knowledge to advance the human rights of disabled people around the world. I traveled to many countries, worked with our embassies, held meetings with international disability rights organizations, and governments to develop a message of disability inclusion throughout the world.  My role was to represent the U.S. government and President Obama to express our views, and shed light on removing discriminatory policies and practices which limit opportunities for disabled people around the world. I often shared the progress we’ve made, and where we still need to do more work within the United States. I always emphasized the importance having diverse voices of disabled people at the table.

What piece of advice do you have for women with disabilities?

Dream big, work hard, work in collaboration with others, feel proud of who you are and never take “no” as an answer.

What do you want your legacy to be?

I believe in justice and equality for ALL. JUSTICE and EQUALITY doesn’t come easy. We need to respect each other and fight together for change – here and around the world.

How can we find you on social media?

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/judith.heumann

Twitter: @judithheumann

купить кресло мешок украина

Filed Under: Profiles in Excellence Leave a Comment

Tags: advocacy, Judy Heumann, Women's History Month

find this post helpful? Try these:

Kathy MartinezSMG Celebrates Women’s History Month: Kathy Martinez Six-year old model Kyrie UkemaModeling: Another Way to Advocate
share

SMG Celebrates Women’s History Month: Kathy Martinez

March 22, 2017

In honor of Women’s History Month, Solutions Marketing Group recognizes and celebrates the achievements of women who’ve broken barriers, defied odds and make our world better. Kathy Martinez has shattered ceilings in government and corporate America and is the Senior Vice President and Head of the Disability Segment Market Brand and Strategy for Wells Fargo.

Kathy MartinezWhat sparked your desire to pursue disability advocacy as a career?

Growing up, people often reacted to the fact that I was blind—not as much to the fact that I was a woman or a Latina. I noticed how differently I was treated than my sighted brothers and sisters.  When I was looking for a job in the early ‘80’s, the options were extremely limited and opportunities to escape from the poverty trap were practically nonexistent. I also noticed that when a friend or relative became disabled they had little access to services and opportunities, which are available to the nondisabled public and their friends and associates immediately lowered expectation for that person after the person acquired a disability. Those were some of the drivers that catapulted me into being a disability rights advocate.

What do your responsibilities include in your role at Wells Fargo?

I am responsible for establishing an enterprise-wide focus on improving the accessibility of Wells Fargo products and services for customers and team members with disabilities. This includes collaborating with Wells Fargo line of business and channel leaders, and the company’s Diverse Ability Team Member Network to implement a comprehensive strategy around recruiting, philanthropic donations, online accessibility and vendor policies dedicated to serving people with disabilities and their families.

Prior to working at Wells Fargo, where did you work?

I joined Wells Fargo in March of 2015 from the U.S. Department of Labor where I served as the Assistant Secretary of the Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP). I led ODEP in putting policy priorities into practice through several innovative grant programs.  These include Add Us In, through which a nationwide group worked to increase the capacity of small businesses to employ people with disabilities. The grant program also included the Employment First State Leadership Mentor Program, through which several states received support to promote community-based, integrated employment as the primary outcome for people with significant disabilities.  

Under my leadership, ODEP also launched the award-winning Campaign for Disability Employment, a national, multi-organization public awareness initiative that educates about the value and talent people with disabilities bring to America’s workplaces and economy.  The campaign produced two television public service announcements (PSAs), “I Can” and “Because,” both of which challenge common myths and misconceptions about the expectations and job skills of people with disabilities.  

Prior to being appointed by the President Obama in 2009, I served as executive director of the World Institute on Disability. There I successfully managed a number of initiatives, among them Proyecto Visión, a national technical assistance center to increase employment opportunities for Latinos with disabilities in the U.S.  I have also served on the National Council on Disability, the board of the U.S. Institute of Peace, and the State Department’s advisory committee on disability and foreign policy.

What is your educational background?

I have a BA in communications and organizational/industrial psychology.

What is your specialty?

My specialty is designing, developing and implementing strategy, programs and projects, which result in the inclusion of people with disabilities in nonprofits, government and the private sector.

Here is a collection of places you can buy bitcoin online right now.

Filed Under: Profiles in Excellence Leave a Comment

Tags: advocacy, disability, Kathy Martinez, ODEP, Wells Fargo, Women's History Month

find this post helpful? Try these:

Judith HeumannSMG Celebrates Women’s History Month: Judith Heumann Six-year old model Kyrie UkemaModeling: Another Way to Advocate
share

Welcome

Whether you are interested in breaking ground in the market as a company, you are living with disability or love someone who is, we’re committed to keeping you abreast of what matters to people with disabilities—and why—so stay with us.

SIGN UP

Get the latest SMG updates in your inbox!


Categories

  • Featured
  • General
  • Notes from the Founder
  • Profiles in Excellence
  • SMG Tip
  • Video

Archives

  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • May 2019
  • January 2019
  • November 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • May 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • July 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • October 2014
  • July 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • March 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012
  • October 2012
  • September 2012
  • July 2012
  • April 2012
  • December 2011
  • October 2011
  • August 2011
  • April 2011
  • February 2011

Contact Us

Quick Facts

The disability market consists of 56M people, representing an annual disposable income of $544 billion.

The disability market is more than twice as large as the tween market (20M), and has almost 3X the disposable spending power ($180B).

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, of the 69.6 million families in the U.S., 20.3 million families have at least one member with a disability.

A University of Massachusetts Boston survey found 92% of consumers felt favorably toward companies hiring people with disabilities; 87% prefer to do business with such companies.

By the year 2030, 71.5 million Baby Boomers will be over the age of 65 and demanding products, services, and environments that address their age-related physical changes.

Featured Clients

Darden Restaurants
American Express
AT&T
Sodexo
Bank of America
Wellcare
BlueCross BlueShield
ESPN
Zappos
Nike
Hilton
Get the latest SMG updates in your inbox!

678-805-7091 | info@disability-marketing.com

© 2025 Solutions Marketing Group

| a doodle dog creative website and brand