[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 45 (Thursday, March 9, 2023)]
[House]
[Page H1235]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1715
           COMMEMORATING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF JUDY HEUMANN

  (Ms. TITUS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Ms. TITUS. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the life and 
legacy of Judy Heumann, an internationally recognized activist and 
trailblazer who I am also fortunate enough to have called a friend.
  As a young girl in a wheelchair, Judy was denied entry to her local 
public high school because she was considered a ``fire hazard.''
  Years later after graduating from college with a degree in education, 
she was again discriminated against and denied the opportunity to 
teach. She challenged the city in court and went on to become the first 
teacher in a wheelchair in New York.
  Her passion for justice and inclusion persisted throughout her 
lifetime. I was honored to work with her to craft and pass disability 
legislation of my own in recent years.
  Judy once said: ``Disability only becomes a tragedy when society 
fails to provide the things we need to save lives.''
  I will continue to pursue disability advocacy in Congress with her 
quote and her legacy top of mind and close to heart.

                          ____________________