Books, a film, and selected writings.
Books and Writing
— Nicole Newnham and Jim LeBrecht, directors of the Oscar-nominated documentary, Crip Camp
"You don't have to have a disability to completely relate to Judy's story. Haven't all of us been dismissed by others at some point in our lives?”
— Library Journal
"Heumann's personality shines throughout. Her voice is witty, persistent, and at times irreverent as she immerses readers in her story."
Co-author · Beacon Press, 2020
— Gloria Steinem
"Her life story as an activist will enlighten readers everywhere."
— Sharon Guskin, author of The Forgetting Time
"Being Heumann changed me. This clear-eyed, gripping book is necessary reading for anyone in a body. Judy Heumann is a true heroine: practical, courageous, and totally badass."
— Hillary Clinton
"As secretary of state, I relied on Judy's insights, knowledge, sass, and wit to elevate advocacy for disability rights in our diplomacy."
An Unrepentant Memoir of a Disability Rights Activist
Being Heumann
Published in the UK, France, Korea, Japan, and Portugal
Audiobook narrated by Tony winner Ali Stroker.
Judith Heumann was the mother of the disability rights movement - fierce, protective, unwilling to let the world leave anyone behind. Deemed a fire hazard by the school that refused to admit her as a child, she grew up to sue New York City for the right to teach - and won. She led the 504 Sit-In, the longest occupation of a federal building in American history; helped force the Americans with Disabilities Act into existence; and served two presidents and the World Bank. She changed everyone who got close to her, including Kristen. For five years, Kristen had the privilege of helping her tell her story.
A Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year for Nonfiction
Deadline · June 2025
Hollywood Reporter · July 2026
Deadline · July 2021
Variety · May 2025
Deadline · July 2026
entertainment weekly · July 2026
Opening Night of the Toronto International Film Festival ·
Press Coverage
now a feature film
Being Heumann World Premiere
Coming to Apple TV - directed by Oscar winner Siân Heder (CODA), from a script by Heder and Rebekah Taussig. BAFTA nominee Ruth Madeley stars as Judy, with Mark Ruffalo as Joseph Califano. The film follows Judy as she leads over a hundred disabled people to take over the San Francisco Federal Building - the 504 Sit-In that led to the first civil rights legislation for disabled people. Judy and Kristen are both executive producers on the film.
— Marlee Matlin, Academy Award-winning actress and activist
"Judy Heumann's journey is told with heart, tenacity, and even humor."
— Booklist, Starred Review
"Inspiring and wryly humorous . . . Readers will be outraged to read about the treatment disabled individuals have faced and still face and cheer as Heumann persists against incredible odds. Necessary reading."
— Marlee Matlin, Academy Award-winning actress and activist
"Judy Heumann's journey is told with heart, tenacity, and even humor."
— Rethinking Schools
"Poignant, funny, passionate, angry — and hopeful. And it is a page-turner."
— Kirkus Reviews
"Heumann's frank accounts of humiliation and dismissal are infuriating, but her conversational narration and snarky chapter titles ('Sorry, If You Could Just Hide Behind Everyone Else That Would Be Great') keep the tone encouraging, and her accounts of disabled people's camaraderie are heartening."
— Keah Brown, author of The Pretty One
“This isn't just a story that disabled children will love; it's a story about what is possible when we fight for ourselves and each other. It is a story about how tenacity, strength, the power of community, and the willingness to fight for what matters can start a revolution."
Judy's story, retold for the readers she cared about most: young people.
Co-author · Young readers
The Incredible, Sometimes Awkward, True Story of a Rebel Girl on Wheels Who Helped Spark a Revolution
Rolling Warrior:
Used in classrooms nationwide by Facing History and Ourselves.
CONTRIBUTOR
— Parker J. Palmer
“The guidance we need right now. At a time when many U.S. citizens feel powerless to influence what's going on in national politics, the wise ones in our midst have urged us to do whatever we can at the local level…this practical and accessible book, written by people whose advice is grounded in experience, will give you a step-by-step map of what comes next. It's a treasure-trove of hard-earned wisdom about positive and lasting social change.”
A Handbook for Community Change - a handbook on how communities actually change.
Pulling Together
The gendered labor nobody prices - in the sector or the house
The collective, by name, in 2019.
"We Need to Use the Collective for Equality"
A letter to the boys.
The blended family, in the New Zealand press, early.
Earlier columns appeared in The Monitor (South Texas)
On what silencing looks like, and the woman who refused it.