"As we mark the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) this week in 1990 and the 10th anniversary of Human Rights Watch’s work on disability rights this year, I think about the trailblazer Judy Heumann, who influenced both milestones.
Judy, who passed away in March, was a pioneer in the disability rights movement. A member of Human Rights Watch’s Board of Directors, she reminded us that disability is the one family anyone can join at any time. There are more than one billion people with disabilities worldwide – one in seven people. They are our relatives, friends, neighbors, and colleagues living with physical, sensory, intellectual, and psychosocial disabilities, visible and invisible. Some we are born with, others we acquire at some point in our lives. Disability rights should matter to all of us."