by Lucy Mason

On September 7th, I attended Judy Heumann’s lecture on her work advocating for disability rights. As a person with ADHD, I was already familiar with the concept of learning disabilities, but I knew very little about the laws and statistics surrounding access for physically disabled people. I appreciated how knowledgeable and open Ms. Heumann was, and how she shared her story with us to illustrate where some of the major issues with access to education and transportation for disabled people lie. 

This talk made me reconsider my thoughts on Davidson’s disability access. From seeing all the ramps, buttons, parking spaces, and more around campus, I had thought that Davidson was doing well with providing access. However as I sat in the talk, I remembered seeing Sarah Todd Hammer’s Instagram reel about having difficulty opening the door to the library basement. I then realized that her reel might have influenced the removal of the door. Listening to this talk made me confront my own assumptions and consider what Davidson is already doing to support disabled students and what it could work on providing. 

A number of things in this talk reminded me of our readings in class. I noticed that in both disability and reproductive activism, groups begin advocating for themselves because no one else will, or no one else will create an inclusive agenda. Ms. Heumann and her parents’ early advocacy parallels the quest of the women of color from our Jael Silliman reading. I also thought of questions about human rights. For example, how should the government adapt education to fit all disabled needs? Also, what is the difference between taking care of people who cannot support themselves and allowing those who can to advocate and speak up? Similarly, must we group all women who get abortions together, aruging that they do not know what they are doing, or can we allow them to make their own choices? In addition, I believe in the right to bodily autonomy regardless of whether that body or mind is disabled or not, so the state helping people maintain that bodily autonomy, whether through access or reproductive rights, is imperative. Overall, this talk expanded my awareness of disability on campus and inspired me to make more connections with these discussions and our class material.