Class of 2015

Judith Heumann profile picture

Judith Heumann

U.S. Department of State

We are proud to induct Judith Heumann, Special Advisor for International Disability Rights at the U.S. Department of State, into the Susan M. Daniels Disability Mentoring Hall of Fame’s 2015 inaugural class.

Judith Heumann is an internationally recognized leader in the disability community and a lifelong civil rights advocate for disadvantaged people. In June 2010, she was appointed to her current position as the Special Advisor for International Disability Rights at the U.S. Department of State.

As the Special Advisor, Heumann leads the Department efforts to encourage and assist foreign governments and civil society organizations to increase their commitment and capacity to protect the rights, and ensure the inclusion and full participation of, persons with disabilities.

She served as the World Bank’s first Advisor on Disability and Development and served in the Clinton Administration as the Assistant Secretary for the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services in the Department of Education from 1993 – 2001. She previously worked with numerous disability rights organizations including co-founding the World Institute on Disability and the Center for Independent Living in Berkeley, California.