Keynote Address - Friday, June 27
Judith E. Heumann
Director, District of Columbia Department on Disability Services
Judith E. Heumann is an internationally recognized leader in the disability community and a lifelong civil rights advocate for disadvantaged people. She currently is the Director for the Department on Disability Services for the District of Columbia. She is responsible for the Mental Retardation and Developmental Disability Administration and the Rehabilitation Services Administration.
From June 2002 to 2006, Judith E. Heumann served as the World Bank's first Adviser on Disability and Development. In this position, Heumann, an internationally recognized expert on disability and diversity issues, led the World Bank's disability work and worked to expand the Bank's knowledge and capability to work with governments and civil society on including disability in the Bank discussions with client countries, its country-based analytical work, and support for improving policies, programs, and projects that allow disabled people around the world to live and work in the economic and social mainstream of their communities.
From 1993 to 2001, Heumann served in the Clinton Administration as the Assistant Secretary for the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services in the Department of Education. Heumann was responsible for the implementation of legislation at the national level for programs in special education, disability research, vocational rehabilitation and independent living, serving more than 8 million youth and adults with disabilities.
