Well, I Laughed 152: Fully Heumann [Righteous Resistance pt.2: Judy Heumann and the ADA]
Apr 29, 2026
A look at Camp Jened’s radical summers where disabled teens found joy, community, and the roots of a movement. Stories trace Judy Heumann’s fight against exclusion and the rise of organized protests like the 504 sit-ins and the Capitol Crawl. The episode highlights how grassroots networks grew into Centers for Independent Living and helped push the Americans with Disabilities Act into reality.
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How America Deliberately Excluded Disabled People
- Public life in 1950s–70s was structurally inaccessible so many disabled people were excluded from schools, transit, buildings, and jobs.
- Grant explains how lack of ramps, elevators, curb cuts, and segregated special classes made exclusion routine and normalized isolation.
Camp Jened Gave Teenagers Their First Taste Of Normal Life
- Camp Jened offered teenagers with disabilities a normal teenage experience and radicalized attendees by showing them what life could be.
- The hosts describe Crip Camp footage of campers laughing, being carried off buses, and counselors teaching empathy and participation.
Campers Lived Full Sexual Lives That Shocked Outsiders
- Campers at Jened experienced typical teenage milestones, including sexual discovery and relationships, which shattered outsiders' assumptions about desire and adulthood.
- Grant cites Neil Jacobson's memory of a counselor teaching him to make out and a teen recounting sexual moments at camp.