The virtual discussion came several weeks into the COVID-19 crisis that has closed most school campuses from pre-kindergarten through college. The impact on people with learning differences has been especially hard.
Heumann said the disruptions from the pandemic highlight the need to work cohesively to advance education for all learners. She said policy discussions must include the voices of people with disabilities. Obstacles to inclusion, she noted, endure because disability is not woven into mainstream culture.
Heumann has a long history in activism. She played a pivotal role in reframing disability rights as human rights, helping drive the passage of landmark legislation and policies in the United States. She served as Assistant Secretary of the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services during the Clinton Administration, as the World Bank’s first Advisor on Disability and Development, and as President Barack Obama’s Special Advisor on Disability Rights to the State Department.
She said Stanford can help advance outcomes for all learners. “If disability becomes more commonplace at places like Stanford," she said, "Stanford can become a leader in setting the direction for higher education to expand its ability to effectively educate all people.”