In Memory of Judy Babbitt
1940 - 2016
Judy Babbitt was born in 1940 in Rapid City, South Dakota. In 1946, Judy contracted polio, a contagious disease that affects nerves and paralyzed and killed many across the entire USA. Being only six at the time, Judy learned quickly to adjust the new way of life. Her family taught her from the “get-go” that while she had a difference and a different way of doing some things, she did not have a deficit.
Judy was always a woman of strength and determination. After graduating from Rapid City High School, she attended the University of Colorado, and then served in the voluntary United States Peace Corps for two years. In the Peace Corps, Judy was stationed in the Philippines and taught English as a second language to Filipino teachers. In March of 1965, Judy married Milton Babbitt, a high school pal, and they moved to San Antonio, Texas. Judy then attended Trinity University and received her MA degree in Urban Planning in 1972. Along the way, Judy was a camp counselor, traveled extensively in Europe and Asia, became a real first-class member of the hippie generation, lived in a commune, developed and managed an after-school study hall. Adapted from 2005 Oral History Project.
Judy was the longtime ADA Coordinator for the City of San Antonio, a member of the Coalition of Texans with Disabilities, and an activist for the rights of people with disabilities. Through her life activities and her professional achievements, Judy was a model for full inclusion in all aspects of society for people with disabilities (above: Earlier this year, Judy at a bake sale supporting grass roots disability rights efforts).
Dennis Borel
CTD Executive Director
October 19, 2016
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