Being Heumann is bringing a major chapter of the American disability rights movement to a wider streaming audience. The film, directed by Siân Heder, follows activist Judy Heumann and the 1977 occupation of a federal building in San Francisco, a protest that became a defining moment in the fight for disability rights and equal access.

When does Being Heumann come out?

Apple Original Films says Being Heumann opened in select theaters on November 6, 2026, and will premiere globally on Apple TV on Friday, November 13. The streaming date is confirmed by Apple’s official press announcement. Availability may depend on the Apple TV service and the country where a viewer is located.

What is the film about?

The story centers on Judy Heumann, a disability rights activist who helped lead a coalition of disabled people and allies in a protest at the San Francisco Federal Building in 1977. The demonstrators occupied the building as part of a campaign demanding action on Section 504, a provision of federal law that prohibits disability discrimination in programs receiving federal financial assistance.

Apple’s synopsis describes a group of activists who take over government offices and refuse to leave until officials respond. The film frames the protest as a story of collective action, organizing and people who were often excluded from decisions about their own lives insisting that their rights be recognized.

Who stars in Being Heumann?

Ruth Madeley plays Judy Heumann. The cast also includes Mark Ruffalo, Dylan O’Brien, Rob Delaney, Roberta Colindrez, Russell Harvard, Daniel Durant, Michael Patrick Thornton and others. Apple says the film is written, directed and produced by Heder, with Rebekah Taussig as co-writer.

Heder previously directed CODA, a film that brought disability and family communication into mainstream awards conversations. Being Heumann shifts the focus from an intimate family story to a political movement, while keeping the experiences of disabled people at the center.

Why the 1977 protest matters

The occupation is remembered as a turning point in the push to enforce Section 504. Activists remained inside the federal building for weeks, drawing attention to barriers that affected housing, education, transportation, employment and public services. The protest helped demonstrate that disability rights were not simply a matter of individual accommodation; they were a question of civil rights and public policy.

Heumann later became one of the most influential disability rights advocates in the United States, working in government and international disability policy. Her memoir, Being Heumann: An Unrepentant Memoir of a Disability Rights Activist, provides the basis for the film’s broader historical perspective.

What viewers should know before watching

This is a dramatized feature film based on real events, not a documentary transcript. Viewers who want the full historical context can pair it with Heumann’s memoir and reliable histories of the Section 504 sit-in. That distinction matters because films condense timelines and create dramatic scenes, while the underlying protest involved many organizers, negotiations and participants.

Being Heumann arrives at a time when stories about civil rights movements are still being debated and retold. Its central subject is not simply a past protest, but the people who organized when the systems around them were not designed to include them.

Official source: Apple Original Films: Being Heumann trailer and release information.