Haben Girma is the first Deafblind person to graduate from Harvard Law School. She advocates for equal opportunities for people with disabilities. President Obama named her a White House Champion of Change. She received the Helen Keller Achievement Award, and a spot on Forbes 30 Under 30.
Haben travels the world consulting and public speaking, teaching clients the benefits of fully accessible products and services. She’s a talented storyteller who helps people frame difference as an asset. She resisted society’s low expectations, choosing to create her own pioneering story.
Haben is working on a book that will be published by Hachette in 2019. She has been featured extensively in media around the world, including the BBC, NBC, Forbes, NPR, and many more.
Haben says, “I grew up facing access barriers as a deafblind person, and that inspired me to become a lawyer and work to remove access barriers facing people with disabilities around the world. About 12 years ago, I attended a camp for the blind and met an amazing blind dancer. She taught me my first swing and salsa lessons. I also do tandem surfing. Surfing feels very liberating and exciting. And I love being able to connect with people and to share tactile, kinaesthetic languages. We should try to move towards a more inclusive world, so that it’s no longer a big deal for a deafblind person to go to law school.”
Visit Haben at: https://habengirma.com
