Haben Girma

Haben Girma is the first deafblind graduate of Harvard Law School. She applies her unique perspective as a staff attorney at Disability Rights Advocates to dismantle digital barriers for people with disabilities.^[1] The White House has recognized Haben as a Champion of Change.^[2]

Ms Girma was born in California after her mother fled Eritrea in the early 1980s. Growing up in the US school system, she benefited from teachers who set high expectations, inclusive communities, and civil rights laws.^[3] She also had accessible technology, such as a digital Braille device - something her elder brother, who is also deafblind, did not have access to in Eritrea.^[4] Haben now works to change attitudes about disability around the world, including the development of accessible digital services: "Digital information is just ones and zeroes...It can be converted into any kind of format. And those people who develop these services — programmers, technology designers — they have an incredible power to increase access for people with disabilities. And I hope they use it.”^[5]

On July 20, 2015 she met with US President Barack Obama to highlight the importance of accessible technology.^[6]

Public Appearances

• TEDxBaltimore 2014 ^[7]
• White House 2015 ^[8]

References