In 2013 she became the first deaf-blind student to attend and graduate from Harvard Law School, earning her Juris Doctorate (JD). But Haben Girma beat those odds and then some to become the first deaf-and-blind graduate of Harvard Law School. Girma said that in the digital realm she would like to see captions for all videos and descriptions for all images, noting that there are widely available web content accessibility guidelines that teach developers how to create accessible services. Adapted. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Used by permission. The defendant's [mumble mumble].". She also travels with her seeing eye dog, Mylo. I think he was wondering if you raised your hand.". in 2013. In my final year, I was honored with a Skadden Fellowship, one of the most prestigious fellowships in the legal field. We are talented; we work hard. Neither did I; doing law school deafblind was new to me, too. Haben takes readers through a thrilling game of blind hide-and-seek in Louisiana, a treacherous climb up an iceberg in Alaska, and a magical moment with President Obama at The White House. Harvard's sister school, Radcliffe College, offered Helen Keller admission, and she received her degree in 1904. Even lawyers with disabilities face employment discrimination. To Haben Girma's grandmother, back in East Africa, it "seemed like magic." “The way you’re communicating is so incredible to me,” she said. To communicate through signs, I need to distill my ideas into my limited sign language vocabulary, or otherwise spell out all the words. Meet Haben Girma, The First Deaf And Blind Person To Graduate From Harvard Law School Haben Girma wears a lot of hats: she is a lawyer, a … My biggest struggle was finding a better ways to communicate with classmates and professors. IE 11 is not supported. We argued yes, it does apply to digital places ... so it went back and forth.”. An advocate for equal opportunities for people with disabilities, she … I already have all the blindness skills, but adjusting to hearing loss feels more challenging. As Haben Girma has strongly stated, “Disability is a part of human diversity”. She brought to Harvard her years of skills from navigating high school and college, both in terms of the physical grounds and in her comfort level approaching professors to explain the accommodations she needed. "Well, you're responding, so you can kind of hear us, right?" Girma recently sat down with MSNBC’s Yasmin Vossoughian to discuss her work, plans for the future and why society must work harder to embrace people with disabilities. I was excited to pack my bags and head to sunny California for my new job at Disability Rights Advocates. With the help of her … She admits that she has an older brother, who is also deaf-blind, that didn’t receive the same opportunities as her. Connecting with classmates and professors at Harvard was always important to me, but it wasn't the only reason I moved from Oregon to Massachusetts. Not for Haben Girma, an Eritrean-American who was the first deaf-blind person to graduate from Harvard Law in 2013. Publishers Weekly reviewed Haben's book, "The Deaf-blind woman who conquered Harvard Law", as follows: The case was filed on behalf of the National Federation of the Blind against the online document service Scribd. My face grows hot. Haben Girma, Harvard Law's first deafblind graduate, on fighting for equal opportunity, “Haben: The Deafblind Woman Who Conquered Harvard Law,", Meet Haben Girma, the deafblind woman who made Harvard history. Haben Girma, the first deaf-blind graduate from Harvard Law School, is sitting in the living room of the US ambassador’s residence in Singapore, giving me a crash course in communication. Like this story? She also does work as a disability rights advocate. But the cafeteria was another story. She received the Helen Keller Achievement Award, a spot on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list, and TIME100 Talks. Girma explained she hadn’t planned to apply to Harvard Law, which she thought would be “snobbish,” but an advisor warned her that “a lot of non-disabled law graduates are struggling to get a job” so she should apply to top schools. Haben takes readers through a thrilling game of blind hide-and-seek in Louisiana, a treacherous climb up an iceberg in Alaska, and a magical moment with President Obama at The White House. “There’s a lot of discrimination against people with disabilities. A few of the topics we got into: The harmful messages we should avoid when discussing people with disabilities. Haben Girma is the first deafblind person to graduate from Harvard Law School. “What are some of the active measures you think society needs to take?” Vossoughian asked. So those lessons have helped me as a deafblind woman … learn to advocate so that I have a place at the table.”. She is an Eritrean-American woman who is the first deaf and blind graduate of Harvard Law School. I passed all my classes, even earning several honors. “He graciously switched from speaking to typing so that I could access his words. But Obama wasn’t. The Root quotes Girma: She surfs, dances salsa, and travels around the world. © 2021 KNOW YOUR VALUE. Throughout my three years at Harvard Law School, I continued to face challenges. “Working hard is not enough when there’s ableism ... we also need society to remove the barriers ... that’s when we have full inclusion.”. Harvard eventually opened its doors to women, people of color, and people with disabilities. Girma was named a White House Champion of Change in 2015. My personal experience with discrimination, as well as those I heard from others, sparked my desire to develop legal advocacy skills. She also got her first taste of writing legal arguments, including for one case that she ultimately worked on after she graduated. It's my hearing. ", "The professor just looked at us. Over time, the culture shifted. “All of us face a choice to accept unfairness or advocate for justice.”, Growing up in Oakland, California, Girma heard stories from her parents about “advocacy, fighting for freedom, the war [between Eritrea and Ethiopia],” she said. I sign, "C-O-M-P-L-I-C-A-T-E-D.", "It's complicated? “That taught me to be persistent. She is the first deaf/blind person to graduate from Harvard Law School. Know Your Value editors, writers and experts take care to recommend items we really like and hope you’ll enjoy! Girma explained her hearing translator, Arianne, types what people say and do into a special computer that wirelessly feeds the information to a Braille computer Girma holds. Nervous about committing a social faux pas, I’d used “hearing … So Girma did her research, showed the dining manager that the school was subject to the Americans with Disabilities Act regulations and warned him that she would take legal action if necessary. The problem was the format of the menu.”. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. The manager declined, saying he had 1,000 students to serve and couldn’t make changes for just one. We engaged in an interactive process. “Blindness wasn’t the problem. Haben Girma's life story is filled with remarkable adventures that she details in her new memoir, "Haben: The Deafblind Woman Who Conquered Harvard Law." Haben Girma is the first deafblind person to graduate from Harvard Law School. Haben pioneered her way through obstacles, graduated from Harvard Law, and now uses her talents to advocate for people with disabilities. She credits her mother for her resolve. Haben Girma is deaf-blind. Haben Girma is a Harvard Law School graduate - an attorney. Haben Girma (born July 29, 1988) is an American disability rights advocate, and the first deafblind graduate of Harvard Law School. Deafblind since birth, the disability rights attorney has nonetheless spent her life breaking the boundaries of what some would assume a … Harvard Law School hired American Sign Language interpreters with voice transliteration skills to provide access to audio and visual information in my classes. Around him, 70 students sit in rows of desks facing forward. As a high schooler she convinced her parents to allow her to go to Mali on a program to rebuild a school, for example. Girma has been involved in several other cases on behalf of people with disabilities, and she now focuses on advocacy work. Haben Girma doesn’t believe in setting limits. It taught her that hard work isn’t enough. “That taught me that when I advocate, it’s not just about me,” Girma said. The first Deafblind person to graduate from Harvard Law School, Haben Girma is a human rights lawyer advancing disability justice. Harvard offered me admission with a financial aid package that included grants and loans. “So we sued them,” Girma added. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. “And then they responded saying they don’t have to make their website accessible because the Americans with Disabilities Act, according to their attorney, only applies to physical places, not digital places. An interview with Haben Girma, the first deaf-blind person to graduate from Harvard Law. It all takes work, but she was inspired by her parents to forge a path and strive for equality. Back in those days, Harvard only admitted men. In 2013, Girma became the first deaf and blind student to graduate from Harvard Law School. We tried different strategies until we find the right solutions. Somewhere in front of me, the professor lectures us on contracts. Haben pioneered her way through obstacles, graduated from Harvard Law, and now uses her talents to advocate for people with disabilities. Since then she has worked as a disability rights lawyer and argued critical cases … The inaccessibility of the hearing world constantly threatens to isolate me. My parents supported the move, especially after I promised to return to California post-graduation. When Helen Keller was applying for college, Harvard wouldn't admit her. Reaching down for my guide dog, Maxine, I discover her stretched out. She is currently a civil rights attorney living in Berkeley. It’s just ableism, the assumption that people with disabilities are inferior, that gets in our way. The next day the manager apologized and promised to make the menus accessible, which helped not only Girma but another blind student who matriculated the following year. Her granddaughter, born deaf and blind, is a graduate of Harvard Law School and works as a … “How did you get there?”. She has been invited to the White House and she is deaf and blind. So you can hear us, but it's hard to hear us? The school didn't know exactly which accommodations I need. Neither did I; doing law school deafblind was new to me, too. “Stop assuming we’re incompetent. Haben Girma Is a Trailblazer for the Deaf and Blind The Harvard Law graduate and activist has learned to navigate a world that wasn’t built with her in … It's not the volume, which is already turned to a high setting. Nathan Congleton/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images. That's a lot for any teenager, but Haben was doing all those things while deaf and blind. Girma put up with the situation for several months, telling herself that she at least had food and that there are bigger problems people with disabilities face. My pre-law advisor urged me to strive for the highest ranked school so I could gain access to the most employment opportunities. In some ways, Harvard felt a lot like my other schools. "No more cold, snowy winters for us," I told Maxine. The Harvard community chose to exclude women for the first two hundred-plus years of its existence. The changes are gradual, until all of the sudden my old coping strategies no longer work. "We are talented; we work hard. Seems impossible, right? “My parents came to the United States seeking opportunities, and they found it’s not geography that creates freedom; it’s people and communities that create freedom,” Girma said. So, while every product is independently selected, if you buy something through our links, we may get a small share of the revenue. All Rights Reserved. Before the meeting with Obama, Girma asked his advisor Valerie Jarrett if the president would type on a machine himself to speak to her, or if he would ask someone else to do so. I make a mental note to keep my signing as low as possible. Girma is the first deaf-blind student to graduate from Harvard Law School. The lecture continues, and I strain to catch the words. She runs her fingers over the dots to read, and she responds through speech. But the real key is at the workplace. In 2013 she became the first deaf-blind student to attend and graduate from Harvard Law School, earning her Juris Doctorate (JD). “A lot of people are uncomfortable with something that’s different … they come up with all kinds of excuses that basically say ‘this is weird; I don’t want to get involved,’” Girma explained. Those efforts attracted the attention of the Obama Administration, which in 2015 invited her to the White House to meet the president and give a speech introducing the ceremony to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the ADA. President Obama named her a White House Champion of Change. In the back, interpreters Celia Michau and Erin Foley whisper into a microphone, which has a wireless connection with the receiver, so I can sit anywhere in the classroom. Turning to the back of the room, I lift my hands, then pause. *This is an adapted excerpt from "Haben: The Deafblind Woman Who Conquered Harvard Law," by Haben Girma, published by Twelve, an imprint of Grand Central Publishing. Haben Girma, both blind and deaf, is a disability rights advocate and attorney who became the first deaf and blind graduate of Harvard Law School in Massachusetts when she graduated with a Juris Doctor degree (JD) in 2013. “Let’s encourage employers to hire more people with disabilities,” she said. “I had worked hard, and I was still being denied access,” she said. Today Girma travels the world to teach about the importance of inclusion, especially on the part of employers. Using my voice would disrupt the class. Disability is never the problem. The disability rights attorney, who became the first deafblind woman to graduate from Harvard Law School in 2013, has made it her mission to advocate for … "[Mumble, mumble, static crackle.] Now, the Eritrean-American woman is fighting for better access and … A Division of NBC Universal, Haben Girma with former President Barack Obama. The case, for which Girma wrote the arguments, went to a judge who ultimately ruled the ADA does apply to online places. Just so you know, Know Your Value does have affiliate relationships. Meet Haben Girma, the deafblind woman who made Harvard history “It helps all the people who come after me. The school didn't know exactly which accommodations I need. She wants to live in a world where her feats aren't heroic. That experience inspired me to become an attorney for people with disabilities.”, “It’s difficult for anybody, even those who can see and hear, to get into somewhere like Harvard Law School and succeed,” Vossoughian said. a voice asks. Haben Girma and her seeing eye dog, Mylo. Haben also received the Helen Keller Achievement Award, and a spot on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list. Perhaps the most famous blind student in the world is Harold E. Krents, Harvard graduate and second-year Harvard Law student. But Haben Girma beat those odds and then some to become the first deaf-and-blind graduate of Harvard Law School. Girma said her first impulse was to shrink down, to hide, to try to act like everyone else. The disability office worked with professors to convert all written materials into an accessible format. Haben Girma is the first deaf-blind student to attend and graduate from Harvard Law School, earning her J.D. Later in life, she began traveling the world to teach the benefits of an inclusive society; President Obama named her a White House Champion of Change, and she also received the Helen Keller achievement award. This kind of accommodation combined with a service dog to help her with mobility allowed Girma to become the first Deafblind person to graduate from Harvard Law School in 2013. And then came the big one: Harvard Law School. And we had an awesome conversation.”. “Stop assuming we’re incompetent," Girma told Know Your Value. Copyright © 2019. She recalled applying for countless jobs during college and being called in for an interview only for the employer to write her off as soon she met them. Haben Girma, Harvard Law School's first deaf-blind graduate, is fighting for accessible education for other deaf-blind people worldwide, according to BBC News. And her adventures didn't stop there. Subscribe to CNBC Make It on YouTube! How about now?" Haben Girma graduated from Harvard Law School. The Skadden Foundation provided two years of financial support for my work to increase access to digital reading services for blind students. After I spent months crafting a competitive law school application, offers came pouring in. Harvard Law's First Deafblind Graduate Tells Her Story The 2013 grad, now a disability rights attorney and advocate in San Francisco, has penned a … The disability rights attorney, who became the first deafblind woman to graduate from Harvard Law School in 2013, has made it her mission to advocate for equal opportunities for people with disabilities. She asked the dining manager about posting the menu online or in Braille, or emailing it to her. The Eritrean-American was born in California after her mother escaped Eritrea in the early 1980s. She campions equal access to information for people with disabilities. “I had access to many services that my mother didn’t have growing up,” she said during our interview. But over time she met role models with disabilities who inspired her to push for more. Meet the middle-aged millennial: Homeowner, debt-burdened and turning 40, How a 33-year-old earning $226,000 in San Francisco spends her money, How Marcus Samuelsson came to the US with $300 and became a world-famous chef. It’s just ableism, the assumption that people with disabilities are inferior, that gets in our way.". Girma was born in Oakland, Calif., in … It wasn’t always easy or comfortable: In college in Oregon, she was provided with Braille course materials and other accessibility accommodations. Harvard excluded many groups throughout its history. I'm 22 years old, and every year my hearing and vision have dimmed. That journey has been a long one for Girma, who attended a mainstream school and didn’t realize until she was about eight years old that there was anything different about her. 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