Before 1990, it was legal to discriminate against someone based on their disability. And today, thanks to the incredible work of disabled people and their allies, we are now celebrating 35 years of progress towards a more accessible and equal world thanks to the Americans with Disabilities Act. To mark the beginning of Disability Pride Month, we’re spotlighting Haben Girma, the first deafblind person to graduate from Harvard Law by reading her self-titled memoir, Haben. A disability rights lawyer, Girma now engages in non-litigation advocacy, focusing on combating social isolation in the disabled community, and is currently a Commissioner for the WHO Commission on Social Connection.
As a teenager, Saba fled Asmara during the overlapping Eritrean War of Independence and the Ethiopian Civil War, escaping a future full of violence. Safe in Oakland, California, her daughter, Haben, had to fight for her own independence against injustice. As a young deafblind girl, Haben was energetic and stubborn, refusing to be held down by ableism, sexism, or racism. With the right tools, Haben knew she could do anything, and wanted to try. Growing up, the newly enacted Americans with Disability Act, allowed her a toolkit and the resources needed to advocate for herself throughout school and in life. By standing up for herself and pushing herself to be the best she could, Haben became the first Deafblind person to graduate from Harvard Law, working with her colleagues to uphold the very civil rights law that helped her succeed.
“Disability is not something an individual overcomes. I’m still disabled. I’m still Deafblind. People with disabilities are successful when we develop alternative techniques and our communities choose inclusion.”
– Haben Girma
In her memoir, Grima is thoughtful, charming, and funny. Her strong personality, even as a young girl, is evident and gets her into (good) trouble as she charges at life head-on. Book Club Groups that love memoirs from headstrong leaders will enjoy Grima’s exploits around the globe, from building a school in Mali to sliding down an iceberg in Alaska. Girma does an excellent job of inviting readers into her world, showing them that being deafblind doesn’t mean a person can’t achieve whatever they put their mind to.
A lifelong reader, Girma is an advocate for braille literacy and furthering independence for the blind. In Haben, she recalls how her education and love of reading were made possible with resources like the Talking Book and Braille Service, a nationwide program that provides free matter for the blind/print disabled. Technology is a great tool for people with disabilities, but it can fail. Promoting tangible literacy, skills, and an inclusive world independent of technology leads to an equitable future where the world isn’t only accessible to able-bodied people.
Further Reading:
- “An In-Depth Chat with Harvard Law’s First Deaf-Blind Graduate” by Akinyi Ochieng
- “What the A.D.A Means to Me” by Judy Heumann, Alice Wong and Haben Girma
- Against Technoableism: Rethinking Who Needs Improvement by Ashley Shew
- (excerpt)
If you’re interested in requesting Haben for your book club, you can find the Request Form here. There are 8 copies and 1 Audio CD. (A librarian must request items)
Girma, Haben. Haben. TwelveBooks. (2020)
