02/16/2026
Haben Girma began losing her sight and hearing at a young age and uses Braille and ASL to communicate and navigate her environment. Girma is the first Deafblind person to graduate from Harvard Law School. She was also named a White House Champion of Change for her advocacy work for students with disabilities.
Haben frames disability as a natural part of the human experience: “My disability is not something I’ve had to overcome. I’m still Deafblind. The biggest barrier I face is ableism, the widespread beliefs and practices that value nondisabled people over disabled people.”
As a lawyer, accomplished writer, and disability rights advocate, Haben Girma’s work focuses on how disabilities drive innovation, challenging ableism, and pushing for accessibility. Haben, who maintains that the only thing she can’t do is a cartwheel, continues to push for change for the disability community every day.
Photo from habengirma.com