When you get ready to complain or think of an excuse about why you can’t do or accomplish something, think of Haben Girma. You just might find that her story gives you the inspiration you need to push through.
Girma is the first deaf-blind student to graduate from Harvard Law School. Now, the Eritrean-American woman is fighting for better access and education for other deaf-blind people around the world.
In a speech she delivered at the White House, Girma shared some of her family’s story. In Eritrea, when Girma’s grandmother took her older brother to school, they told her that deaf-blind children could not be educated. It was impossible.
At 16-years-old, in the midst of Eritrea’s 30-year-war, in their fight for independence from Ethiopia, Girma’s mother walked three weeks, through Eritrea’s deserts until a refugee organization helped her immigrate to the United States.
It was there, in the U.S. that Haben Girma was born. Like her brother, she too was deaf and blind.
But in the United States, there was a different attitude toward educating children with disabilities. And, as you might imagine, that made all the difference.
Haben, now 27, used her access to her education to make her way to and eventually graduate from Harvard Law School.
“Graduating from Harvard Law School says a lot about what can be done when you have the right attitude.”
She was able to do this by using a digital braille display and a QWERTY keyboard for communication.
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In a visit to the White House earlier this year, celebrating the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, President Obama used the technologies to communicate with Girma.
Girma said “That sends a very empowering message. It reminds the rest of the United States and the rest of the world that having an inclusive attitude ensures that people with disabilities can contribute their talents to society.
She’s now a lawyer who works to ensure with the Disability Rights Advocates in California to ensure that other students don’t face the challenges, with lack of technology.
This is such an amazing story and a reminder to us all about the importance of a positive attitude, determination and inclusion.
You can see how Girma navigates everyday life and watch her meeting with President Obama in this video over at the BBC Africa.
