By Sophie Chen: Grade 8
Haben Girma, the first Deafblind woman to graduate from Harvard Law, shared about breaking barriers during Object’s October workshop. Ms. Girma communicated with the girls by reading her assistant’s live transcription using her braille computer.
Haben is now a disability rights lawyer and works with companies like Apple and Linkedin to ensure their technology is accessible. She was honored by Presidents Obama and Clinton, and shared her stories through her memoir Haben: The Deafblind Woman who Conquered Harvard Law.
Ms. Girma explained the confidence it takes to advocate for justice. She also shared stories of fighting against ableism, when people assumed that the disabled are less competent. She encourages people to take action to help remove small barriers in your community to make it more inclusive.
Here are some takeaways from Ms. Girma’s talk:
“It’s our choice to accept fairness or advocate for justice.”
“If you notice small barriers in your community, don't ignore them. Address them. Advocate for full inclusion. Those small barriers matter.”
“It hurts us when we deny the fact that we're all interdependent, because everyone has times in their life when they depend on other people.”
“Anyone has the ability to make a difference.”
“Take the time to actually talk to people and listen before you advocate.”