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Girma says she became a lawyer in part to help increase access to books and other digital information for persons with disabilities. She now works to change attitudes about disability around the world, including the development of accessible digital services: "Digital information is just ones and
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zeroes...It can be converted into any kind of format. And those people who develop these services—programmers, technology designers—they have an incredible power to increase access for people with disabilities. And I hope they use it."
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ruled that the ADA covered online businesses as well. A settlement agreement was reached, with Scribd agreeing to provide content accessible to blind readers by the end of 2017.
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in 1988 to an
Eritrean immigrant family. Her father Girma Kidane Adgoy was born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and her mother Saba Gebreyesus was born in Asmara. Her mother fled
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to highlight the importance of accessible technology. She provided introductory remarks on the occasion, the 25th anniversary of the
Americans with Disabilities Act.
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for allegedly failing to provide access to blind readers, in violation of the
Americans with Disabilities Act. Scribd moved to dismiss, arguing that the
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Girma lost her vision and hearing as a result of an unknown progressive condition beginning in early childhood. She retains 1% of her sight.
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in 2010. She then became the first deafblind student to attend and graduate from
Harvard Law School, earning her J.D. in 2013.
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172:—something her elder brother Mussie Gebre, who is also deafblind, did not have access to in Eritrea. She graduated from
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born and raised in Addis, in
California. Haben's parents are fluent in three languages; Tigrinya, Amharic, and English.
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Girma enjoys participating in physical activities including surfing, rock climbing, kayaking, cycling, and dancing.
1101:"Disability Rights Advocate and LSC Alum Haben Girma on making her way in the world with help from her guide dog"
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805:"Why I work to remove access barriers for students with disabilities | Haben Girma | TEDxBaltimore"
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Video: Haben Girma speaks at the 2017 American
Alliance of Museums Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo
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Why I work to remove access barriers for students with disabilities | Haben Girma | TEDxBaltimore
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828:"TEDx Talks Have a Disability Problem—but This Incredible Young Woman Is Working to Change That"
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884:"Presidential Remarks on the 25th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (C-SPAN)"
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581:"Who is "Worthy"? Deaf-Blind People Fear That Doctors Won't Save Them from the Coronavirus"
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408:"Deaf-Blind Harvard Law Grad Slays Every Expectation, But Don't Call Her An "Inspiration""
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856:"Deaf, blind Berkeley resident appointed to national organization's board of trustees"
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Growing up in the United States, Girma benefited from civil rights laws including the
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in 2009. After Maxine's death in 2018, she adopted Mylo, another German
Shepherd.
1073:"New & Noteworthy, From Prince Albert to a Bird's-Eye View of the Apocalypse"
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from the social studies curriculum. The board ultimately reversed its decision.
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1233:"100 Most Influential Africans: Ten Kenyans Including CJ David Maraga Listed"
692:"VIDEO: Deaf-blind Harvard-trained lawyer who made waves now rides them, too"
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477:"Haben Girma – The Journey from Self-Advocate to Legal Advocate to Educator"
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In April 2016, Girma left DRA to take up non-litigation advocacy full-time.
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663:"Launching a career at the intersection of law, education and civil rights"
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2017 - Girma was cited as one of the Top 100 most influential
Africans by
1020:"Texas students will learn about Helen Keller, Hillary Clinton, afterall"
994:"Hey, Texas. Students need to learn about Helen Keller. Don't remove her"
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to Sudan among many other
Ethiopian/Eritrean refugees in 1983 during the
935:"Disability and Innovation: The Universal Benefits of Accessible Design"
30:
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751:"26-Year-Old Deaf-Blind Lawyer Sues Scribd For Alleged Discrimination"
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449:"She Owes Her Activism to a Brave Mom, The ADA and Chocolate Cake"
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720:"An in-depth chat with Harvard Law's first deaf-blind graduate"
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239:(ADA) only applied to physical locations. In March 2015, the
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In 2013, Girma joined
Disability Rights Advocates (DRA) in
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While working for DRA in July 2014, Haben represented the
778:"National Federation of the Blind, et al. v. Scribd, Inc"
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for all of their recorded TEDx talks, including her own.
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632:"First Deaf-Blind Student At Harvard Law Pursues Dreams"
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Boyette, Chris; Holcombe, Madeline (14 November 2018).
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and Ethiopian Civil War. Her mother met her father, an
1128:"Guide dogs don't lead blind people. We wander as one"
1046:"Haben Girma Is a Trailblazer for the Deaf and Blind"
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In January 2015, Girma was appointed to the national
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Stasio, Frank; Campbell, Nicole (November 1, 2013).
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Haben: The Deafblind Woman Who Conquered Harvard Law
966:"This deaf-blind lawyer thinks your app needs work"
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507:"Haben Girma | Disability Rights Advocates"
168:. She also had accessible technology, such as a
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275:On July 20, 2015, Girma met with US President
8:
306:published an op-ed by Girma directed at the
183:to do volunteer work, building schools with
16:Eritrean-American disability rights advocate
1389:21st-century African-American women writers
1208:"The 30 Top Thinkers Under 30: Haben Girma"
29:
18:
1294:Activists from the San Francisco Bay Area
1179:"Meet The 30 Under 30: Law & Policy"
338:. She was matched with her first dog, a
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317:In August 2019, she released a memoir,
176:, a mainstream public school, in 2006.
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295:Apple Worldwide Developers Conference
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1314:American disability rights activists
1153:"Haben girma | The White House"
826:Strochlic, Nina (November 5, 2014).
179:At the age of 15, Girma traveled to
1409:21st-century American women writers
1384:21st-century American women lawyers
1299:American people of Eritrean descent
289:In June 2016, Girma gave a talk on
270:Helen Keller Services for the Blind
1369:American lawyers with disabilities
1206:Andrews, Avital (March 14, 2016).
992:Girma, Haben (19 September 2018).
882:Girma, Haben (November 20, 2015).
406:Bondy, Halley (October 13, 2016).
14:
1354:African-American women memoirists
718:Ochieng, Akinyi (July 20, 2015).
690:Starrs, Jenny (January 4, 2016).
447:Shapiro, Joseph (July 31, 2015).
372:2016 – Top 30 Thinkers Under 30,
1404:21st-century American memoirists
1329:Lewis & Clark College alumni
1044:Bobrow, Emily (August 2, 2019).
964:Kelly, Heather (July 11, 2016).
803:TEDx Talks (February 28, 2014).
749:Adwar, Corey (August 20, 2014).
225:National Federation of the Blind
1334:People from Oakland, California
908:Girma, Haben (April 25, 2016).
854:Jiang, Amy (January 26, 2015).
334:Girma uses the assistance of a
237:Americans with Disabilities Act
166:Americans with Disabilities Act
1105:Clinical and Pro Bono Programs
308:Texas State Board of Education
246:In 2014, Girma gave a talk at
241:U.S. District Court of Vermont
231:resident in a lawsuit against
1:
1399:21st-century American lawyers
661:Bacon, Katie (July 1, 2013).
554:"Eritrea: Haben's First Book"
509:. Disability Rights Advocates
910:"Announcing a Career Change"
310:, which had voted to remove
152:Eritrean War of Independence
1349:African-American memoirists
782:Disability Rights Advocates
119:(born July 29, 1988) is an
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1339:African-American activists
558:Asmarino Independent Media
529:"Deaf Person of the Month"
257:for not readily providing
1344:American women memoirists
1324:Harvard Law School alumni
1309:American deafblind people
355:2013 – Recognized by the
192:Lewis & Clark College
70:Lewis & Clark College
28:
482:American Bar Association
138:Early life and education
126:advocate, and the first
1051:The Wall Street Journal
359:as a Champion of Change
35:Girma in December 2019.
350:Awards and recognition
170:digital Braille device
861:The Daily Californian
357:Obama administration
210:Berkeley, California
1107:. 10 September 2019
697:The Washington Post
303:The Washington Post
174:Skyline High School
144:Oakland, California
58:Oakland, California
1304:California lawyers
1078:The New York Times
667:Harvard Law School
533:www.deafpeople.com
369:, Law & Policy
142:Girma was born in
132:Harvard Law School
79:Harvard University
1159:. January 4, 2016
384:magazine in 2017.
342:named Maxine, by
291:accessible design
266:board of trustees
253:. She confronted
124:disability rights
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96:Disability rights
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1262:Official website
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1081:. August 6, 2019
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784:. July 14, 2016
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1237:Answers Africa
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1157:Whitehouse.gov
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1126:Girma, Haben.
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53:(age 36)
51:July 29, 1988
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1364:Deaf lawyers
1241:. Retrieved
1239:. 2017-12-07
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312:Helen Keller
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277:Barack Obama
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130:graduate of
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1289:1988 births
914:Haben Girma
382:New African
367:30 Under 30
281:White House
117:Haben Girma
23:Haben Girma
1283:Categories
1243:2021-01-15
1029:26 October
1003:26 October
943:Apple Inc.
389:References
47:1988-07-29
1217:April 21,
1191:April 21,
1163:April 20,
977:April 21,
949:April 21,
919:April 21,
893:April 21,
867:April 21,
839:April 21,
807:. YouTube
788:April 21,
762:April 21,
703:April 21,
672:April 21,
643:April 21,
488:April 21,
419:April 21,
336:guide dog
300:In 2018,
251:Baltimore
128:deafblind
66:Education
811:July 28,
734:July 28,
513:July 28,
458:July 28,
268:for the
259:captions
156:Eritrean
121:American
98:advocate
888:YouTube
362:2016 –
293:at the
279:at the
229:Vermont
185:buildOn
148:Eritrea
103:Website
1187:. 2016
1184:Forbes
1137:16 May
1111:16 May
615:16 May
590:16 May
564:16 May
538:16 May
413:Oxygen
365:Forbes
233:Scribd
204:Career
93:Lawyer
60:, U.S.
212:as a
1219:2017
1193:2017
1165:2017
1139:2020
1113:2020
1087:2019
1059:2019
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1005:2019
979:2017
951:2017
945:2016
921:2017
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869:2017
841:2017
813:2016
790:2017
764:2017
736:2016
705:2017
674:2017
645:2017
637:WUNC
617:2020
592:2020
566:2020
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