haben girma

b. 1988

Oakland, California

Disability rights activist

Girma is a Disability rights activist, author, and Harvard Law's first deafblind graduate, whose mission is disability inclusion and justice.

Through her memoir and various speaking events, she consults companies and organizations to focus on disability inclusion and emphasize the need for accessibility across the board.

Working as a lawyer for Disability Rights Advocates, Girma and team sued a book subscription service on behalf of the National Federation of the Blind and Heidi Viens. The service wasn't equipped to connect with screen readers, making it inaccessible for readers with low vision. Girma argued that this was a direct violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The judge ruled in their favor.

Work cited:

“DRA Achieves Victory in Scribd Case: Internet-Based Companies Must Comply with the ADA.” Disability Rights Advocates, 20 Jan. 2016, dralegal.org/press/dra-achieves-victory-in-scribd-case-internet-based-companies-must-comply-with-the-ada/.

“Home.” Haben Girma, 18 May 2021, habengirma.com/.