This story most recently aired in the 12/1/22 Crosscurrents episode.
Haben Girma is a 31-year-old lawyer from Oakland. In 2013, she was named a Champion of Change by President Obama. In 2016, she was listed in Forbes Magazine’s 30 under 30, and it’s all because of her work in the disability community.
Girma was born deafblind to an Eritrean mom and Ethiopian dad. Her passion for helping the disabled community led her to become a lawyer, and the first ever deafblind person to graduate from Harvard Law School. She’s won cases against major companies and today she consults with organizations and companies to make sure they make products that are accessible and provide services that are inclusive. Now, she’s writing a book about her life.
"Haben: The Deafblind Woman Who Conquered Harvard Law" comes out in August and is available to pre-order now.
