Haben Girma

First Deafblind Graduate of Harvard Law School

The first Deafblind person to graduate from Harvard Law School, Haben Girma is an award-winning advocate, author, and keynote speaker. She earned the Helen Keller Achievement Award, reached Forbes 30 under 30, and President Obama named her a Champion of Change. She believes disability challenges are opportunities for innovation, sparking new technologies that move society forward.

“Pioneering Advocate for Disability Rights”

Topics

Transforming Challenges into Opportunities
Gaining the Innovation Advantage
Accessibility: A Conversation with Haben Girma

Languages

She presents in English.

How she presents

Haben exudes magnetic energy, captivating hearts and minds effortlessly. Her engaging presentations ignite audiences to make positive changes in their communities.

Publications

2019
Haben: The Deafblind Woman Who Conquered Harvard Law

Microsite

Talk to us about Haben Girma

Gallery

In Detail

Haben travels the globe teaching organisations how to build stronger, resilient, and more connected communities. Her bestselling book Haben: The Deafblind Woman Who Conquered Harvard Law takes readers on adventures around the world, including building a school in Mali, training with a guide dog in New Jersey, climbing an iceberg in Alaska, and fighting for blind readers at a courthouse in Vermont. Warm, funny, thoughtful, and uplifting, this captivating book shows how we can resist isolation and find the keys to connection. The New York Times, Oprah Magazine, TODAY Show, and Stephen Curry have all praised the book. TIME included her as a speaker in TIME100 Talks. In 2023 she became one of the first leaders appointed to serve as a Commissioner for the World Health Organization’s new Commission on Social Connection.

What she offers you

Haben is a talented storyteller who helps people frame difference as an asset. She resisted society’s low expectations, choosing to create her own pioneering story. She shares with audiences worldwide her incredible life story and her amazing journey from isolation to the world stage (and standing ovations).