Meet the first deaf-blind graduate from Harvard Law School: She is a star

Haben Girma defied all rules of society by becoming the first deaf-blind to graduate from the prestigious Harvard Law School this year. She showed the zeal to be a go-getter and not a victim. She has become a real inspiration to others, both with disabilities and without them. Originally from Eritrea, Haben was born in California.

Her impressive resume brags of a degree from Harvard Law School, and Bachelors in Arts, magna cum laude, from Lewis and Clark College. And Haben did this not just for herself but to advocate for the civil rights of people with disabilities.

In her TED Talk, Haben talked about breaking the stereotype around people with disabilities. And the kind that suggest that to be a lawyer you must be a fox-like personality of a man. She insisted on changing that image to that of a woman when people envisage the persona of a lawyer. Haben asserts how people with disability can be real achievers.

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Now she is working as a lawyer to try to improve access to this technology and challenge expectations of people with disabilities. Earlier this year, she met US President Barack Obama.

Haben has attended many talks around the world, speaking on her experience as a lawyer with disabilities. She spoke at the Opening Address of the White House on the 25th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

“Thank you Haben for making sure students with disabilities have access to a world class education just as you have," Obama said at the event, as reported by Makers.

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She currently works at a Sacramento law firm fighting for those who cannot fight for themselves to get them access to their rightful resources. She not only did it for herself, but also for  millions of others like her struggling to make their lives significant in the society.

Women around the world are rising up despite any disabilities, even Indian women like Manasi Joshi, who lost her left leg in an accident, started playing badminton and now she has traveled 11 countries and won numerous para-badminton tournaments.  Another girl with courage is Geet who became India’s first actress with disabilities and her talent came across in Zee Cine Star Ki Khoj, a talent hunt show for acting.

Picture Credit- Brunswick SO