The Deafblind Woman Who Conquered Harvard Law
Haben is a memoir that weaves personal story with a practical understanding of accessibility and inclusion. Haben Girma recounts her journey growing up Deafblind, navigating education systems, workplaces and public spaces that were rarely designed with her needs in mind. Rather than framing disability as limitation, the book focuses on problem-solving, collaboration and creativity.
Technology plays a central role throughout the narrative. Girma explains how tools such as screen readers, braille displays and custom workflows enable communication, learning and professional participation. These examples are not presented as special accommodations, but as design choices that expand who can take part. The book makes a strong case that accessibility is not separate from innovation, but one of its drivers.
Alongside personal experiences, Girma reflects on law, policy and advocacy, showing how individual stories connect to structural barriers. She highlights everyday moments — meetings without captions, documents in inaccessible formats, digital platforms that assume one way of interacting — and explains how small design decisions can exclude or include entire groups.
For leaders, educators and product teams, the book offers concrete takeaways. It encourages testing systems with assistive technologies, offering multiple formats by default and involving disabled users early in design processes. Haben is both engaging and instructive, showing that accessibility work is not about compliance alone, but about dignity, participation and better outcomes for everyone.
About the Author
Haben Girma is a disability rights lawyer, public speaker and accessibility advocate. She is the first Deafblind graduate of Harvard Law School and has worked with global organisations, companies and governments to advance inclusive design and disability rights.
Girma’s work sits at the intersection of law, technology and human-centred design. She advises teams on accessibility strategy, digital inclusion and innovation, and is known for translating complex accessibility requirements into practical, actionable steps. Her advocacy emphasises collaboration rather than charity, and curiosity rather than fear.
Through her writing and speaking, Girma challenges assumptions about disability and competence, while demonstrating how inclusive practices improve systems for everyone. Her memoir has been widely used in leadership development, education and technology contexts as an entry point into accessibility thinking grounded in real-world experience.
