What does it take to carve out a career, a voice and a legacy when every obstacle seems designed to hold you back?
Meet Haben Girma, the first deafblind graduate of Harvard Law School and one of the most respected disability rights advocates of our time. Her story is not framed by limitation but by leadership and innovation.
Born in Oakland, California, to African parents, she began losing her hearing and sight as a child through a progressive condition. By the time she reached adulthood she had only a tiny fraction of her vision left and could no longer rely on sound. Yet rather than retreat, she began charting her own path, mastering Braille and digital technology, learning to advocate for herself and for others, and excelling academically. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Anthropology from Lewis and Clark College, graduating magna cum laude, before breaking new ground at Harvard Law School.
At Harvard she pioneered ways of participating in lectures and seminars using a refreshable Braille display connected to a wireless keyboard. Others typed, and she read each word with her fingertips before responding aloud. This simple but powerful tool became a bridge between her and the world, and a living example of the kind of innovation she would later urge organisations to adopt.
Her determination did not go unnoticed. In 2013 the White House named her a Champion of Change. In 2015, at the 25th anniversary celebration of the Americans with Disabilities Act, she stood at the White House to introduce President Barack Obama and his Vice President, Joe Biden. During that event President Obama personally typed a greeting to her, which appeared instantly on her Braille display, symbolising what is possible when inclusion meets technology.
Today Haben is an author, speaker and consultant whose work influences technology companies, educational institutions and policy makers around the world. Her memoir, Haben: The Deafblind Woman Who Conquered Harvard Law, has become a touchstone for people seeking not only to understand disability but to rethink innovation itself. She has been recognised on Forbes “30 Under 30” list for Law and Policy, and continues to advise leaders on how to design systems that welcome rather than exclude.
She often reminds audiences, “Disability is not something an individual overcomes. I’m still Deafblind. I’ve built a culture of inclusion.” She also insists that “disability drives innovation,” a truth visible in her own life. Her journey shows that accessibility is not charity but justice, and that when barriers come down, creativity and opportunity rise for everyone.
Haben Girma’s life shows that challenges are not meant to crush us but to shape us. She transformed the loss of sight and hearing, inaccessible systems and doubt into resilience, creativity and leadership.
Her journey calls us to face our limits differently. What if the very thing you see as your greatest disadvantage is the seed of your strongest contribution? What if the barriers in your path are actually invitations to build something new?
Persistence and curiosity can open doors not just for you but for many others. Challenges can mold you into a leader. Resilience can turn hardship into innovation. Your story too can be the spark that changes the world.
The Brief Network: Inspiring Stories and Empowering Lessons.
