Haben Girma

Best-Selling Author

The book cover shows Haben Girma in profile, confidently facing forward in a blue dress. The background is a warm red, and white text over the bottom half of the image says, 'Haben: The Deafblind Woman Who Conquered Harvard Law. Haben Girma.'

The New York Times, Oprah Magazine, and TODAY Show featured her best-selling book, Haben: The Deafblind Woman Who Conquered Harvard Law. The story takes readers on adventures around the world, including her parents' homes in Eritrea and Ethiopia, building a school under the scorching Saharan sun, training with a guide dog in New Jersey, climbing an iceberg in Alaska, fighting for blind readers at a courthouse in Vermont, and talking with President Obama at The White House. Warm, funny, thoughtful, and uplifting, this captivating book is a testament to Haben's determination to resist isolation and find the keys to connection.

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Keynote Speaker

In the Blue Room at the White House celebration of the 25th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, President Barack Obama is standing at a table typing to Haben Girma using a white QWERTY keyboard. He’s wearing a charcoal suit with a blue tie and a smartwatch. Haben is across the table from him reading his words in Braille on her BrailleNote Apex. She’s wearing a sleeveless navy blue dress. Vice President Joe Biden and Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett observe the interaction with interest. In the background, the room has a vibrant blue rug with gold star patterns and matching floor-length drapes. Painted portraits adorn the walls.

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 White House Champion of Change. She believes disability challenges are opportunities for innovation, sparking new technologies that move society forward. Haben travels the globe teaching organizations how to build stronger, resilient, and more connected communities.

A spellbinding speaker, her keynotes have touched the stages of Apple, Bottega Veneta, Disney, Gartner, Google, Microsoft, Oxford University, and many more. Her engaging presentations ignite audiences to make positive changes in their communities. TIME included her as a speaker in TIME100 Talks.

Contact our team with speaking requests or other inquiries. Email [email protected].

Video: Haben is standing behind a clear podium, wearing a headset microphone. She is wearing a bright red sleeveless dress and a light-colored smartwatch on her left wrist. Her hair is pulled back, and she has small hoop earrings. She is holding up a BrailleNote Apex. The braille display has a row of braille cells on the bottom and a QWERTY keyboard on top.
Haben Girma speaks at the 2017 Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo
Descriptive Transcript

What People Say About Haben

"Thank you so much, Haben, for that amazing introduction, and for working to make sure that students with disabilities get a world-class education, just like you have. So please give Haben a big round of applause."

President Barack Obama

"She got out of Harvard, and you know what she's doing? She is an advocate for opportunities for people with disabilities. Because in fact they have enormous ability, and all over the world that ability is going untapped, diminishing their lives and the rest of ours as well. So let's give her a big round!"

President Bill Clinton

"I wish to take this opportunity, as well, to recognize you for your lifelong advocacy for people with disabilities, especially for the deaf-blind community. As a teacher and Prime Minister, I am particularly grateful for your work to ensure that students with disabilities have access to the tools they need to thrive at school and beyond. When our society is inclusive, we are all better off."

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

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