I delivered a keynote at Deloitte University, and imagine my delight in discovering this tactile, Deafblind-accessible sign! The design allows people to see or feel equity.
Haben Girma
A Guide Dog in Mexico
Traveling to Mexico with a guide dog has gotten so much easier! A USDA endorsed health certificate is no longer required, cutting down on extra vet visits, costs, and stress. All we need is proof of rabies vaccination and the usual U.S. DOT Service Animal Air Transportation form. When we arrived in Mexico, a customs … Read more
Teaching Accessibility at Caesar’s Palace
Standing on the Caesars Palace stage, I invited tech leaders to think of disability-inclusive designs as opportunities for greater innovation. An audience is a gift, and I’m grateful Gartner gave me this platform to teach people about accessibility.
A New Accessible Pedestrian Signal for Blind Travelers
Most street corners lack pedestrian signals we can feel or hear. Imagine the liberation offered by an app using AI to read visual signals! OKO is free, too!
I’m excited for portable, accessible pedestrian signals, but I also have questions: How reliable is it?
Video Description
Haben Girma and her guide dog Mylo are standing at a street corner. She is holding up her phone toward the pedestrian signal.
iPhone: (Don’t walk signal, Slow Beeping).
Haben: I’m testing out a new app called OKO. When I get to an intersection, I hold up my phone and scan for a pedestrian signal. When it detects it and it’s a red light, it beeps slowly. It also pulses so I can feel the vibration. Then when the light changes, it speeds up. So you can either hear or feel when the light’s green.
(Fast beeping)
Description: Haben puts her phone in her pocket and then speaks to her guide dog.
Haben: Forward!
Description: Seeing Eye dog Mylo starts walking into the intersection with Haben.
Haben: Then my guide dog and I cross the street.
Sign the Petition Opposing California’s Ableist End of Life Option Act
Over eighty percent of physicians suffer from disability bias, yet California’s End of Life Option Act lacks protections against ableism and racism. We have filed a lawsuit to stop this discriminatory law.
Please add your name to the petition
If you or someone you know needs immediate help, call or text the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988.
Deaf Twins Hermon and Heroda Berhane Advocate for Greater Accessibility on Tinder
In the UK, 71% of Tinder users would feel nervous dating a deaf person. Relax! Deaf twins Hermon & Heroda (a.k.a. Being Her) teamed up with Tinder to teach British Sign Language and share accessible dating tips. Here are three. Do you have tips to add? 1. Ask the person how they would like to … Read more
Tilting The Lens
Disabled educator & author, Sinéad Burke founded Tilting The Lens to increase accessibility in fashion. The industry has already mainstreamed glasses, and one day all our disability accessories, from canes to clothing that flatters unique bodies, will be equally accepted. Thank you, Sinead and Emma!
World Health Day 2023
It’s World Health Day! I met with World Health Organization Director-General Dr. Tedros to help launch the Global Report on Health Equity for Persons with Disabilities. Share it with your local health agencies & schools. Tell them to remove barriers facing disabled people.
Guide Dogs and Green Vests in London
In London we’ve received a lot of, “If he’s a real guide dog why isn’t he wearing green?” First of all, blind people can & do style up their dogs. Second, guide dog schools exist all over the world with many variations. It’s the training that makes a guide dog, not the outfit. Believe blind … Read more
Visiting the Anne Frank House
At the Anne Frank House, a wonderful guide led us on a touch tour: a sculpture of Anne writing with a fountain pen, the original bookcase that concealed the secret annex, steep ankle-twisting stairs that were challenging for my guide dog Mylo (he managed with assistance), empty rooms carrying the immense loss of the Frank … Read more