News

On Parks, Guide Dogs, & Ableism

I’m wearing a shirt that says “Commit to Inclusion” and smiling down at Mylo, a German Shepherd Seeing Eye dog. Behind us is a grass-covered hillside with forested hills in the distance.

Park rangers stop us every time. “No dogs allowed. You need to leave.” Their surprise upon learning it’s a real, actual Seeing Eye dog puzzles me. The Parks & Recreation Department trains them to identify coyotes and mountain lions, but not Seeing Eye dogs? 

But today was different. The ground shook as their truck drove up the path, slowing as it approached us. The park ranger scrutinized us, and then drove on. Our persistence, our insistence that we can enjoy California’s beautiful parks as nondisabled people do, is teaching park rangers to respect Seeing Eye dogs!!!

Many blind people wonder if having a guide dog is worth the ableist harassment. It’s a personal choice. County officials could help by increasing accessibility and training. We need more people advocating for inclusion.

Speaking at Deloitte

My Seeing Eye dog and I stand in front of a large sign. About four feet tall, the 3D letters spell EQUITY. Lightbulbs on each letter brighten the word. Behind them stand a row of trees, beyond which stretches a lush green field topped by clouds glowing in the setting sun.

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.

A Guide Dog in Mexico

I’m leaning against a large, 3D letter L. An E is next to it, forming the first two letters of the city, Leon. Mylo is lying down on the floor in front of the L, and behind us is a grand stone arch, Arco Triunfal de la Calzada de los Héroes.

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

I’m standing on stage, speaking at a podium with the Gartner logo. My Seeing Eye dog Mylo is beside me.

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

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.

Sign the Petition Opposing California’s Ableist End of Life Option Act

Please add your name to the petition

Read about the case

Video transcript

If you or someone you know needs immediate help, call or text the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988.

Tilting The Lens

Sinead, a visibly disabled white woman with shoulder-length brown hair wears a red coat with golden accents. Her hands are on a keyboard in front of her. Sitting beside Sinéad is Haben, a Black woman with long dark hair, gold earrings, and a blue and white dress. She’s reading braille on a computer that’s not visible under the table. They’re both smiling.

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

WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros and I are discussing the report in his office. We’re sitting in armchairs, both wearing face masks, and my braille computer is in my lap. The small round table between us has the WHO flag, and on the wall is a framed image of the WHO’s Headquarters building in Geneva.

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

Mylo & I standing before the River Thames across from Parliament and Big Ben. Mylo, a German Shepherd, wears a brown leather and metal harness from The Seeing Eye in New Jersey.

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