Eating at Ziryab, a Deaf-owned restaurant in Barcelona

Haben signs with the waitress Madona at Ziryab restaurant

Disabled people bring innovative thinking to organizations, and disabled-owned businesses spark unforgettable experiences. Ziryab hires Deaf and hearing employees, and one of the owners is Deaf. It’s an extremely popular restaurant in Barcelona. Why do you think that is? Descriptive Transcript Haben and her Seeing Eye dog walk along a flagstone, pedestrian street past a … Read more

Sensory Gardens: Ireland vs Sweden

Dreaming of a garden oasis? Allow me to share my experiences visiting the Garden for the Blind in Dublin, Ireland, and a sensory garden in Lund, Sweden. Each one teaches an accessibility feature communities can add to create beautiful, multisensory gardens.   Descriptive Transcript Haben wears a short-sleeved navy blue dress, with her elbow resting … Read more

Learn Accessibility Skills at the Teach Access Student Academy

Teach Access Student Academy. Free 2 day virtual workshop on accessibility! Thursday, February 20th & Friday, February 21st. Whether you're new to accessibility or looking to deepen your understanding, this workshop will empower you to create a more accessible world! Students of all kinds are welcome. Sponsored by verizon, google, salesforce, meta, and Merck.

Increase your accessibility skills through the Teach Access Student Academy, a free virtual workshop on February 20 and 21. Descriptive Transcript Haben Girma, a Black woman in her thirties, stands in front of a blue wall. Haben: Do you want to learn more about accessibility? Teach Access is hosting a Student Academy. It’s free, it’s … Read more

Join Haben Girma & Mychal Threets at the Berkeley Public Library

On the left is the book cover for Haben: The Deafblind Woman Who Conquered Harvard Law. On the right, Mychal stands beside Haben and they are both smiling. Mychal, with an eye-catching Afro and snazzy tie, does a thumbs-up. Haben signs ILY with one hand and with her other hand holds the leash of her Seeing Eye dog. Text on the flyer reads: Author talk with Haben Girma moderated by Mychal Threets. Saturday, Jan 11, 2 pm. West Branch Library 1125 University Ave.

Author Haben Girma and librarian Mychal Threets invite you to the Berkeley Public Library, West Branch, for a conversation on disability stories, mental health, and accessibility. Join us in person or on Zoom. ASL interpretation, captioning, and the space is wheelchair accessible. Saturday January 11, 2:00 pm Pacific Berkeley Public Library Page with Zoom Link: … Read more

World Braille Day 2025

Haben and Nessa communicating using a keyboard and braille display at the Sydney Opera House

World Braille Day is January 4th, the birthday of blind inventor and teacher Louis Braille. Help us spread Braille accessibility around the globe!

World Braille Day 2025

Descriptive Transcript

Two women sit in red chairs on the lower deck of a ferry. Haben Girma, a Black woman in her thirties, types on a wireless keyboard while Nessa Vlajkovic, a white woman in her twenties, reads on a Braille computer. Haben’s guide dog Mylo rests peacefully at her feet.

Haben (voiceover): We’re both Deafblind, but I don’t know Australian Sign Language and she doesn’t know American Sign Language.

The camera switches to an extreme close-up of round white dots rapidly popping up and down as they form characters on a BrailleNote Touch.

Haben (voiceover): We’re able to chat and form a friendship through Braille.

Haben and Nessa are now standing by a small cocktail table inside the Sydney Opera House. Nessa is typing on a keyboard and Haben is reading on a Braille computer, touching Nessa’s hand to sign reactions intermittently. Panoramic windows show  the Sydney harbor bathed in late-afternoon sun. Mylo is at Haben’s feet looking around alertly.

Haben (voiceover): A lot of people who would benefit from Braille don’t have access. It’s World Braille Day, and we want to encourage all of you to ask your communities to invest in Braille. Ask your communities to have Braille classes available for everyone who needs it.

A photo of a tactile 3D model of the Sydney Opera House appears. On all four sides of the Opera House are print labels with Braille under them. The labels say: North Facing Harbour, East Facing Botanic Gardens, South Facing City, and West Facing Circular Quay.

Haben (voiceover): Ask your communities to have Braille signage around buildings.

Haben and Nessa are again seen by the cocktail table inside the Sydney Opera House. Nessa has the keyboard and is laughing as she types to Haben.

Haben (voiceover): And make sure websites and apps are also accessible in Braille.

Haben Will Speak at the Berkeley Public Library

On the left is the book cover for Haben: The Deafblind Woman Who Conquered Harvard Law. On the right, Mychal stands beside Haben and they are both smiling. Mychal, with an eye-catching Afro and snazzy tie, does a thumbs-up. Haben signs ILY with one hand and with her other hand holds the leash of her Seeing Eye dog. Text on the flyer reads: Author talk with Haben Girma moderated by Mychal Threets. Saturday, Jan 11, 2 pm. West Branch Library 1125 University Ave.

Literacy ambassador Mychal Threets will chat with Haben Girma, author of Haben: The Deafblind Woman Who Conquered Harvard Law. Serving up captivating stories sprinkled with humor, their conversation will cover disability rights, mental health, and how to advocate for a barrier-free world. A Q&A will follow, and copies of Haben’s book will be available for … Read more

Yes, Disabled People Can Be Doctors

Dr. O smiles as he holds up a copy of Haben’s book, and she smiles as she leans toward him. Haben is a Black woman in her thirties wearing a blue dress and long, dark hair. Dr. O is a Black man in his thirties wearing a dark blazer, dark-rimmed glasses, and short black hair. They’re sitting at a table in a ballroom.

Dr. O uses a wheelchair, and he’s working toward a future where the idea of disabled people becoming doctors no longer surprises people. I had the honor of sharing the stage with him at the AAMC Annual Meeting, teaching medical schools about the need to increase accessibility for students. Dr. Oluwaferanmi O. Okanlami, MD, MS … Read more

Trying Vegan Donuts in Berlin

Trying Vegan Donuts in Berlin

Video description

I’m sitting at a picnic table with three colorful round pastries in front of me. Behind me is my German Shepherd Seeing Eye dog, and a cobblestone square lined with trees.

Haben: This is going to be my first vegan donut experience. These are from Brammibal’s, and they’re actually the first fully vegan donut shop in Europe. The one on my left has lots of crumbles on top. And it’s heavy with some kind of filling inside. It’s overwhelmingly sweet, which is what you want in a donut. And the crumbles are little bits of pistachio, and it’s a good balance of nutty pistachio and also creamy sweetness. I wouldn’t have known it was a vegan donut. It just kind of tastes like a nutty pistachio donut. And then there’s another one!

She picks up the middle donut.

Haben: So I want to be able to share with these videos and travels that disabled people can have fun, can enjoy life. And it’s really about making our world more accessible so disabled people have access to all the different opportunities available to nondisabled people. Even if it’s access to doughnuts! So, what is this one?

She takes a bite.

Haben: Strawberry! Sometimes donuts have very mild flavors, and this one has a very strong strawberry flavor. So I like that. The third and final donut!

She tries it.

Haben: It has more of a white chocolate flavor with bits of strawberry on top. My favorite is going to be the strawberry donut.

She sets the white chocolate donut back on the table.

Haben: The second is pistachio. Even though they’re vegan, they’re still donuts!

Centering Disability Justice at the World Health Summit

Speakers stand together in front of a blue screen that says “World Health Summit, October 13-15, 2024, Berlin, Germany & Digital.” From left to right we have: R. Vensya Sitohang, Natasha Smith, Haben Girma, Hellen Anurika Beyioku-Alase, María José Plaza, Jarrod Clyne, Rachel Veldkamp, Jérôme Salomon. Haben’s seeing eye dog Mylo is standing in front of her wearing his harness and looking alert, and a podium sits on the far-right side.

For the first time, the World Health Summit held a high impact session centering health equity for disabled people. The enthusiasm of leaders from around the world underscored the need to address disability justice in all future health summits. I had the honor of moderating this historic session in Berlin on October 13, 2024. Key … Read more