White House Blog: My ADA Story: A Deafblind Lawyer Dismantling Digital Barriers

My ADA Story: A Deafblind Lawyer Dismantling Digital Barriers The President shared a moving story of how, in the years before Congress passed the ADA, his father-in-law — who had multiple sclerosis — would sometimes hold himself back because he didn’t want his disability to inconvenience others. With that story, President Obama reminded Americans that … Read more

President Obama, Haben Girma, and Alice Wong highlight how technology empowers people with disabilities

President Obama Celebrates the 25th Anniversary of the ADA

Transcript

HABEN GIRMA: I hope to use the technology to help teach others that technology can bridge the gap for people with disabilities, and as internet services open more opportunities for people, we’re going to see more people with disabilities employed and succeeding.

(The President hugs Haben)

HABEN: Thanks for supporting us.

THE PRESIDENT (typing): I couldn’t type a hug.

HABEN: I prefer real hugs to typed hugs.

(Laughter)

(Scene changes to The President speaking at a podium)

THE PRESIDENT: Thanks to the ADA, the places that comprise our shared American life – schools, workplaces, movie theaters, courthouses, buses, baseball stadiums, national parks – they truly belong to everyone.

THE PRESIDENT: Millions of Americans with disabilities had the chance to develop their talents and make their unique contributions to the world, and thanks to them, America is stronger and more vibrant – it is a better country because the ADA – that’s what this law has achieved.

(Scene changes to The President talking to Alice Wong via videoconference robot)

Unidentified: This is Alice Wong.

THE PRESIDENT: Hi Alice. We’re having a great celebration. I want to thank you for your leadership.

ALICE: I’m honored to be here, and I’m honored to be part of this.

THE PRESIDENT: I hope that you know that you’ve got a friend in the White House that’s gonna be fighting every day to continue to make the advancements that we’re talking about.

ALICE: Thank you so much for everything you’ve done for Americans with disabilities.

(Scene changes to The President typing to Haben)

THE PRESIDENT (typing): Hi Haben.

HABEN: Hello, it’s good to meet you. I was chatting with Valerie Jarrott earlier, and we were wondering if you could type as fast as she can.

(Laughter)

THE PRESIDENT (typing): She is much faster.

HABEN: Your typing is pretty good; my dad types with two fingers.

(Laughter)

THE PRESIDENT (typing): I am too.

HABEN: You’re typing with two fingers?

(Laughter)

THE PRESIDENT: I’m gonna type a little faster now – I’m Embarrassed.

(Scene changes to The President talking to Alice)

Unidentified: Alice – show The President what you can do with the machine.

THE PRESIDENT: Alison, you’re gonna move up a little bit here?

ALICE: (inaudible)

THE PRESIDENT: There you go.

THE PRESIDENT (dancing): To the left, to the right.

(Laughter)

THE PRESIDENT: We can do a little dance.

ALICE: Absolutely.

Unidentified: To your left, Alice. There we go.

THE PRESIDENT: How cool was that?

Unidentified: And then right this way.

(Scene changes to The President typing to Haben)

THE PRESIDENT (typing): We are so proud of the leadership you have shown. Your dad must be proud, too. That time I typed with more than two fingers.

(Scene changes to The President speaking at a podium)

THE PRESIDENT: Millions of Americans with disabilities have had the chance to develop their talents and make their unique contributions to the world, and thanks to them, America is stronger and more vibrant – it is a better country because the ADA. That’s what this law has achieved.

Haben’s White House Remarks

Presidential Remarks on the 25th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (C-SPAN)

Haben had the honor of introducing President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden at the White House 25th Anniversary Celebration of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Transcript

HABEN: Good afternoon! (Good afternoon!) My name is Haben Girma. Allow me to share a story.

When my grandmother took my older brother to school in East Africa, they told her that deafblind children can’t go to school. There was simply no chance. When my family moved to the U.S., and I was born also deafblind, we were amazed by the opportunities afforded by the ADA—opportunities won by advocates like all of you.

In 2010, I entered Harvard Law School as its first deafblind student. Harvard didn’t know exactly how a deafblind student would succeed, (Laughter) and honestly…I didn’t know how I would survive Harvard. (Laughter) Without having all the answers, we pioneered our way using assistive technology and high expectations.

For my grandmother back in Africa, my success at Harvard seemed like magic. To all of us here, we know that people with disabilities succeed not by magic, but from the opportunities afforded by America and the hard-won power of the ADA.

Through my work at Disability Rights Advocates, I strive to ensure that people with disabilities have full access to the digital world—internet services, online businesses, websites, and apps. Every day I’m reminded that as far as we’ve come, the drive for equality is not over.

And now, it’s my honor to introduce two leaders who work to ensure that all Americans have the opportunity they seek: please welcome Vice President Joe Biden and President Barack Obama!

(Applause.)

THE PRESIDENT:  Hello, everybody!  (Applause.)  Well, welcome to the White House.  And 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.  (Applause.)

So on a sunny day 25 years ago — I don’t know if it was as hot as it is today — (laughter) — President George H.W. Bush stood on the South Lawn and declared a new American Independence Day.  “With today’s signing of the landmark Americans [with] Disabilities Act,” he said, “every man, woman and child with a disability can now pass through once-closed doors into a bright new era of equality, freedom and independence.”

Twenty-five years later, we come together to celebrate that groundbreaking law — (applause) — and all that the law has made possible.  Thanks to the ADA, the places that comprise our shared American life — schools, workplaces, movie theaters, courthouses, buses, baseball stadiums, national parks — they truly belong to everyone.  Millions of Americans with disabilities have had the chance to develop their talents and make their unique contributions to the world.  And thanks to them, America is stronger and more vibrant; it is a better country because of the ADA.  (Applause.)  That’s what this law has achieved.

So today, we honor those who made the ADA the law of the land -– many of whom are here today.  Tom Harkin — (applause) — Tom Harkin is in the back there, and Tom delivered speeches in sign language on the Senate floor in favor of this law, in part inspired by his brother, Frank.

Bob Dole is here.  (Applause.)  A war hero whose combat-related disability informed the way he advocated for all Americans with disabilities.

Tony Coelho — (applause) — told he couldn’t become a priest because of his epilepsy, so he became a congressman instead — (laughter) — and helped to pass the ADA, so fewer Americans would find the word “no” being an obstacle to their dreams.

In the 1970s, Judy Heumann helped lead the longest sit-in at a federal building in U.S. history, in support of disability rights.  (Applause.)  Today, she’s at the State Department, advocating for people with disabilities worldwide.  She and all the others I mentioned deserve America’s thanks for their tireless efforts.  (Applause.)

I want to thank some of the activists who are here — folks like Ricardo Thornton and Tia Nelis.  (Applause.)  In 1999, the Supreme Court ruled that institutionalizing people with disabilities — isolating them, keeping them apart from the rest of the community — is not just wrong, it is illegal.  Ricardo and Tia have pushed to make sure that ruling is enforced.  And I am proud of what my administration has done to ensure that people with disabilities are treated like the valuable members of the communities that they are.  (Applause.)

And I want to thank all the members of Congress and members of my administration who are here today — including our outstanding Secretary of Labor, Tom Perez — (applause) — and the White House’s fantastic new Disability Community Liaison, Maria Town.  (Applause.)  Yay, Maria!

Now, days like today are a celebration of our history.  But they’re also a chance to rededicate ourselves to the future — to address the injustices that still linger, to remove the barriers that remain.

The ADA offered millions of people the opportunity to earn a living and help support their families.  But we all know too many people with disabilities are still unemployed — even though they can work, even though they want to work, even though they have so much to contribute.  In some cases, it’s a lack of access to skills training.  In some cases, it’s an employer that can’t see all that these candidates for a job have to offer.  Maybe sometimes people doubt their own self-worth after experiencing a lifetime of discouragement and expectations that were too low.  Whatever the reason, we’ve got to do better — our country cannot let all that incredible talent go to waste.

A few years ago, I issued an executive order requiring the federal government to hire more Americans with disabilities.  (Applause.)  And in part because of that executive order, today more people with disabilities are working with us than at any point in the last 30 years.  (Applause.)  Some of these folks are some of my closest colleagues and have been incredible leaders on behalf of the administration on a whole host of issues, and I’m grateful for their contributions every single day.

And we’ve strengthened the rules for federal contractors to make sure they have plans in place for hiring people with disabilities.  (Applause.)  I’m hoping more employers follow suit, because Americans with disabilities can do the job, and they’re hungry for the chance and they will make you proud if you give them the chance.  (Applause.)

The ADA also made our government more responsive to Americans with disabilities.  But we’ve still got more to do to live up to our responsibilities.  My administration created the first office within FEMA dedicated to disability, so that when disaster strikes, we’re prepared to help everybody, including those with physical or mental conditions requiring extra help.  And we created the first special advisor for international disability rights at the State Department — because this is not just about American rights; it’s about human rights, and that’s something our nation has to stand for.  (Applause.)

So we’ve still got to do more to make sure that people with disabilities are paid fairly for their labor; to make sure they are safe in their homes and their communities; to make sure they have access to technology, including high-speed Internet, that allows for their full participation in this 21st-century economy. We’ve still got to do more to make sure that children with disabilities get every opportunity to learn and acquire the skills and the sense of self-worth that will last a lifetime.  That is our most sacred charge.  (Applause.)  And we need Republicans and Democrats in Congress to make sure we have a budget that lets us keep that promise and keep that commitment.  (Applause.)
So I don’t have to tell you this fight is not over.

AUDIENCE MEMBER:  Oh, no.

THE PRESIDENT:  Oh, no.  (Laughter.)  But we’re building a stronger foundation.  And thanks to generations of Americans who fought for better laws, who demanded better treatment, who by just being good and decent people and effective workers, and working hard every day, and treating others with respect, and asking the same in return — folks have overcome ignorance and indifference, and made our country better.

I’m thinking of folks like Hamza Jaka, who’s here from Wisconsin with his mom.  He gloated that he’s a Packers fan — (laughter) — and they’ve been beating the Bears a lot lately.  But Hamza has cerebral palsy.  As he puts it, people always assume his condition must limit him.  But the opposite is true.  His disability has given him unique experiences, and a sense of purpose that he cherishes.  He traveled to Syria to meet other young people with disabilities, and together they created a comic book featuring a Muslim superhero who uses a wheelchair called the “Silver Scorpion.”  (Applause.)  This fall, he’s starting law school, where he’s going to learn how to be an even more effective advocate.

And then you’ve got somebody like Leah Katz-Hernandez.  (Applause.)  Leah is one of my favorites.  (Laughter.)  Her smiling face is one of the first things that people see when they come into the White House.  She is the West Wing receptionist.  We call her ROTUS –- (laughter) — I’m POTUS, this is VPOTUS, and that’s ROTUS.  (Laughter and applause.)

And ROTUS is the first deaf American to hold that job.  She is poised, she is talented — and as she puts it, a lot of her accomplishments may not have been possible without the ADA.  (Applause.)

And just on a very practical level, this law meant she could ask for sign language interpretation on job interviews — very straight forward.  But without this law and without enforcement of the law, those things don’t happen.  On a deeper level, the fact that the ADA was passed a few years after Leah was born opened possibilities to her that previous generations didn’t always have.  She says that, thanks to this law, “I grew up knowing I was equal, not subhuman.”  (Applause.)

And I’ve told this story before, but whenever I think about the ADA, I think about my father-in-law, Fraser Robinson, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in his early 30s.  By the time I knew him, he needed crutches to get around.  He was holding down a job and raising a family at a time where the ADA had not yet been passed.  He never missed a day of work.  He had to wake up an hour earlier than everybody else just to put on his shirt, just to get dressed, just to get down to the job, but he was never going to be late.

If he went to his son’s basketball games, he and the family would have to get there 45 minutes early because he didn’t want to interrupt people as he climbed one stair at a time on crutches so that he could cheer on his son.  Same thing if he went to Michelle’s dance receptions.  And just through the power of his example, he opened a lot of people’s eyes, including mine, to some of the obstacles that folks with disabilities faced and how important it is that the rest of us do our part to remove those obstacles.

And just an aside on this, for a long time, he would not get a motorized wheelchair because he had gotten this disability at a time when they weren’t available and it was expensive, and they weren’t wealthy, and insurance didn’t always cover it.  And it just gave you a sense of — Michelle and I would talk sometimes about how much more he could have done, how much more he could have seen — as wonderful as a dad as he was, and as wonderful as a coworker as he was, he was very cautious about what he could and couldn’t do — not because he couldn’t do it, but because he didn’t want to inconvenience his family and he didn’t want to be seen as somehow holding things up.

And that’s what, even for folks who had amazing will, was the nature of having a disability before this law was passed.  It wasn’t just physical obstacles.  It was also constraining how people thought about what they should or should not do.  And that’s why this is personal.  That’s why it’s so important for us to remember what this law means.  That’s what today is all about. We’ve got to tear down barriers externally, but we also have to tear down barriers internally.  That’s our responsibility as Americans and it’s our responsibility as fellow human beings.

As long as I’ve got the privilege of serving as your President, I’m going to make sure every single day that I’m working alongside you to tear down those barriers.  I know Joe Biden is going to be doing the same.  And I am going to make sure that when we look back 18 months from now, we’re going to say we have made some significant advances.  And once I’m no longer President, I’m going to keep on pushing as well.

Thank you, everybody.  God bless you.  (Applause.)

Ethiopia: A Disability Rights Movement Rich with History

Haben meeting with Tedros Adhanom

Aster Zaoude, a former United Nations leader for gender equality and women’s empowerment, discovered one of my articles on her Facebook news feed. Excited to share my message with the disability community in Ethiopia, she generously invited me to visit Ethiopia and provide presentations there. Aster organized an ambitious agenda that included TV interviews, presentations … Read more

Haben Girma at Meet EBC with Tefera Gedamu on Ethiopian TV [Excerpt]

Haben Girma at Meet EBC with Tefera Gedamu on Ethiopian TV [Excerpt]

Terrific TV host Tefera Gedamu invites Haben Girma to discuss her visit to Ethiopia on his popular show Meet EBC. Haben is an attorney with Disability Rights Advocates. In December 2014 she met with students and disability rights leaders in Ethiopia. This excerpt from her interview with Tefera begins with Tefera typing his questions to Haben while she reads them on her braille display and voices his questions out loud. To learn more about Haben and her work visit habengirma.com. The TV show was produced by ZANA Productions and the Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation on January 9, 2015.

Transcript

Haben: There is no going back. Absolutely true! It really changes your life to use technology and I am grateful to have this technology. The main reason I’m here in Addis is Because Aster Zaoude has set up a scholarship fund for blind students to Addis Ababa University. Tsehay Zewde memorial scholarship.

Tefera: In memory of – in memory of her sister who died in a plane crash years ago.

Haben: Yes, yes, exactly! and this scholarship has helped so many students. One of the ways it is helping students is to create more technology and to set up a technology center at Addis Ababa university.

Tefera: It is all about resources again.

Haben: Exactly! and this technology costs money. It is expensive, but it’s worth it. When you pay for this technology, in the long run, after a few years, that person with a disability is going to get a job. they’re gonna pay taxes, and those taxes. That income goes back to the community. It’s a worthwhile investment and it allows that person to be independent and share their talents. Would you rather have a person with a disability stay home and just hide? Or pay money for technology to have them doing work, being productive, contributing to society.

Tefera: Perceptions need to change.

Haben: Exactly! Perceptions needs to change. You’re a fantastic typer by the way (chuckling)

Tefera: Thank you.

Haben: You’re welcome.

(Laughter)

Tefera: I am beginning to like this.

Haben: Would you like me to talk with an accent?

Tefera: Go ahead. (laughter)

Tefera: Addis Ababa University. You gave a lecture, talked women with disabilities, some of
them, most of them have of course benefited from the Tsehay Zewde scholarship that Aster and her sisters and brothers created for the benefit of our girls who Are at Addis Ababa university or higher institutions of learning. You’ve talked to them, you might not like this but you gave a lecture, right? Did you make a difference?

Haben: I believe I did make a difference, so it’s one thing to tell people you can do anything, it’s another thing to actually meet a person who went through college, who went through law school, and is now working and has a disability. So I know I’ve helped these girls by sharing my story with them and they’re gonna go and work and inspire other Ethiopians with disabilities, so I had mentors when I was growing up, and they now have mentors who can inspire them, and it meant a lot for me to meet these girls and share my story with them. I think the Tsehay Zewde memorial scholarship is gonna really change Addis Ababa university and make it even more inclusive, giving voices to women who often don’t have voices.

Tefera: You go about trying to change perceptions, influence policy in the United States because you’re very well active in some of the organizations that some of them you just mentioned you have the deafblind young adults in action you have the Disability Rights Advocates In Berkeley, California, and the national association of blind students and so on, You’ve been very very active in a number of Institutions that cater for people with disabilities. Broadly speaking what is the strategy that needs to be designed to be able to achieve either at a community level or family level, I don’t know how you create it.

Haben: There are many ways to change perceptions. There’s no one right way, many many different ways and I do it multiple ways. One way is to share my story. I have videos on my website that anyone can see all around the world, and I get messages from people who’ve watched that story, that video, and are inspired. I’ve heard from parents of children with disabilities, who say they’ve watched the video and realized that there child have many opportunities, and it gives them hope for their child that the world is still ahead of them, and they’ll just need to find tools to be able to do whatever it is that they wanna do, so sharing your story, uh, on the media, in writing, in spoken form, it’s really really powerful to share your story. So for example, this TV, you’re helping change attitudes in Addis and bring a more positive perception of disability by sharing this story with families in Addis. You’re doing an amazing job changing

Tefera: -Well thank you-

Haben: if more people do this, that would help a lot.

Tefera: When you talk to people in Addis Ababa now that you’re here you’ve been here what, two weeks already? When you talk to people are they fascinated, are they excited when they talk to you, because it’s quite rarely that people would run into people such as yourself who use technology, who acts a little bit differently, perhaps, and so on.

Haben: There are many different reactions, some people are scared, they stay away, they keep their distance, they watch and they stare but they don’t come up and ask questions, sometimes I offer them the keyboard, and they’re like “no, I don’t type” but I’m very interested in connecting with people, even if you’re a slow typist, I can still read slowly, I’ll still be able to get the information, so there’s a variety of reactions that other people have been very curious, and they want to try, even if they’re not a good typist, they want to try, and we all learn from something new and something different.

Tefera: You also went outside of Addis to several locations spread out in the country.

Haben: I feel hope partly because I’ve met a lot of amazing disability rights leaders here. So, I visited with many of the disability groups, and I’ve met a lot of great leaders, so there’s a lot of positive stuff already happening here now, and I see a lot of positive change going forward, AAU, Addis Ababa University, is soon gonna have a technology center for blind female students. That’s amazing, Tsehay Zewde memorial scholarship changing lives here. I went to Mekelle University last week and talked to the students there, and they are now also interested in having a technology center for students with disabilities. That’s a lot to witness in two weeks, and I’m really honored to have witnessed this and to see these changes, it’s absolutely amazing.

Tefera: Have you met deaf and blind persons here?

Haben: I have today, I went to the school for the deaf, and I met elementary school students who are deaf and they showed me “what’s your name?” and the signs are just like in American sign language. This is also “name” in Ethiopian sign language and American sign language. I knew that there was some similarities across sign languages, but I didn’t realize there were so many similarities between Ethiopian sign and American sign.

Tefera: Um, so as you go back home, I know you’re joining some institution, what is it called?

Haben: So I’m going to go to Disability Rights Advocates, which is the law firm that I work for, a nonprofit legal center that does disability rights work all across the United States. I will return to that, but I will keep in touch with the disability leaders I met here, and continue to share ideas, and help in any way I can. Haben, thank you very much, it was a pleasure having you on my show.

Haben: Thank you for having me here. You’re helping change attitudes by showing this story and getting it out to families in Ethiopia.

Haben Shares her story volunteering abroad for students with disabilities

From the article: “Growing up, Haben Girma knew that international exchange was bound to be in her future. She had visited Eritrea and Ethiopia, places her parents called home before immigrating to the United States. So when Haben learned about BuildOn as a teenager, she was determined to go. She was excited about BuildOn’s mission … Read more

Eyes on Success featuring Haben’s work at DRA

Transcript (synthetic voice): Hello and welcome to Eyes on Success, a weekly program of information on the ever changing world of accessibility. Now here are the hosts of this program, Nancy Goodman Torpey and Peter Torpey. N: Hello, I’m Nancy. P: And I’m Pete. This week we will be talking with a deaf-blind attorney who … Read more