Haben Girma

Influential San Francisco nonprofit faces uncertain financial future LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired has served people in San Francisco for over 122 years. Now, community members fear for the nonprofit institution’s future.

The Lighthouse plans to cut more programs, despite having millions of dollars. #Blind people, #Deafblind people & allies are calling for the leadership team behind these brutal decisions to step down.

www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/arti...

Beyond the Standard: Calling for Accountability at LightHouse for the Blind In this post, we offer our Campaign's take on the San Francisco Standard's story about LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired. Overall, it is an excellent piece of journalism, providing a well...

When you’re done with that, read the Deafblind community’s response and sign the petition.

www.decertifylighthouse.org/post/beyond-...

SF nonprofit went from $125M gift to fight for survival A mysterious $125M gift transformed the San Francisco LightHouse for the Blind and Visually impaired. A decade later, layoffs, protests, and financial losses leave the nonprofit fighting to survive.

The San Francisco Lighthouse for the Blind recently cut programs and terminated over forty people. If you want to know why blind people and allies are calling for the Lighthouse’s leadership to step down, read this investigative report by the San Francisco Standard. sfstandard.com/2025/07/17/l...

You’re welcome! I can understand the fear. Years of conversations and friendships within the disability community has helped me get past a lot of fear, and I hope my experiences can do that for others. :)

YouTube video by Haben Girma I broke my ankle and now have 3 disabilities! My top 3 perks of using a wheelchair.

I broke my ankle, and let me tell you: using a wheelchair while Deafblind is an experience for the next book! In honor of #DisabilityPrideMonth here are my favorite things about using a chair.

Shoutout to my friend Dr. H’Sien Hayward @drhsienhayward.bsky.social!

youtu.be/i2RIaNIUnZQ

The first time I experienced a Braille map of a garden was in Seattle. While most gardens focus on sight, this one celebrates six senses!

Descriptive Transcript: habengirma.com/2025/07/10/m...

Imagine a future where blind people building planes, flying planes, and shaping aviation policy is so common it ceases to be remarkable. Seattle’s Museum of Flight has a selection of planes both blind and sighted people are encouraged to touch. Descriptive Transcript: habengirma.com/2025/06/25/t...

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“Respect the dignity of every human being,” “Fight fascism,” “Hands off the rule of law,” “Don’t tread on our first amendment rights,” “Stop the big ugly betrayal bill,” “Dissent,” and more.

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and her Seeing Eye dog on the ground beside her. The video pans around the park showing hundreds of people of all ages—some sitting, some standing, and some holding signs that say:

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Advocate in any way you can, whether that’s standing, sitting, voicing, signing, online or offline. The video shows Haben and her parents smiling and waving under a majestic redwood. A short wooden border circles the tree, and Haben is sitting on the border with one hand on her Braille computer,

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Organizers who share detailed accessibility information make it easier for disabled people to join. Descriptive Transcript

Haben (voiceover):
Braille helps me protest, allowing me to read signs that I'm not able to see.

For many disabled people, showing up at a protest requires planning. Will there be an ASL interpreter or will you need to find a volunteer? Will the space be wheelchair accessible? For me, as a Deafblind person, I need a seat or table for my Braille computer and keyboard. 1/5

You make a great point that faster electric bikes are creating more challenges for pedestrians!

It’s #InternationalGuideDogDay! Please share this video and encourage people to support The Seeing Eye. You can volunteer to help raise Seeing Eye puppies or make a donation by going to SeeingEye.org.

Descriptive Transcript: habengirma.com/2025/04/30/l...

Descriptive Transcript: habengirma.com/2025/04/23/s...

Thousands of bikes parked on sidewalks in Amsterdam force pedestrians into streets where they face even more bikes. Seeing Eye dog Mylo rose to the challenge! It’s my hope city planners around the world design obstruction-free pedestrian pathways, and implement policies so they stay barrier-free.

Blind people and allies advocated for years to get cities to install accessible pedestrian signals. #Accessibility

On the left is the book cover for Haben: The Deafblind Woman Who Conquered Harvard Law. On the right is text: Connecticut, University of Hartford, Wednesday April 9th, 5 pm.

I am excited to deliver a keynote at the University of Hartford on April 9th! The university has generously opened up this event to all, and captioning & ASL interpretation will be provided. Free registration: www.hartford.edu/unotes/2025/...

Director, Disability Inclusive Culture in New York, New York | Careers at US NYU is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to a policy of equal treatment and opportunity in every aspect of its recruitment and hiring process without regard to age, alienage, caregiver st...

New York University is seeking a Director of Disability Inclusive Culture. Details about the job and how to apply: uscareers-nyu.icims.com/jobs/14540/j...

Deepa now lives in Washington, D.C. and is licensed in both D.C. and California. She recently joined the McGuinness Law Group where she continues advocating for disability justice.

Two women of color stand together smiling. Deepa wears a gold necklace over a gray top, dark yellow trousers, sunglasses, and holds her cane and iPhone in her left hand. Haben wears a denim jacket over a colorful dress and holds the leash of her Seeing Eye dog in her right hand. Behind them is a glass door reflecting the trees in front of the building.

Fighting discrimination from coast to coast, Deepa Goraya is a disability rights attorney. We met when she was a law student and I was in college wondering if I, too, could go to law school. Deepa generously answered my questions about law school as a blind student, sparking a wonderful friendship.

While blind people use tech, the creativity is ours.

Daniela Rubio Trujillo is an accessibility expert based in Barcelona who intentionally combines high tech and low tech elements in her engaging presentations.

Descriptive Transcript: habengirma.com/2025/03/05/w...

Disability Rights California - Senior Public Policy Advocate – Mental Health Equitable and Inclusive Hiring at Disability Rights California (DRC)At Disability Rights California (DRC), we are committed to creating an equitable, accessible, and inclusive experience for all appli...

Disability Rights California is hiring for a Senior Public Policy Advocate - Mental Health. The role is based in Sacramento/Hybrid. Share the job application with all the great advocates you know!

recruiting.paylocity.com/Recruiting/J...

YouTube video by Haben Girma Haben Girma and Mychal Threets: The Mental Health and Disability Connection

Mental health and disability are connected. Thank you to the Berkeley Public Library for hosting this conversation between Haben Girma and Mychal Threets. Video and Transcript on YouTube:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Il0...

Grateful for all the lawyers working to ensure we all have equal opportunities, including @lflegal.bsky.social

www.lflegal.com/2025/02/16-s...

YouTube video by Decertify LightHouse Now DeafBlind Testimonies

Deafblind people and allies protested outside the San Francisco Lighthouse for the Blind today. #Deafblind people explain what’s wrong with the Lighthouse in this new video, which includes ASL, audio, captions & a descriptive transcript.

#DecertifyLighthouseNow
youtu.be/kDM0i7qOjnM

YouTube video by Haben Girma Eating at Ziryab, a Deaf-owned restaurant in Barcelona

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?

youtu.be/McOmVZEqNrY

The West Valley College logo has a blue and white background with an orange accent. Text reads: “West Valley College Assistive Technology Fair, Wednesday, February 12, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., WVC Campus Center. Free and open to the public. RSVP Today! bit.ly/wvc-atf2025. Questions? Contact Mike Scaletta: Mike.Scaletta@westvalley.edu (408-741-2453). Featuring Haben Girma.” There’s a photo of Haben, a woman with long dark hair and a thoughtful expression.

Want to learn more about accessible technology? Do you live near the Bay Area? West Valley College invites you to their Assistive Technology Fair, and I’m thrilled to be their keynote speaker! Join us on Wednesday February 12, and the link to RSVP is below.

www.westvalley.edu/calendar/eve...

Adding scent descriptions in addition to visual descriptions is a great idea! They’re not doing that now, but hopefully that will change.

YouTube video by Haben Girma Sensory Gardens: Ireland Versus Sweden

Dreaming of a garden oasis? Allow me to share my experiences visiting the Garden for the Blind in Ireland, and a sensory garden in Sweden. They have different #accessibility features communities can add to create beautiful, multisensory gardens youtu.be/HdlYiBbsZ38?...