In 2013, Haben Girma became the first Deafblind graduate of Harvard Law School, but her passion for disability rights and justice began long before she accepted her diploma. As an undergraduate student at Lewis & Clark College, she encountered several obstacles related to her deafblindness that prevented her from having the same access and experiences as her peers. The accommodations she required were viewed as inconveniences rather than necessities, which prompted her to become a vocal advocate for disability rights and laws. After completing law school, Girma began a career as a human rights lawyer activist. She has now given several talks and presentations for organizations such as TedX and TIME100 Talks. Girma has also received numerous awards and honors over her career, including being named a White House Champion of Change by President Obama, receiving the Helen Keller Achievement Award, and being honored by many other world leaders.  

On Feb. 1, Girma will be discussing her 2019 memoir, Haben: The Deafblind Woman Who Conquered Harvard Law, through a virtual CLP at Furman University. At this event, she will be elaborating on her experiences while also providing an informative presentation about inclusive language related to disabilities. She will be joined by Furman alumna Kenia Flores ’20 and some of Flores’ classmates from the Louisiana Center of the Blind to discuss their own experiences, anecdotes, and opinions.

Girma’s accomplishments and the obstacles she overcame should serve not only as an inspiration, but also as a reminder to include and accommodate people of all abilities. Although it is easy to leave inclusionary efforts to laws and regulations that prevent direct discrimination, Girma’s experiences prove that we all have a responsibility to educate ourselves and create inclusive environments on campus, within friend groups, and even beyond Furman.

The Furman University American Sign Language Association (FUASLA) takes this message to heart. FUASLA’s mission brings awareness to the value of learning American Sign Language (ASL) in order to communicate with those who are deaf or hard-of-hearing and educates people about Deaf culture and the importance of inclusivity and understanding. Although the majority of FUASLA members are hearing, they feel a strong desire to learn basic ASL because they see the club as an opportunity to learn a second language that allows them to be more inclusive.

Club president sophomore Olivia Street shared, “FUASLA fills a gap at Furman by teaching members of the Furman community about a very important language that isn’t taught as a course.” FUASLA member junior Emily Balogh believes learning about these issues and finding ways to bridge the communication gap is extremely valuable. “Most people will interact with a Deaf person at some point in their lifetime,” Balogh explained. “Being able to make that person’s day by communicating in their first language is an incredible thing.” Sophomore Class President Josh Swope also emphasized the importance of clubs that support inclusion. “FUASLA, as well as Furman, equips us with the tools in dealing with different situations in the real world,” and learning sign language is no different Swope noted.

“Haben Girma: The first Deafblind Person to Conquer Harvard Law” is available to the Furman Community over zoom on Monday, Feb. 1 at 5:00 pm. This CLP is sponsored by the Pre-Law Society and Student Office for Accessibility Resources. Students can register for this event here.