![\"Two](\"https:\/\/www.palomar.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/50\/2022\/03\/Haben-Girma-4-of-10-2-1024x683.jpg\")
<\/p>\nHaben Girma, honored by heads of state and named a White House Champion of Change by President Barack Obama, urges the importance of access to higher education.<\/p>\n
SAN MARCOS \u2014 The award-winning author and advocate Haben Girma spoke on overcoming ableism and signed copies of her book, \u201cHaben: The DeafBlind Woman Who Conquered Harvard Law,\u201d during a visit to Palomar College on Monday, March 14, 2022.<\/p>\n
The first DeafBlind graduate of Harvard Law School, Girma visited Palomar to host a hybrid in-person\/virtual event that provided off-site access via Zoom for those who could not attend in person.<\/p>\n
Girma shared a variety of personal anecdotes, such as learning to surf, looking for work in Juneau, Alaska, meeting President Obama, and attending Harvard Law.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s a myth that there are two types of people\u2014dependent and independent. But that\u2019s not true, we\u2019re all interdependent<\/i>,\u201d she said. \u201cInclusion is a choice\u2014it\u2019s the small and big decisions we make to make our communities more inclusive, and when you choose inclusion, you model it for everyone else around you.\u201d<\/p>\n
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The early evening event, entitled, \u201cDisability & Innovation: A Conversation with Haben Girma,\u201d was held at the Brubeck Theatre and co-hosted by the Disability Resource Center (DRC) at Palomar College and MiraCosta College\u2019s Student Accessibility Services (SAS) department.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is an honor to hear from Haben this evening about breaking down barriers and the importance of investing in accessibility,\u201d said Superintendent\/President Star Rivera-Lacey. \u201cI\u2019ve been a fan of Haben\u2019s for a long time. Thank you to our colleagues in the DRC at Palomar, as well as the Student Accessibility Services team at MiraCosta College\u2014it\u2019s because of their dedication that this event is possible.\u201d<\/p>\n
During her time in Alaska, before discovering her passion for law and advocacy, Girma said she had trouble finding work, even though her resume was strong and she had no problem getting interviews.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese were tactile jobs, they did not require sight\u2014washing dishes, folding laundry,\u201d she said. \u201cThese employers assumed a Deafblind person couldn\u2019t wash dishes. And if I couldn\u2019t get a job as a dishwasher, what else would I be able to do?\u201d<\/p>\n
Later, with an interest in surfing, she was told, \u201cWe\u2019ve never heard of a Deafblind surfer.\u201d As she told the story on Monday, a video of Girma surfing played on the screen above her head.<\/p>\n
Of her time in the Ivy League, Girma recalled her first encounter: \u201cThey told me, \u2018We\u2019ve never had a Deafblind student at Harvard Law School before.\u2019 I told them, \u2018I\u2019ve never been to Harvard Law School before.\u2019<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you\u2019ve never had a disabled person in a program, that\u2019s a sign there are barriers\u2014barriers to access, such as stairs, or social barriers,\u201d she told the audience at Palomar, which included many students and educators. \u201cSo look for barriers at all levels, and do the work to remove those barriers so we can have inclusive communities.\u201d<\/p>\n
During her presentation, Girma also demonstrated the technology she uses to communicate and engage with audiences\u2014including her interactive braille computer.![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.palomar.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/50\/2022\/03\/Haben-Girma-5-of-10-2-1024x683.jpg\")
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\u201cHaben is a true champion of disability justice, and we are honored to have her with us tonight,\u201d said Shauna Moriarty, Director of the DRC at Palomar.<\/p>\n
Before heading outside to sign books and pose for pictures with students, Girma challenged her audience to be agents of positive change: \u201cMany disabled people don\u2019t like the word \u2018inspiring\u2019 because it\u2019s often a disguise for pity,\u201d Girma said. \u201cBut I don\u2019t mind the word \u2018inspiring\u2019 when it\u2019s used for action. What are you inspired to do?\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"