>>> MAKING EQUAL OPPORTUNITY COMMON PLACE, NOT THE EXCEPTION,
FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.
THAT'S WHAT HABEN GIRMA, WHO IS THE FIRST DEAF-BLIND PERSON TO
GRADUATE FROM HARVARD LAW SCHOOL, WORKS EVERY DAY TO
ASSURE.
AND THAT WORK HAS PEOPLE TAKING NOTICE.
THE 31-YEAR-OLD'S ACCOLADES INCLUDE BEING NAMED A WHITE
HOUSE CHAMPION OF CHANGE BY PRESIDENT OBAMA, THE HELEN
KELLER ACHIEVEMENT AWARD, AND A SPOT ON THE FORBES 30 UNDER 30
LIST.
GIRMA WAS IN THE REGION FOR A LECTURE YESTERDAY AND SHE SPOKE
WITH ME IN THE STUDIO ABOUT HER WORK.
>> I'M HERE TODAY TO SPEAK AT WILLIAMS COLLEGE ACTUALLY AND
I'M DOING A PRESENTATION TO HELP SHIFT THE DOMINANT STORY FROM
ONE OF PITY AND SHAMED TO ONE OF TALENT AND INNOVATION.
OUR SOCIETY PUTS THE BURDEN ON PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES TO MAKE
THE WORLD MORE ACCESSIBLE.
THE BURDEN SHOULD BE ON SOCIETY TO REMOVE THE BARRIERS.
IF WE MAKE OUR BUILDING WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE WE COULD
HAVE MORE WHEELCHAIR USERS IN THE BUILDING AND ANYONE WHO
WORKS IN THE BUILDING LATER DEVELOPS A DISABILITY THEN THEY
WILL ALSO HAVE ACCESS TO THEIR HOME AND WORK SPACES.
SO I WANT TO SHIFT THE STORY AND ALSO LOT OF PEOPLE THINK ABOUT
CHARITY THIS IS FOR ALL OF US.
ANYONE CAN BECOME DISABLED.
ALSO THERE ARE LAWS THAT PROHIBIT DISCRIMINATION,
LITIGATION IS EXPENSIVE, DO NOT WAIT FOR A LAWSUIT.
CHOOSE INCLUSION.
>> YOU'RE THE FIRST DEAF-BLIND WOMAN TO GRADUATE FROM HARVARD
LAW SCHOOL AND ADVOCATE FOR EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE
WITH DISABILITIES.
WHEN DID YOU KNOW THAT YOU WANTED TO BE A DISABILITY
ADVOCATE?
>> WHEN I WAS IN COLLEGE, FIRST OF ALL I WENT TO COLLEGE AT
LEWIS AND CLARK COLLEGE IN PORTLAND, OREGON.
AND THERE THEY LOVED THEIR PIONEERS, EVERYTHING IS CALLED
PIONEERS.
THEIR FOOTBALL TEAM, PIONEERS.
THE NEWSPAPER PIONEER LOG, THE BUS, PIONEER EXPRESS.
AND SO I THOUGHT MAYBE THIS IS BE A PLACE THAT I COULD
CELEBRATE THE THINGS THAT MAKE ME DIFFERENT AND CHARGE AHEAD TO
CREATE SOLUTIONS THAT UNIQUELY WORK FOR DEAF-BLIND PERSON.
AND THE COLLEGE DID A REALLY GOOD JOB PROVIDING ME MY BOOKS
IN BRAILLE, EXAMS IN BRAILLE, EVEN OUTDOOR PROGRAMS, KAYAK CAN
ARCHED ROCK CLIMBING WERE ACCESS TOIL ME.
THERE WAS JUST ONE PROBLEM.
THE CAFETERIA MENUS WERE ONLY IN PRINT.
I COULDN'T READ THEM.
NOT BECAUSE I WAS BLIND BUT BECAUSE THE FORMAT OF THE MENUS.
SO I ASKED THE CAFETERIA MANAGER, CAN HE POST THESE
ONLINE OR IN BRAILLE OR E-MAIL THEM TO ME.
I HAVE ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY THAT ALLOWS ME TO USE WEBSITES AND
E-MAILS AND THE MANAGER SAID, WE'RE VERY BUSY, WE HAVE OVER A
THOUSAND STUDENTS.
WE DON'T HAVE TIME TO DO SPECIAL THINGS FOR STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL
NEEDS.
>> DOESN'T THE LAW REQUIRE HIM TO ACCOMMODATE YOU WHEN YOU'VE
ASKED FOR IT OR EVEN WHEN YOU HAVEN'T ASKED FOR IT?
>> THE LAW DOES REQUIRE ACCOMMODATIONS BUT WE'RE NOT
BORN AS ADVOCATES.
I WAS NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE LAW, I HAD NO SENSE OF HAVING RIGHTS,
TO HAVE ACCESS TO THE MENUS.
SO FOR THE FIRST FEW MONTHS I JUST TOLERATED THE SITUATION.
I TOLD MYSELF AT LEAST I HAVE FOOD.
AT LEAST I'M GETTING AN EDUCATION.
MY MOTHER WHEN SHE WAS MY AGE WAS A REFUGEE IN SUDAN.
SO THE DIFFERENCES WERE EXTREME.
AND I TOLD MYSELF JUST BE GRATEFUL, DON'T COMPLAIN.
THAT WHEN WE TELL OURSELVES DO NOT COMPLAIN AND TO PUT UP WITH
INJUSTICE, THE INJUSTICE CONTINUES.
THAT'S ACCOMMODATING A BROKEN SYSTEM.
AND FINALLY, I HIT A POINT WHERE I REALIZED I COULD NOT HANDLE
BEING LEFT OUT OF CRITICAL INFORMATION.
I WAS A VEGETARIAN AT THE TIME AND IT'S HARD TO EAT VEGETARIAN
IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT THE FOOD CHOICES ARE.
>> ABSOLUTELY.
SO WHAT DID YOU DO?
>> I TOLERATED IT FOR A WHILE THEN I TALKED TO ADVOCATES, DID
RESEARCH AND I WENT BACK TO THE CAFETERIA MANAGER AND EXPLAINED,
I'M NOT ASKING FOR A FAVOR.
I'M ASKING YOU TO COMPLY WITH THE LAW.
THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT PROHIBITS DISCRIMINATION
AGAINST STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES AND IF YOU DON'T
PROVIDE ME ACCESS TO THE MENUS I'M GOING TO TAKE LEGAL ACTION.
>> I BET THAT GOT SOME ATTENTION.
>> I HAD NO IDEA HOW TO DO THAT.
I WAS JUST 19, I COULDN'T AFFORD A LAWYER.
BUT I KNEW I HAD TO TRY AND DO SOMETHING.
AND AFTER I FRAMED THE ISSUE AS A CIVIL RIGHTS ISSUE, THE
CULTURE CHANGED IN THE CAFETERIA.
THEY STARTED PROVIDING ACCESS TO THE MENUS.
LIFE BECAME DELICIOUS.
>> YOU'RE HERE TODAY WITH YOUR ASSISTANT, CAMERON AND GUIDE DOG
MILO, CAN YOU EXPLAIN HOW YOU WORK TOGETHER AS A TEAM?
BECAUSE I THINK PEOPLE SEE HER TYPING AND YOU USING A DEVICE
WITH YOUR FINGERS CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHAT THAT IS?
>> SO, THIS IS A BRAILLE COMPUTER, ON THE BOTTOM ARE
DOTS.
I'M RUNNING MY FINGERS TO FEEL THE LETTERS IT'S CONNECTED TO A
WIRELESS KEYBOARD.
CAMERON IS TYPING VISUAL AND AUDIO INFORMATION LIKE IF YOU'RE
SMILING, NODDING, SHE'S TYPING TO LET ME KNOW YOU'RE SMILING
AND NODDING.
THEN WHAT YOU'RE SEEING SHE'S ALSO TYPING THAT.
THIS IS WAY FOR ME TO ACCESS VISUAL AND AUDIO INFORMATION.
VERY FEW PEOPLE KNOW SIGN LANGUAGE BUT MOST PEOPLE
ESPECIALLY MILLENNIALS KNOW HOW TO TYPE.
SO IT'S A WAY FOR ME TO EASILY CONNECT AND START HAVING
CONVERSATIONS WITH PEOPLE.
>> OBVIOUSLY YOU'RE USING TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATION HERE
TODAY TO HELP COMMUNICATE WITH ME.
DO YOU BELIEVE THAT DISABILITIES AND OPPORTUNITY FOR INNOVATION
I'VE HEARD YOU TALK ABOUT THAT, I'VE READ ABOUT IT ON YOUR
WEBSITE.
BUT INNOVATION, HOW?
>> WHEN YOU FACE A CHALLENGE, IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO COME UP
WITH A NEW SOLUTION.
PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES FACE CHALLENGES BECAUSE MAINSTREAM
SOCIETY ISN'T BUILT WITH NONDISABLED PEOPLE IN MIND.
SO IF WE WANT TO LIVE IN THIS WORLD WE HAVE TO COME UP WITH
SOLUTIONS TO MAKE IT WORK.
AND IN THAT PROCESS, WE OFTEN COME UP WITH SOLUTIONS THAT
BENEFIT THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY.
THIS PROCESS OF DISABILITY LEADING TO COMMUNITY-WIDE
INNOVATIONS IS CALLED THE CURB CUT AFFECT.
>> SOMETHING ELSE THAT YOU OFTEN TALK ABOUT IS THIS CONCEPT OF
THE BENEFIT OF CHOOSING INCLUSION, DO YOU THINK THAT
PEOPLE PURPOSELY EXCLUDE OTHERS?
>> IT'S MORE OF OUT OF SIGHT, OUT OF MIND.
IF YOU HAVE INACCESSIBLE BUILDING WHERE WHEELCHAIR USERS
CAN'T ENTER THEN YOU WON'T HAVE WHEELCHAIR USERS IN THE ROOM AND
PEOPLE WHO WORK IN THE SPACE ARE NOT GOING TO BE THINKING ABOUT
ACCESS FOR WHEELCHAIR USERS.
WE NEED TO GET PEOPLE THINKING, ACCESS MEANS PEOPLE WHO ARE
DIFFERENT FROM YOU AS WELL.
SO LET'S BUILD ALL OUR SPACES TO BE ACCESSIBLE TO EVERYONE.
>> IT'S A BIT OF CATCH 22, RIGHT?
YOU POINT OUT PEOPLE MIGHT NOT BE THERE BECAUSE IT'S
INACCESSIBLE.
BECAUSE IT'S INACCESSIBLE WE AS COMMUNITY DON'T HAVE THE BENEFIT
OF LEARNING FROM EACH OTHER AND WORKING TOGETHER.
>> YEAH.
AND ALL OUR BODIES CHANGE AS WE AGE.
WE SHOULD HAVE ACCESS AT EVERY STAGE IN OUR LIVES WHERE THE
LARGEST COMMUNITY GROUP, LARGEST MINORITY GROUP, ANYONE CAN BE
DISABLED AT ANY TIME AND IF YOU DO BECOME DISABLED SHOULD YOU
HAVE THE RIGHT TO STILL PARTICIPATE IN YOUR COMMUNITY.
>> HEARING YOU SAY THAT, PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES ARE THE
LARGEST MINORITY GROUP, IT GOT ME THINKING WE'RE LISTENING TO
THE 2020 DEMOCRATIC DEBATES, I OFTEN HEAR THE CANDIDATES
TALKING ABOUT MINORITY GROUPS BUT IT'S OFTEN ATTACHED TO RACE,
TO PEOPLE OF COLOR.
I DON'T THINK THAT I'VE HEARD ANYONE ON THE 2020 CAMPAIGN
TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.
WHY DO YOU THINK THAT IS?
>> IT'S REALLY DISAPPOINTING THAT VERY FEW POLITICIANS TALK
ABOUT DISABILITY.
WE ARE A SIGNIFICANT MINORITY GROUP STOW THE POLITICIANS
SHOULD BE TALKING MORE ABOUT DISABILITY.
AND THERE ARE ADVOCATES WHO WORKING ON A MOVEMENT CALLED
CRIP THE BOOK, WHICH IS TRYING TO GALVANIZE DISABILITY VOTING
BLOCK SO THAT WE CAN GET MORE POLITICIANS TO PAY ATTENTION.
>> YOU ARE A STRONG ADVOCATE FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, YOU'RE
ALSO A LAWYER COULD YOU HAVE PICKED ANY LINE OF WORK TO GO
INTO.
BUT I JUST -- WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT POLITICIANS DID YOU EVER
THINK ABOUT ROUPING FOR OFFICE YOURSELF?
[ Laughter ] SO, I AM VERY BLESSED TO HAVE AN
AMAZING EDUCATION HAVING GONE TO LAR REGARD LAW SCHOOL TO HAVE
MANY SKILLS AND TALENTS TO BENEFIT PEOPLE.
I WANT TO USE ALL MY SKILLS AND TALENTS TO HELP MY COMMUNITY, TO
HELP MAKE OUR WORLD MORE INCLUSIVE.
IF THAT MEANS WORKING IN OFFICE, I WILL CONSIDER THAT
OPPORTUNITY.
BUT RIGHT NOW I'M TOO YOUNG FOR THAT.
>> YOU CAN LEARN MORE ABOUT HABEN GIRMA IN HER NEW BOOK,
"HABEN: THE DEAF-BLIND WOMAN WHO CONQUERED HARVARD LAW."