#HabenGirma

[monriatitans]

DISABILITY PRIDE MONTH QUOTE 7

Wednesday, July 17, 2024

“It’s a sighted, hearing classroom, in a sighted, hearing school, in a sighted, hearing society. They designed this environment for people who can see and hear. In this environment, I’m disabled. They place the burden on me to step out of my world and reach into theirs.” – Haben Girma, Haben: The Deafblind Woman Who Conquered Harvard Law

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Check out Diversability, founded by Tiffany Yu, which is “a community of people with disabilities (and the allies who support us), on a mission to elevate disability pride, together.” Interested in the book the quote came from? If so, click here! For the curious, the purpose of this series of quotes can be found here! Enjoy what I do? Please consider supporting via the WGS Ko-fi! Like what you see and want to know when there’s more? Click here to subscribe for updates and/or hit the Follow button!

For more about MonriaTitans, click here! Watch MonriaTitans on Twitch, YouTube, and Rumble! The image was made with the Quotes Creator App!

[anutheauthor]

Deaf and Blind, BUT Harvard Law Graduate

Deaf and Blind, BUT Harvard Law Graduate

At work, I was selected to attend a conference called Grace Hopper. It is named after a woman computer professional who went to write the initial code for COBOL.  The main theme that I took away from the conference was ‘Diversity and Inclusion’ and how woefully little I know about it. There were a few inspiring speakers – one that I want to talk about is Haben Girma. The name was very unfamiliar…

[africa-reads-blog]

Just started reading this one and I'm loving it. An inspiring memoir celebrating the achievements of an incredible woman. #bookstagram #bookstagram #bookaddiction #booklove #booklover #booknerd #bookninja #bookdragon #booklioness #bookmama #bookwoman #booklady #bookboss #bookenthusiast #bookenchantress #bookdiva #bookbabe #habengirma (at Dar es Salaam, Tanzania) https://www.instagram.com/p/B1Bk_guAIwa/?igshid=z2k1h3zneabf

[blackmail4u]

Haben Girma:  First Deafblind Person To Graduate From Harvard Law School

Disability rights advocate, attorney, and author Haben Girma is the first Deafblind person to graduate from Harvard Law School. Click the link to learn more or listen via podcast. #Blackmail4u #BlackHistory #HabenGirma #DisabilityRightsAdvocate #ADA

Welcome To Black Mail! Where we bring you Black History, Special Delivery. Haben Girma was born in Oakland, California, on July 28, 1988. She was born deafblind. Her mother is originally from Eritrea and came to the United States as a refugee in 1983 to escape the Eritrea War of Independence against Ethiopia. Girma’s father is of Ethiopian descent. Her early education took place in Oakland…

[musictrippinn-blog]

This book has been one of the best books I've read so far this year. It was amazingly inspiring and insightful. I found myself embodying these magnificent, beautiful, strong, brave black women stories while hanging on to every word I read. I have always been proud to be a black woman, but after reading this book I'm not only proud but I am grateful that I too possess the same strength, courage, wisdom and bravery that is the backbone of our distinguished race. I have a renewed sense of pride, power, boldness, and determination that I look forward to sharing with others. If you have not read this book I encourage you to do so! 👑✊🏾🖤👸🏾💪🏽#blackgirlmagic #blackgirlsrock #getyouablackwoman #maryarthorleebond #beverlybond #michelleobama #erykahbadu #danaigurira #ninasimone #suzanneshank #dr.knatokieford #luvvieajayi #lisajackson #jessicaomatthews #nanayaaasantewaa #maxinewaters #lupitanyongo #afyaibomu #susanltaylor #mistycopeland #maryjblige #aprilholmes #habengirma #terriewilliams #ibtihajmuhammad #iamgreatness

[treblaw]

Transformation Based Upon Inclusion

Image description: Chris Trebatoski and Haben Girma dancing at the House of Blues in New Orleans. Chris and Haben are in the process of completing a dance move known as a wrap turn. Their fingertips are touching to guide the turn. Both are smiling and enjoying the dance.

Post Text: At typical conference of lawyer conference cynicism is palpable. The typical legal tech conference is no different with the exception of frustration permeating the cynicism. 

Neither existed at the Clio Cloud Conference in New Orleans. I knew that would be the case before I even arrived. This was fourth time that I attended the conference presented by the Clio the software that I use to manage my law practice. 

Clio’s software has provided a platform for me to grow my firm and to provide a superior client experience to those that I provide legal services. 

This year positive energy was palpable. You see, the Clio team decided to redesign their platform from the ground up. The primary purpose of the redesign was to improve lawyer’s ability to deliver superior client service. Their mission “Transforming the Legal Profession, For Good.” To do that requires not only providing the best practice management tool for lawyers, but also the best platform from which lawyers can provide superior client experience. 

The software and integrations certainly provide both and will only become more powerful over time. 

The software is an amazing platform – the conference transforming. 

One reason I attend the conference every year is that my practice and my ability to provide legal services of the highest level depends upon discovery of the most innovative approaches available to solving problems. Every year I have found and implemented new and innovative solutions based upon presentations and keynotes from the Clio Cloud Conference. 

This year the solutions, inspiration and opportunities presented were so innovative and thought provoking that when I left the conference to return home I was exhausted mentally and physically. 

Exhausted but energized and inspired like never before. 

The most energizing and inspirational experience I had was one I could never have imagined possible. It began with the morning keynote speaker on the second day of the conference – Haben Girma. The first student to graduate from Harvard Law School who is both deaf and blind. 

She had the toughest speaking slot at the conference. The first speech on the second day after 1,200 lawyers had spent the night before partying in New Orleans. 

Her speech was the personification of transforming the legal profession, for good. 

Her life story is inspirational. 

Her style is humble and powerful. 

Her example defies explanation. 

As Haben spoke of the importance of inclusion of those with disabilities, important as she demonstrated because of what society misses when inclusion does not occur, she showed us a video. 

A video of Haben dancing Salsa with two different partners. 

The video was extremely powerful for me. You see, my wife and I are competitive Salsa dancers. We finished third in the world in the over 40 competition for amateur-amateur choreographed showcase at the World Salsa Summit. 

What I saw in the video was Haben executing perfect salsa dance movement dancing with a partner free style – no choreography at all. For those who dance Salsa, that is difficult for someone who can both hear and see. Haben was magnificent without being able to either hear or see. 

Haben explained that she was able to dance because she could feel the rhythm of the music through the body movements of her partner and the step patterns based upon being able to feel the movement of the body position of her partner. Her description is precisely the way that the best dancers in the world dance. 

That evening the conference had a networking and celebration event at the House of Blues in New Orleans. My wife and I met and talked with Haben that evening. (The way one talks with Haben is to keyboard there portion of the conversation through a keyboard that is attached via blue tooth to a machine that coverts the keyboarding into braille. Haben responds verbally.) I told Haben about our dancing and started to ask her if she wanted to dance that night in the House of Blues. I could not even keyboard the entire question and she enthusiastically said yes. 

 When we approached the dance floor, the entire floor stopped dancing and opened space on the floor. Every eye in the room was on us. The band even stopped for a moment to see what was happening. Haben and I danced three or four songs. I cannot tell you for sure because the dance was so enjoyable that I totally lost track of the time on the dance floor. I did not notice at all that Haben was either blind or deaf. Rather, the connection and experience through the dance was just that the connection of two people in the experience of dance. 

I did notice a change in me. Almost immediately when we started to dance. The weakest part of dance for me is movement in my upper body. For those who have not danced Latin dance, whether it be Salsa, Bachata or Cha Cha, it is may be hard to understand but the upper body movement in the dance is as important as the touch of hands in a lead, the body position in a turn pattern or the footwork involved in the dance. Communication of rhythm and timing of the dance to Haben had to come from upper body movement because that is where the connection would begin. As we danced, I noticed my upper body moved better than it had ever moved before. I am certain that without the experience of dancing with Haben and the understanding of connection and communication originating in both of our bodies I would never have been able to in an instant improve the weakest part of my dancing ability. 

The improvement was so noticeable that my teachers and coaches could see the change in the first practice/lesson after I returned.

In those dances, that night at the House of Blues in New Orleans, I learned just how much we miss if we do not include all human beings regardless of ability or disability. I learned dance movement that I struggled with for years in a few moments on the dance floor with Haben. 

That is a moment, an experience, I will never forget. 

My wife and I will be dancing in competition at the Canada Salsa and Bachata Congress in Toronto this weekend. I will be dancing with a part of Haben with me at every dance. 

My life will be better and forever changed. 

Transformation for good. That’s something we can all do – now.

[ashton-patrice-blog]

"To make the most impact, you have to ask yourself what are your strengths."

Haben Girma

[reveur-noir]

#blackexcellence in the making. Round of applause for this beautiful queen. 👏🏾 #blackgirlmagic ✨ ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ #blackisbeautiful #riseabove #habengirma #harvard #ivyleague #deafandblind #deafandproud #awearness #letthemknow #blackgirlsbelike #loveyourself #teachthemyoung #selflove #blacklove #obama #blackbeauty

[kamchronicles]

#HabenGirma defeated the odds! Awesome!! Haben Girma has earned recognition as a White House Champion of Change, Forbes 30 under 30, and BBC Women of Africa Hero. The first Deafblind person to graduate from Harvard Law School, Haben advocates for equal access to information for people with disabilities. Haben holds a B.A. in Sociology/Anthropology from Lewis & Clark College. Because of her disability rights advocacy she has been honored by President Barack Obama, President Bill Clinton, and many others. Based in San Francisco, Haben enjoys salsa dancing, surfing, and traveling the world.

[redprawn]

Glad to have met you @habengirma today at the Inclusive Africa Conference 2022 organized by @inableorg #inclusivedesign #inclusionmatters #a11yafrica2022 https://www.instagram.com/p/CeCeg6ao3Vf/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[helloiamausacresfan]

"@HabenGirma

LACCD's ugly tactics are now endangering the civil rights of all disabled Americans. Help by adding your name to the petition https://form.jotform.com/220128109863150 #BackOffLACCD Blind students need accessible course materials, but the Los Angeles Community College District is fighting them.@LACCD

[vexedintellects]

We here at The Vexed Intellects love the ladies. And to show our appreciation and admiration, we have a segment entitled, You Glow Girl! Here is where we highlight incredible achievements by the ladies every week. Here are our selections this week. @prince_shavarae selects @pamela.ashley.uba first black woman to be crowned Miss Ireland @jamison_st_james selects @stephaniefilo , @daybroadway , @thatgirljess88 first all women of color editing team to win an Emmy for Outstanding Picture Editing for Variety Programming @tharealtio selects @habengirma the first deaf-blind student to graduate from @harvardlaw @dawholedamnshow selects @mickalenethomas launching a four-part exhibition called, Beyond the Pleasure Principle, this fall that will showcase the contemporary artist’s multimedia portrayals of Black femininity #wcw❤️ #mensupportingwomen #womensempowerment #womenmakinghistory #womenmakingwaves #womenmakingmoves #womenmakingadifference #womeninentertainment #womeninlaw #missireland #womeninart (at Atlanta, Georgia) https://www.instagram.com/p/CT2v8TrFinq/?utm_medium=tumblr

[hellodistinguishedstudentllama]

RT @HabenGirma: Deafblind skier Haben skiing with her hand over the ski guide's hand to feel the signs for upcoming turns & stops @PowMow #PowderMountain https://t.co/oDFHrpLDod

RT @HabenGirma: Deafblind skier Haben skiing with her hand over the ski guide's hand to feel the signs for upcoming turns & stops @PowMow #PowderMountain https://t.co/oDFHrpLDod from FB Mashes https://twitter.com/GuerinGreen/status/1273800752910135296 https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

[intersektionalitaetundgewalt]

Police can’t see I’m Deafblind. Frankly, many wouldn’t care. 30 to 50% of the lives extinguished by police were disabled black & brown people. If you believe #BlackDisabledLivesMatter, add your name to create a bold new solution #DefundThePolicehttps://t.co/DaLndsC0Edpic.twitter.com/zJaw6pzA9t

— Haben Girma (@HabenGirma)

June 7, 2020

[mimmerr]

#FlipTheNarrative: an interview with Elly Chapple.

In this interview, we meet Elly Chapple, founder of the social and human movement #flipthenarrative, TEDx speaker and all round incredible human being.

I listened to one of Elly's speeches over a year ago and it has really stuck with me. It started with her family's journey and the struggles they have had in the education system. Then onto discussions on what we as educators need to do for all children, to ensure they are happy and safe. How else can we expect them to learn?

I think it's crucial for all educators to read her story and all about the fantastic work she is carrying out.

Tell me about #FlipTheNarrative.

Without us consciously thinking about it, from day one, we were continually striving to have our daughter Ella seen as a person first, medical labels second. We didn’t see her as anything other than an amazing human, so hearing a lot of ‘can’ts, won’ts’ and other medical language was at times, frustrating. Luckily, we had some great professionals who chose to walk with us, including an amazing Health Visitor who supported with the adaptations that were needed for everyday life.

When Ella started at school, she was deemed PMLD (Profound and Multiple Learning difficulties), which was a label we struggled with. We felt it stemmed more from a lack of collective understanding about who she was, and what she could do.

She wasn’t diagnosed as Deafblind until she was seven, and that came about due to our persistence about ‘why’ she couldn’t learn, when we knew she could. She had attended a special school from just before her fifth birthday and for us, her world shrank, rather than grew, which was opposite to what we thought a specialist environment would do. Tragically aged seven, she lost her eyesight because she was so stressed; she had hit her head and detached both retinas. Our TEDx shares the story.

In 2017, Barney Angliss spotted us on Twitter after we had just joined in the hope that we might break out of an echo chamber and reach a wider space. He invited us to share our story and help chair a series of stories at the first FestABLE conference in 2018. We were really honoured to do this and felt that it was time to share our vision to #FlipTheNarrative around what it meant to be human, and that our differences didn’t mean anyone deserved less of a seat at the table, than anyone else.

#FlipTheNarrative embodies the whole human view. It’s a challenge to reframe and reboot the whole conversation about being human, and humanity. It asks that we think about difference within a wide human lens, not the societal linear one that we often come up against. In a world where so much has shaped and changed and enhanced, we are still working out how to share the space to be – with everyone. 

What are the main issues within SEND education?

I’m no expert and think many could answer this better than I could - Barney Angliss for one! I think a lot of the issues stem from the fact that despite every child having a human right to an education, regardless of whatever the need, we haven’t managed to ensure they can be accommodated within the whole education view.

Funding is a big issue as we all know, which has squeezed people’s human capacity to feel they can support well. Teachers are struggling at times, as much as families. If we don’t invest in education, how do we prevent the much bigger costs that can arise longer term? This includes both human and financial issues. What if children didn’t get an education, or the skills they need, or worse? What is the cost to everyone, if our actions create negative outcomes?

There’s also the accountability which pressures around the testing focus, the measurement of children, which is inordinately hard for many to fit within, when those measurement scales don’t include them anyway. The creativity and space to think/reflect and adapt is needed for those children to thrive in school too. That means giving everyone in the space capacity to reflect, to be able to have connected relationships, rather than squeezing everyone further and further into a space where no one does well.

I may be oversimplifying and there are lots of issues, but human capacity is a thing for everyone and when you pressure that, you pressure everyone. If there are no strategies or support in place, humans will not cope, and learning will be last on the list. All spaces need to support everyone.

What can teachers do to support SEND learners?

To be brave and courageous in these times and find a way to connect with others. This means having strong networks and ensuring they can share concerns, lean in and find solutions. All children are our future, and diversity is one of the biggest conversations happening. Businesses are focusing hard on becoming inclusive, accessibility is improving and growing, and we need to mirror that movement, because it is the future you are teaching for.

The relationships with families and their children are critical too. These people will work with you, and are an expert in their child/ren, if you embrace that, things can improve through genuine, trusted relationships.

And the same question, but for leaders? 

It’s the same for leaders, leading with courage and bravery, to do the right thing by not only their team, but the children we all serve.

Finding ways around issues we face can be a critical part of any leadership, parents do this daily, and it’s a skill we all share. Read Emma Turner’s book – ‘Be More Toddler’, it’s just brilliant and we were honoured to be within it:

‘Our aim should be to have an organisation where, as Elly Chapple says, ‘Everyone has a seat at the table’, and should we find that, like our toddlers, someone is getting pushed off that chair, we need to ensure that we as the leaders take action.’1

Trusting in our collective strength, we empower people to lead from the ground up and we need to see the value in that. Great teams come from empowered spaces with shared values and the ability to see great communication and relationships as huge agents of change.

In celebration of the recent International Women's Day, which other women in the field inspire you?

So many amazing women! @MsJoBillington, @Claire_R123, @2tubies, @emmadimps, @StarlightMcKenz, @pancake_puns, @jo3grace, @k_runswick_cole, @sarasiobhan, @isabelle241212, @HabenGirma, @EmmaHardyMP, @MollyWattTalks, @eqtraining, @junesarpong, @carolinebinc, @monadelahooke, @musicmind @sallyephillips @JKnussen @BarrowfordHead @ViviennePorritt @DrHelenTaylorCC and so many more….

I’m really inspired by the #TeamSEND collective, and all the parents who work so hard daily, to reframe the view.

I’m also hugely inspired by the everyday people I meet who have a strong belief in the human possible. From Julie in our Post Office, to Shelley in the hair salon. They speak such human sense, we’ve forgotten how much we need to ground ourselves sometimes in the ordinary, to see that there is a will for everyone to be included, and it often isn’t complicated – it’s just being human.

Interviewing Elly has brought back those feelings I first felt after hearing her the first time. Urgent inspiration. There are many issues within education at the moment, but it is our duty to listen, to be patient and understanding to all children and their families. Not rushing but taking our time to think about children's needs will ensure effective learning in the short term but also the long term, leading to a fairer and inclusive society where everyone has a say.

Below, Elly has shared a range of reports, advice and events for you to engage with. You can also follow her on Twitter here and visit her website here.

Key recent reports into the support of our children in education:

 https://www.challengingbehaviour.org.uk/cbf-articles/reportrestrictiveintervention.html 

https://www.cypcs.org.uk/ufiles/No-Safe-Place.pdf 

https://www.centreformentalhealth.org.uk/trauma-behaviour-restrictive-interventions-schools

A better, human way to support children with distressed behaviour: https://www.studio3.org/ Spaces we connect with! https://candoella.com/our-partners/

Upcoming conferences:

The Kindness Conference organised by @sarahhenry2002 https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-kindness-conference-tickets-96891038705

The Power of Relationships organised by @ClairePHunter https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-power-of-positive-relationships-for-young-people-registration-94622860523

FestABLE 2020 at the National Star College in Cheltenham curated by @AspieDeLaZouch https://thelittleboxoffice.com/FestABLE/