In ordinary times, people with disabilities are regularly confronted with ableism, or in the words of Disability Rights Lawyer Haben Girma, “the widespread assumption that disabled people are inferior to non-disabled people.” During the coronavirus pandemic, this assumption becomes life threatening.
“One of the things I’m most concerned of is discrimination in the medical field,” said Girma during a Time100 Talks segment. “We’ve heard of so many stories of disabled people being denied care because of assumptions of our quality of life.”
In 2013, Girma became the first deaf-blind student to graduate from Harvard Law School. a condition that is estimated to impact 45,000 to 50,000 Americans.
Today, the 32-year-old lawyer advocates on behalf of those with disabilities. Named a White House Champion of Change, Girma has been honored by President Barack Obama, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Girma says it’s those with disabilities that are driving innovation. She points to the story of rumored Italian lovers—Pellegrino Turri and Countess Carolina Fantoni da Fivizzano—as proof. During the 19th century, Turri invented one of the first typewriters for Fantoni da Fivizzano, his blind friend. During this period, long-distance correspondence for blind people often involved the dictation of their letters for someone else to write. Gifted with a typewriter, Fantoni da Fivizzano was able to correspond with Turri on her own.
“Disability drives innovation, love also drives innovation,” said Girma. “Disabled people are incredibly adaptive.”
Below is a transcript with audio descriptions of Haben Girma’s Time100 Talk.
TRANSCRIPT
DESCRIPTION: Haben standing on steps.
DESCRIPTION: Haben reading braille.HABEN GIRMA: Ableism is the widespread assumption that disabled people are inferior to non-disabled people.DESCRIPTION: Haben smiling at camera.DESCRIPTION: Haben sitting on couch.HABEN GIRMA: We’re not inferior, but that’s the assumption that’s embedded in our culture.DESCRIPTION: On-screen text over image of Haben in a cap and gown.Text: In 2013, Girma became the first deaf-blind person to graduate from Harvard Law School.DESCRIPTION: On-screen text over image of Haben and Barack Obama.Text: She has been honored by President Barack Obama, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and Chancellor Angela Merkel for her advocacy.DESCRIPTION: Barack Obama and Haben in the White House sharing a hug.DESCRIPTION: Barack Obama typing.Text: I couldn’t type a hug.HABEN GIRMA: I prefer real hugs to typed hugs.[laughter]DESCRIPTION: Haben sitting on couch.HABEN GIRMA: A lot of people are probably wondering if your deaf-blind how are you communicating? So to access information around me I use one of my strongest senses. My sense of touch. And I’m using a computer here that has braille on the bottom.DESCRIPTION: Haben holds up her Braille computer.HABEN GIRMA: I run my fingers over the dots and feel the lettersDESCRIPTION: Image of Haben speaking to Senator Harkin.HABEN GIRMA: and that’s how I access books,DESCRIPTION: Image of Haben shaking hands with Chancellor Angela Merkel.HABEN GIRMA documents and I use mainstream computers like iPhonesDESCRIPTION: Haben shaking hands with President Bill Clinton.HABEN GIRMA: and laptops to access email and websites that are accessible.DESCRIPTION: Footage of a man rowing a gondola in Italy.DESCRIPTION: On left, footage of homes on hills in Italy. Right, Haben on couch.HABEN GIRMA: There were two friends in Italy one blind one sighted and these two friends wanted to exchange letters.DESCRIPTION: On left, polished hands writing letter. Right, Haben on couch.HABEN GIRMA: This was back before email back before even braille. And if a blind person wanted to write a letter, they had to dictate it and someone else would write it down for them. These friends couldn’t do that. They had to keep their letters secret.DESCRIPTION: On left, polished hands writing letter. On right, woman looking around frantically.DESCRIPTION: Haben sitting on couch on left. On right, upset woman taking a seat.HABEN GIRMA: They were love letters they used this as a design challenge. Hmm. How do we make a way to write?DESCRIPTION: Haben sitting on couch.HABEN GIRMA: that doesn’t require site. They developed one of the first working typewritersDESCRIPTION: Footage of woman typing on typewriter.HABEN GIRMA: and with a typewriter you can memorize the layout of the keys and touch just my feeling the keysDESCRIPTION: Close up of hands typing on typewriter.HABEN GIRMA: and type just by feeling the keys.DESCRIPTION: Haben sitting on couch.HABEN GIRMA: Nowadays lots of people write letters on keyboards and some of the fastest typists are touch typists. Disability drives Innovation, love also drives innovation. Disabled people are incrediblyDESCRIPTION: Image of Haben tactile signing with a student at the Victory School for the Deaf.HABEN GIRMA: adaptive. We find ways to come upDESCRIPTION: Haben greeting blind students at Addis University.HABEN GIRMA: with solutions every time we face a new challenge.DESCRIPTION: Image of Haben feeling the presidential seal.HABEN GIRMA: One of the things I’m most concerned of is discrimination in the medical field.DESCRIPTION: Screenshot of TIME article on living with disabilities in midst of coronavirus.HABEN GIRMA: We’ve heard of so many stories of disabled people being deniedDESCRIPTION: Screenshot of Forbes article on living with disabilities in midst coronavirus.HABEN GIRMA: care because of assumptions of our quality of life.DESCRIPTION: Haben sitting on couch.HABEN GIRMA: So many people assume that my quality of life is awful justDESCRIPTION: Image of Haben and her dog at the US Capitol, Haben surfing and Haben and Barack Obama.HABEN GIRMA: because I have a disabilityDESCRIPTION: Haben sitting on couch.HABEN GIRMA: and I don’t need to tell you that’s not true. [Haben laughs]
DESCRIPTION: TIME logo.
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Write to Jenna Caldwell at jenna.caldwell@time.com