Author | Lightnews

Haben Girma @habengirma.bsky.social · 9d

I’m excited to deliver a keynote for Foothill College’s Disability Awareness Month celebrations! Join us on Tuesday October 21 in Los Altos Hills, located near San Jose. The event is open to all, free, and captioning + ASL interpretation will be provided.

On the left is the book cover for Haben: The Deafblind Woman Who Conquered Harvard Law. On the right is text: “San Francisco Bay Area, October 21, 11:00 AM, Foothill College, Appreciation Hall, 12345 El Monte Rd., Los Altos Hills, CA.”

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Reposted by Haben Girma

Deque Systems @deque.com · 23d

Axe-con is back! Join us on February 24-26, 2026, to come together with the global digital accessibility community.

Plus, we’re thrilled to announce this year’s stellar keynotes: @habengirma.bsky.social and @ranaelkaliouby.bsky.social! www.deque.com/axe-con/ #a11y

axe-con 2026: Accelerating digital accessibility. Virtual conference: February 24 through 25, 2026.

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Haben Girma @habengirma.bsky.social · Sep 25

Raise a glass to Braille! The only blindness organization with its own winery in France, Voir Ensemble crafted this red Bordeaux for the Braille Bicentennial.
youtube.com/shorts/pDHYz...

Taste a rare French wine crafted by the blind community

YouTube video by Haben Girma

youtube.com

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Haben Girma @habengirma.bsky.social · Sep 17

In France, Braille may refer to the tactile reading system, the surname of its inventor, or the call of a strange and gorgeous bird!

Descriptive Transcript: habengirma.com/2025/09/17/b...

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Haben Girma @habengirma.bsky.social · Sep 10

Reading Braille out loud over the radio, a young blind woman assists the Allies in the Netflix series “All the Light We Cannot See.” The show inspired me to visit Saint-Malo on my journey through France for the Braille Bicentennial.

Descriptive Transcript: habengirma.com/2025/09/10/b...

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Haben Girma @habengirma.bsky.social · Aug 21

Having a seat at the table doesn’t always mean being included. Deaf and Deafblind people often face dinner table syndrome — missing out because communication barriers build walls. Watch Haben Girma and Rachel Kolb break it down and share solutions.

Transcript: habengirma.com/2025/08/21/w...

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Haben Girma @habengirma.bsky.social · Aug 19

Join us in celebrating 200 years of Braille at the Coupvray castle park on September 20, 2025. Visit Coupvray’s website for more information about the Braille Bicentennial: www.coupvray.fr/evenement/sa...

Descriptive Transcript: habengirma.com/2025/08/19/d...

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Haben Girma @habengirma.bsky.social · Jul 28

The Lighthouse plans to cut more programs, despite having millions of dollars. #Blind people, #Deafblind people & allies are calling for the leadership team behind these brutal decisions to step down.

www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/arti...

Influential San Francisco nonprofit faces uncertain financial future

LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired has served people in San Francisco for over 122 years. Now, community members fear for the nonprofit institution’s future.

www.sfchronicle.com

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Haben Girma @habengirma.bsky.social · Jul 21

When you’re done with that, read the Deafblind community’s response and sign the petition.

www.decertifylighthouse.org/post/beyond-...

Beyond the Standard: Calling for Accountability at LightHouse for the Blind

In this post, we offer our Campaign's take on the San Francisco Standard's story about LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired. Overall, it is an excellent piece of journalism, providing a well...

www.decertifylighthouse.org

Haben Girma @habengirma.bsky.social · Jul 21

The San Francisco Lighthouse for the Blind recently cut programs and terminated over forty people. If you want to know why blind people and allies are calling for the Lighthouse’s leadership to step down, read this investigative report by the San Francisco Standard. sfstandard.com/2025/07/17/l...

SF nonprofit went from $125M gift to fight for survival

A mysterious $125M gift transformed the San Francisco LightHouse for the Blind and Visually impaired. A decade later, layoffs, protests, and financial losses leave the nonprofit fighting to survive.

sfstandard.com

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Haben Girma @habengirma.bsky.social · Jul 15

You’re welcome! I can understand the fear. Years of conversations and friendships within the disability community has helped me get past a lot of fear, and I hope my experiences can do that for others. :)

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Haben Girma @habengirma.bsky.social · Jul 15

I broke my ankle, and let me tell you: using a wheelchair while Deafblind is an experience for the next book! In honor of #DisabilityPrideMonth here are my favorite things about using a chair.

Shoutout to my friend Dr. H’Sien Hayward @drhsienhayward.bsky.social!

youtu.be/i2RIaNIUnZQ

I broke my ankle and now have 3 disabilities! My top 3 perks of using a wheelchair.

YouTube video by Haben Girma

youtu.be

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Haben Girma @habengirma.bsky.social · Jul 11

The first time I experienced a Braille map of a garden was in Seattle. While most gardens focus on sight, this one celebrates six senses!

Descriptive Transcript: habengirma.com/2025/07/10/m...

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Haben Girma @habengirma.bsky.social · Jun 25

Imagine a future where blind people building planes, flying planes, and shaping aviation policy is so common it ceases to be remarkable. Seattle’s Museum of Flight has a selection of planes both blind and sighted people are encouraged to touch. Descriptive Transcript: habengirma.com/2025/06/25/t...