Harvard Law Alumna Appointed to Helen Keller Services Board of Trustees

Haben Girma, HLS J.D. ’13

Via the Daily Californian

Berkeley civil rights attorney Haben Girma was appointed the first deaf and blind board trustee of Helen Keller Services for the Blind on Thursday.

Founded in 1893, Helen Keller Services is a national organization that is based in New York and helps visually impaired, blind or deaf and blind individuals lead independent lives. Girma, who grew up in Oakland and San Leandro, attended Lewis & Clark College for her undergraduate degree and became the first deaf and blind graduate of Harvard Law School in 2013.

She currently works to improve access to technology and education as a Skadden Fellowship Attorney at Disability Rights Advocates, a nonprofit legal center for disability rights located in Downtown Berkeley.

“I’m passionate about disability rights work because it’s a background in which I have personal knowledge, and I can use that knowledge to help others,” Girma said.

Girma first became involved with Helen Keller Services four years ago through Deaf-Blind Young Adults in Action, a leadership program organized by a subsidiary organization, the Helen Keller National Center for Deaf-Blind Youths and Adults. The center’s executive director, who met Girma through the program, asked her to join the board to offer a new perspective as a member of the deaf and blind community.

“She’s someone we’ve admired for many years and a wonderful role model,” said Sue Ruzenski, executive director of the Helen Keller National Center. “We are all excited and thrilled that she’s going to be a part of this, and we’re looking forward to opening new doors.”

As a trustee, Girma’s responsibilities include voting on key issues such as the creation of new programs and strategic plans for expansion in the next five years, Ruzenski said. Ruzenski cited Girma’s work in advocacy and her connections in the disability community as strengths she would bring to the position. Continue reading