Haben Girma at IUPUI

617 Indiana Avenue,Indianapolis IN 46202

22 September, 2022

Description

IUPUI Diversity Speaker Series presents:Haben Girma at IUPUIThursday, Sep. 22, 2022, at 6 p.m. Doors 5:00 p.m. Madam Walker Legacy Center Ballroom Free and open to the public Just try and stop Haben Girma. The deafblind daughter of Eritrean-Ethiopian War refugees has long been an advocate for accessibility. Throughout school, Girma faced teachers and administrators who were reluctant to create inclusive learning spaces for someone who is both blind and deaf. Consequently, Girma developed a pesky habit of reminding people of the Americans with Disabilities Act. A great example of Girma's advocacy is her experience at Lewis and Clark College. Girma requested an accessible menu for the dining hall. The menu changed daily at various stations, and Girma could easily know what was for lunch if she was sent the menu digitally. However, dining hall staff regularly forgot to send the menu to Girma, so she wouldn't know what she was going to eat until she sat down and tried her food. Girma informed staff that sending her the menu was not a favor but a legally required accommodation under the ADA. She soon started receiving the menu daily. Girma knew she wanted to translate her personal advocacy to the greater fight for accessibility, so she decided to attend law school. When deciding on law schools, a mentor advised Girma that as a disabled person she needed to attend the best school, as people will constantly be looking to discredit her. Enter Harvard Law School. Harvard is one of the most elite, selective and credible institutions in the world. Upon arriving, administrators told Girma, "We've never had a deafblind person at Harvard." To which Girma replied, "Well, I've never been to Harvard." And now Girma is used to being first. She's the first deafblind person on the cover of Forbes magazine. She's the first deafblind surfer. And who knows? Her accessibility campaign even extends to space exploration, so she may just land herself the first deafblind astronaut spot. It seems that for Girma, even the sky may not be the limit Join us in person Thursday, Sep 22, 2022, at 6 p.m. at the Madam Walker Legacy Center Ballroom. Brought to you by the IUPUI Division of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion IMPORTANT EVENT ANNOUNCEMENTSIndiana Avenue is under construction due to the Cultural Trail expansion. It shouldn't cause too many headaches, just know that the street is now down to one lane each way and we may have to redirect the path to the entrance if the sidewalk is currently under construction. Free parking available in the lots west of the Madam Walker Legacy Center, marked in the map below as lots A - D. Accessible parking available in lot A. Lot 92 is available for overflow parking. Enter the building using the door at 617 Indiana Ave. It's the one with the Walker Building overhang and 617 above it, facing Indiana Ave. This is NOT the main marquee entrance with the ticket booth. Take the elevator to BR, once you're inside the 617 door. That BR stands for ballroom, which is where we'll be. OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION Masks are currently not required. Wear one if you like, but know other people sitting near you may not be masked. And of course, the no-mask policy is subject to the whims of COVID-19 and could change at anytime. Free food will be available as individually packaged snacks and drinks, including options for a myriad of diets. Arrive early. Your BFF's coat can only save so many seats. Limited general-admission seating available. First come first served. No reserve seating. If you have a disability, no worries — we got you. The Madam Walker Legacy Center has accessible entries, seating and restrooms. Sign language interpreters available. Email [email protected] if you need additional accommodations. Tickets are NOT required for entry, but we appreciate your free registration so as to properly plan and send you pertinent emails. And maybe a few relevant memes, but no promises.