Portrait of Haben Girma
For many disabled people, showing up at a protest requires planning. Will there be an ASL interpreter or will you need to find a volunteer? Will the space be wheelchair accessible? For me, as a Deafblind person, I need a seat or table for my Braille computer and keyboard. Organizers who share detailed accessibility information make it easier for disabled people to join.
Descriptive Transcript
Haben (voiceover):
Braille helps me protest, allowing me to read signs that I’m not able to see.
Advocate in any way you can, whether that’s standing, sitting, voicing, signing, online or offline.
The video shows Haben and her parents smiling and waving under a majestic redwood. A short wooden border circles the tree, and Haben is sitting on the border with one hand on her Braille computer and her Seeing Eye dog on the ground beside her. The video pans around the park showing hundreds of people of all ages—some sitting, some standing, and some holding signs that say: “Respect the dignity of every human being,” “Fight fascism,” “Hands off the rule of law,” “Don’t tread on our first amendment rights,” “Stop the big ugly betrayal bill,” “Dissent,” and more.
Read AAPD’s resource “Accessible Organizing: Tips for Protest Organizers and Disabled Protesters” for more tips on making protests and other organizing events accessible.
Haben Girma is the author of the bestselling book Haben: The Deafblind Woman Who Conquered Harvard Law. You can enjoy more of her videos and stories on her website habengirma.com.