"Haben" by Haben Girma

[blue_mouse]

Reading Haben by Haben Girma right now. Deafblind lawyer who advocates for disability rights. https://habengirma.com/faq/ The book is a series of select anecdotes from her growing up.

My fav chapter: where Haben is an undergrad and she can't read/hear her dininghall menu and she can't tell what food she gets until she tries to eat it, and it's a pain -- and the dining hall keeps forgetting to email her the menus -- even after Student services and various departments and Haben Girma herself keeps meeting with the dining hall and asking them -- and the manager of the dining hall sends the most mealymouthed obnoxious email to Haben, telling her that they can't always help her --

And Haben looks up info about the ADA and then write an email to the manager clarifying that she's not asking, she's saying they are breaking the law by not providing accommodations for her, and they need to get it together or she's going to bring a lawyer -- and CC's the manager's manager and various college heads in the email -- and yes, finally, the dining hall management does show up apologetic and gets it together. And another student who is blind finds the menu emails very helpful too, because he can't hear the menu being read off in the noisy dining hall. And Haben starts becoming interested in law school after this.

So, so satisfying.

Relatedly, looks like there's a 7/25 Book launch webinar for an anthology called Disability Visibility.

Comments

[stealthsystem]

We'd love that book! We've had similar experiences, actually.

[blue_mouse]

I was thinking about y'all and also LB, when I was reading the book! What experiences have been similar?

Also, Habin mentioned using assistive tech that I wanted myself. Habin was doing networking in a bar setting and used a typing and braille computer setup so people could talk to her that way (because the bar is too noisy). Which, I also dislike networking in bars! I can't hear anyone over the noise and I don't like shouting back replies. Also I never buy alcoholic drinks anyway, since I need to be alert (like Habin mentioned in the book). If I had to be at a bar, it would be useful to just type or text with with people, since I can't hear or talk anyway.

[stealthsystem]

We went to mainstream colleges, and not the same experience, but a case of fail anyway. There was a tiny residential street on campus that sometimes got traffic but usually not. There's no curb or texture change or anything. So one do we walk out into that street because we got lost on our way to class, only to have someone come along, laugh at us for being lost, and walk off.
Also, a lot of people like game devs act like we're ridiculous for wanting access to the same things sighted people have.
And hilariously enough, we're talking to you from one of those Braille computers right now. Well, technically this is a Braille tablet, basic touch-screen tablet with a line of refreshable Braille at the bottom, so little pins that pop up and down, that's in a case with a keyboard cover. We're using it because our wife is sleeping and it's much quieter than our laptop.
It's the only thing with a Braille display we have. We do also have a Mac laptop, a Windows laptop, an iPhone and iPad. We prefer Apple products because their stuff comes with the accessibility built right in.
We like gars for the atmosphere. We're not huge drinkers, either. We actually prefer coffee shops to bars though.
Oh, but I'd meant to say that if we bring our tablet into a bar, and if there's guest wi-fi, and you happened to have something like say Google Hangouts or some other messaging program, it'd be possible for you to message us in print but we could read it in Braille, and type back an answer for you to read in print. It's pretty cool.
Also, the tablet has a small visual display on the touch screen beneath the keyboard cover as I can type either with or without the case. If I wanted to show you a cute cat video, I could.

[blue_mouse]

I am retroactively mad at these jerks who laughed at y'all for being lost!
I was just talking with a co-worker today about style details for email newsletters. Apparently her department was setting up guidelines for how to write blurbs and use hyperlinks, and accessibility being part of that. I think because the hyperlinks are hard to read and are maybe disruptive for screen readers? (So, ie, writing out the blurb and then having a separate sentence at the end for the hyperlink, such as "Click here".)

I love that option of just talking thru texting in a bar! I'd much prefer that.

[stealthsystem]

I'm sure some screen reader users would find the hyper link that is just in the blurb to be disruptive. We think it's kinda fun to find them. XDD
But yes! Texting in a bar is way better. Also, if you want to know more blind people stuff, check out Youtube user Molly Burke. She's really cool to watch, and will tell you a lot of interesting facts.
Oh, yeah, they're coming out with a Braille keyboard so instead of having to touch type you can type on your smart phone with a physical Braille keyboard.
Even though, fun fact, if you have an iPhone, there's a virtual Braille keyboard built in if you set it up in the accessibility settings. I preordered the physical one though so wanted to show you.
-Micah

[blue_mouse]

Oh cool thank you for the recommendation!! Also that keyboard is neat technology. It's so small.

Also, hi, Micah!

[stealthsystem]

When we get the keyboard, we were thinking of posting a review of it for your interest. Also, it should be here some time next month, but they just sent out an update letting us know they have cases available for the keyboard to keep it safe when it's in your purse or pocket, and if we ordered one now, before the 31st of July, and used their coupon code, they'd waive the shipping cost and just tuck it in with your keyboard. So I had a quick consult with the system and we decided to go ahead and order the natural leather as opposed to the synthetic leather. We're so excited! This keyboard is small enough to pop into the backpack we carry as a purse, instead of being like having to haul our Braillenote around.
If you're not familiar with Braillenotes, please tell me! We're always happy to send you more pictures of blindness technology. :-D
Also, hi! Nice to meet you, too!
Micah

[lb_lee]

I mean, I became a cartoonist out of spite. :p Because there just wasn't anything I felt okay giving to people I wanted to come out to, so I was like I'LL MAKE MY OWN THEN.

And now here I am over a decade later, getting random emails from folks being like, "hey, your talking about your marriage without shame makes me feel like maybe my relationships are worthy of pride too!" and that's the best thing ever.

[blue_mouse]

... there might have been some degree of spite in why I started making some of my stories (aka the current WIP), when I said, "I'm not in any stories I read, people I know aren't in any stories I read, fine, I'm making stories myself."