If businesses think more about accessibility, they can tap into a huge market of 1.3 billion people, says the global inclusion advocate Haben Girma, the first deaf and blind person to graduate from Harvard Law School.
She will be speaking about accessibility and inclusiveness at Naseba Global WIL Economic Forum in Dubai on October 26.
When people think of accessibility they tend to think about wheelchair ramps and lifts but Eritrean-American Ms Girma, 29, is more focused on the role of technology in driving inclusion - adding transcripts to online videos, descriptions to digital images and making Web text readable with screen readers or digital braille displays.
Ms Girma was born in California after her mother fled Eritrea in the early 1980s. She has three siblings, of whom one is also deaf and blind but says she was lucky to grow up in the San Francisco Bay, the “heart of the disability rights movement”.
That meant she was sent to a mainstream school that “valued diversity” and was given accessible technology such as a digital Braille device, which her brother had been denied in Eritrea.
“It is still rare, even in the US, to get full access in schools,” Ms Girma says in a phone interview - in which a translator types my questions for her on to a normal Qwerty keyboard, which are converted for her into digital Braille on her own keyboard for her to then reply. “The employment rate is so low for people with disabilities and that’s not fair; barriers in schools and workplaces need to be removed.”
Deciding while at school to become a lawyer, she was admitted to Harvard Law School and, after graduation, became an attorney for the law firm Disability Advocates for two and a half years.
During that time, she represented the National Federation of the Blind, winning a lawsuit against the digital library Scribd to make the design of its site and apps accessible to the blind. She was named a White House champion of change and met then US president Barack Obama at the White House in 2015, using the Qwerty and digital keyboard system to communicate with him.
Last year she decided to leave law to help companies including Salesforce and Apple develop accessible products.
“If companies practice inclusion, everyone feels welcome,” she says. “They can reach more people - 1.3 billion more people - all over the world and tap in to this huge market. It means more business and more people using your services.”
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The official World Wide Web Consortium’s online content accessibility guidelines “allow for a lot of freedom and creativity”, Ms Girma says; rather than being specific about font sizes, they are about making content readable for as many people as possible, for instance by making text contrast strongly with the page background. Apple and Android have guidelines for making apps accessible, too, she adds.
Videos that include captions and transcripts increase access for hearing people, as well, she says, as they may be “situationally disabled” in an environment where they cannot turn on audio. Facebook reports that adding captions to videos increases view time by 12 per cent.
It also increases content discoverability to have more keyword searches point to the text of your video, says Ms Girma. Putting in image descriptions so a blind individual can still “gain information from a picture” will also help with discoverability, also known as search engine optimisation (SEO).
As well as advocacy, Ms Girma is writing her memoirs and has moved into public speaking.
Ms Girma has some hearing, in the high frequencies, and enough vision to read print with a magnifying glass. Like everything, she says, disability is “on a spectrum” and there is an assumed hierarchy to it - “the idea that the more sight you have, the smarter you are; the less, the dumber”.
“People asking if you can hear this or see that also becomes very disrespectful,” she says. “I’m helping to change the attitude. Deaf-blindness just means significant vision and hearing loss.”
Indeed, there are words Ms Girma says we should take great care in using: “normal” and “inspiration”.
“Words themselves aren’t really bad - it’s the intentions that can be problematic,” she says. “Often people say, ‘you’re an inspiration’ as a disguise for pity. ‘Wow, your life is so difficult - I’m inspired to stop complaining because my life is not as bad as yours.’ If inspiration is connected to action - ‘I’m inspired to make my website accessible’ - that’s positive.
“'Normal’ is harmful when you are perpetuating hierarchies of ‘them’ versus ‘us’ and dividing society,” she adds. “Inclusion is about welcoming everyone. Be aware of what you’re communicating when using words like these: are you promoting hierarchies or inclusion?”
I can confidently say I am inspired by Ms Girma to try out more hobbies. She has paused her love of salsa dancing in favour of swing and waltz, was into rock-climbing at high school and has dabbled with skiing, stand-up paddle-boarding, kayaking and river rafting. “Salsa is a form of communication,” she says. “You communicate constantly as you hold hands with someone.”
Being deaf-blind has made her a good problem-solver, she says, as demonstrated in her rock-climbing. “There’s a belayer who holds the rope and I was told I couldn’t belay because I can’t hear or see the climber. But I thought about it and, with my climber friend, we tried a new strategy – when he’s climbing and wants to come down or take a break, he makes a tactile signal through the rope and I immediately feel it.
“I can’t just watch people around me and copy them, so I have to figure out solutions and be a pioneer.”
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Revibe
Started: 2022
Founders: Hamza Iraqui and Abdessamad Ben Zakour
Based: UAE
Industry: Refurbished electronics
Funds raised so far: $10m
Investors: Flat6Labs, Resonance and various others
Ukraine exports
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has overseen grain being loaded for export onto a Turkish ship following a deal with Russia brokered by the UN and Turkey.
"The first vessel, the first ship is being loaded since the beginning of the war. This is a Turkish vessel," Zelensky said, adding exports could start in "the coming days" under the plan aimed at getting millions of tonnes of Ukrainian grain stranded by Russia's naval blockade to world markets.
"Our side is fully prepared," he said. "We sent all the signals to our partners -- the UN and Turkey, and our military guarantees the security situation."
Russia's Muslim Heartlands
Dominic Rubin, Oxford
TWISTERS
Director:+Lee+Isaac+Chung
Starring:+Glen+Powell,+Daisy+Edgar-Jones,+Anthony+Ramos
Rating:+2.5/5
Specs: 2024 McLaren Artura Spider
Engine: 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 and electric motor
Max power: 700hp at 7,500rpm
Max torque: 720Nm at 2,250rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
0-100km/h: 3.0sec
Top speed: 330kph
Price: From Dh1.14 million ($311,000)
On sale: Now
A QUIET PLACE
Starring: Lupita Nyong'o, Joseph Quinn, Djimon Hounsou
Director: Michael Sarnoski
Rating: 4/5
Ammar 808:
Maghreb United
Sofyann Ben Youssef
Glitterbeat
RACE RESULTS
1. Valtteri Bottas (FIN/Mercedes) 1hr 21min 48.527sec
2. Sebastian Vettel (GER/Ferrari) at 0.658sec
3. Daniel Ricciardo (AUS/Red Bull) 6.012
4. Lewis Hamilton (GBR/Mercedes) 7.430
5. Kimi Räikkönen (FIN/Ferrari) 20.370
6. Romain Grosjean (FRA/Haas) 1:13.160
7. Sergio Pérez (MEX/Force India) 1 lap
8. Esteban Ocon (FRA/Force India) 1 lap
9. Felipe Massa (BRA/Williams) 1 lap
10. Lance Stroll (CAN/Williams) 1 lap
11. Jolyon Palmer (GBR/Renault) 1 lap
12. Stoffel Vandoorne (BEL/McLaren) 1 lap
13. Nico Hülkenberg (GER/Renault) 1 lap
14. Pascal Wehrlein (GER/Sauber) 1 lap
15. Marcus Ericsson (SWE/Sauber) 2 laps
16. Daniil Kvyat (RUS/Toro Rosso) 3 laps
RESULTS
5pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 1,400m
Winner: JAP Almahfuz, Fernando Jara (jockey), Irfan Ellahi (trainer).
5.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh90,000 1,400m
Winner: AF Momtaz, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi.
6pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 1,400m
Winner: Yaalail, Fernando Jara, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
6.30pm: Abu Dhabi Championship Listed (PA) Dh180,000 1,600m
Winner: Ihtesham, Szczepan Mazur, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami.
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup Handicap (PA) Dh70,000 1,600m
Winner: Dahess D’Arabie, Fernando Jara, Helal Al Alawi.
7.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh80,000 2.200m
Winner: Ezz Al Rawasi, Connor Beasley, Helal Al Alawi.
ROUTE TO TITLE
Round 1: Beat Leolia Jeanjean 6-1, 6-2
Round 2: Beat Naomi Osaka 7-6, 1-6, 7-5
Round 3: Beat Marie Bouzkova 6-4, 6-2
Round 4: Beat Anastasia Potapova 6-0, 6-0
Quarter-final: Beat Marketa Vondrousova 6-0, 6-2
Semi-final: Beat Coco Gauff 6-2, 6-4
Final: Beat Jasmine Paolini 6-2, 6-2
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Carzaty, now Kavak
Based: Dubai
Launch year: Carzaty launched in 2018, Kavak in the GCC launched in 2022
Number of employees: 140
Sector: Automotive
Funding: Carzaty raised $6m in equity and $4m in debt; Kavak plans $130m investment in the GCC
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Haltia.ai
Started: 2023
Co-founders: Arto Bendiken and Talal Thabet
Based: Dubai, UAE
Industry: AI
Number of employees: 41
Funding: About $1.7 million
Investors: Self, family and friends
THE SPECS
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: seven-speed dual clutch
Power: 710bhp
Torque: 770Nm
Speed: 0-100km/h 2.9 seconds
Top Speed: 340km/h
Price: Dh1,000,885
On sale: now
Try out the test yourself
Q1 Suppose you had $100 in a savings account and the interest rate was 2 per cent per year. After five years, how much do you think you would have in the account if you left the money to grow?
a) More than $102
b) Exactly $102
c) Less than $102
d) Do not know
e) Refuse to answer
Q2 Imagine that the interest rate on your savings account was 1 per cent per year and inflation was 2 per cent per year. After one year, how much would you be able to buy with the money in this account?
a) More than today
b) Exactly the same as today
c) Less than today
d) Do not know
e) Refuse to answer
Q4 Do you think that the following statement is true or false? “Buying a single company stock usually provides a safer return than a stock mutual fund.”
a) True
b) False
d) Do not know
e) Refuse to answer
The “Big Three” financial literacy questions were created by Professors Annamaria Lusardi of the George Washington School of Business and Olivia Mitchell, of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Answers: Q1 More than $102 (compound interest). Q2 Less than today (inflation). Q3 False (diversification).
The years Ramadan fell in May
About Okadoc
Date started: Okadoc, 2018
Founder/CEO: Fodhil Benturquia
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Healthcare
Size: (employees/revenue) 40 staff; undisclosed revenues recording “double-digit” monthly growth
Funding stage: Series B fundraising round to conclude in February
Investors: Undisclosed
A Cat, A Man, and Two Women
Junichiro Tamizaki
Translated by Paul McCarthy
Daunt Books
The figures behind the event
1) More than 300 in-house cleaning crew
2) 165 staff assigned to sanitise public areas throughout the show
3) 1,000+ social distancing stickers
4) 809 hand sanitiser dispensers placed throughout the venue
Profile
Company: Justmop.com
Date started: December 2015
Founders: Kerem Kuyucu and Cagatay Ozcan
Sector: Technology and home services
Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai
Size: 55 employees and 100,000 cleaning requests a month
Funding: The company’s investors include Collective Spark, Faith Capital Holding, Oak Capital, VentureFriends, and 500 Startups.
How does ToTok work?
The calling app is available to download on Google Play and Apple App Store
To successfully install ToTok, users are asked to enter their phone number and then create a nickname.
The app then gives users the option add their existing phone contacts, allowing them to immediately contact people also using the application by video or voice call or via message.
Users can also invite other contacts to download ToTok to allow them to make contact through the app.
Company profile
Company name: Fasset
Started: 2019
Founders: Mohammad Raafi Hossain, Daniel Ahmed
Based: Dubai
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: $2.45 million
Current number of staff: 86
Investment stage: Pre-series B
Investors: Investcorp, Liberty City Ventures, Fatima Gobi Ventures, Primal Capital, Wealthwell Ventures, FHS Capital, VN2 Capital, local family offices
Company Profile
Company name: Hoopla
Date started: March 2023
Founder: Jacqueline Perrottet
Based: Dubai
Number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Investment required: $500,000
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champioons League semi-final, first leg:
Liverpool 5
Salah (35', 45+1'), Mane (56'), Firmino (61', 68')
Roma 2
Dzeko (81'), Perotti (85' pen)
Second leg: May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
MATCH INFO
Rugby World Cup (all times UAE)
Third-place play-off: New Zealand v Wales, Friday, 1pm
Confirmed bouts (more to be added)
Cory Sandhagen v Umar Nurmagomedov
Nick Diaz v Vicente Luque
Michael Chiesa v Tony Ferguson
Deiveson Figueiredo v Marlon Vera
Mackenzie Dern v Loopy Godinez
Tickets for the August 3 Fight Night, held in partnership with the Department of Culture and Tourism Abu Dhabi, went on sale earlier this month, through www.etihadarena.ae and www.ticketmaster.ae.