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2025 Disability Summit

2025 Disability Summit

Please join us for MSU’s 2nd Annual Disability Summit on Friday, October 3, 2025, at the Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center. This year’s summit will be a half-day event featuring keynote speaker, disability advocate, and author Haben Girma, networking opportunities, poster presentations and more. Two hundred copies of Haben Girma’s book, Haben: The Deafblind Woman Who Conquered Harvard Law, will be available to attendees on a first-come, first-served basis, with a book signing opportunity.  

In addition to this year’s in person event on October 3, there will be virtual sessions held on Fridays throughout the month of October to honor MSU Disability Pride Month and keep the conversations going.

Stay tuned - a full agenda and registration coming this fall!! Watch this page and check your email. Are you signed up for our mailing list? To join the mailing list, email listserv@list.msu.edu and write “SUBSCRIBE MSU-DISABILITY-CONNECTION” in the body of your message (not the subject line).

Photo portrait of Haben Girma, a Black woman in her mid 30's with medium length black hair and brown eyes

Meet our Keynote Speaker, Haben Girma

The first Deafblind person to graduate from Harvard Law School, Haben Girma is an award-winning advocate, author, and keynote speaker. She earned the Helen Keller Achievement Award, reached Forbes 30 under 30, and President Obama named her a White House Champion of Change. She believes disability challenges are opportunities for innovation, sparking new technologies that move society forward. Haben travels the globe teaching organizations how to build stronger, resilient, and more connected communities.  

Her bestselling book Haben: The Deafblind Woman Who Conquered Harvard Law takes readers on adventures around the world, including training with a guide dog in New Jersey, climbing an iceberg in Alaska, fighting for blind readers at a courthouse in Vermont, and talking with President Biden and President Obama at The White House. Warm, funny, thoughtful, and uplifting, this captivating book shows how we can resist isolation and find the keys to connection. The New York Times, Oprah Magazine, TODAY Show, and Stephen Curry have all praised the book.

In 2023 she became one of the first leaders appointed to serve as a Commissioner for the World Health Organization’s new Commission on Social Connection.

Haben was born and raised in California, where she currently lives. She travels with her Seeing Eye dog Mylo. He often falls asleep during her keynotes.

  • Schedule of Events

    The 2025 Disability Summit will be held on Friday, October 3, 2025 at the Kellogg Hotel & Convention Center from 8:30 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.

    • 8:30 a.m.    Registration table opens
    • 9:00 a.m.    Introductions
    • 9:15 a.m.     Keynote Speaker- Haben Girma
    • 10:15 a.m.   Book Signing

    *The first 200 people to check in at the Registration table will receive a free copy of Haben Girma's book Haben: The Deafblind Woman Who Conquered Harvard Law.  

    Coffee & Tea will be served.

  • Location/Parking

    The Summit will be held at the Kellogg Conference Center located at 219 S Harrison Rd, East Lansing, MI 48824.

    Parking is included for this event.  If you have a staff permit, you can park in the Kellogg structure.  If you do not have an employee permit, please indicate on your registration and we will send you a validation code before the event if needed.

  • Accommodations

    There will be Communication Access in Real-Time (CART) captioning and American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters.   When you register, please list any accomodations you may need.

    Coffee & Tea will be available.

  • Registration
    Stay tuned - a full agenda and registration coming this fall!! Watch this page and check your email. Are you signed up for our mailing list? To join the mailing list, email listserv@list.msu.edu and write “SUBSCRIBE MSU-DISABILITY-CONNECTION” in the body of your message (not the subject line).

Accessibility