Princess Di, Haben Girma and Dazzling Inspiration
Some 25 years ago I attended a reception for the opening of English National Ballet School. Princess Diana, as patron, was to attend. I declared that, as a committed republican, I would not be fazed or impressed by this. Ten minutes in attendance and still ten yards away, I was dazzled and overwhelmed. She had something – call it what you will, charisma perhaps – and it turns out that being republican and vaguely Northern doesn’t make you immune. I was reminded of this by my Haben Girma experience. Having agreed to write something about her SCL Sir Brian Neill Lecture: “Disability & Innovation: The Universal Benefits of Inclusive Design”, I told myself that it was facile and nigh-on insulting to be ‘inspired’ by the fact that she: · is the first deafblind person to graduate from Harvard Law School · had been named by President Obama as a White House Champion of Change · has...