I am a lawyer and was born with moderate to severe hearing loss, and I
hope to see courtrooms better equipped for lawyers and citizens with
disability in the future.
I can’t hear very well in the courtroom as many courts don’t have a
hearing loop. I would like to try court work one day as I have not done
much of that; however, that all depends on how supportive the court
system is to lawyers with disability. I am mustering up the courage to
take that leap of faith and apply for solicitor positions that
encompass court work because that will be my biggest challenge to date.
At the end of the day, the courtroom should be equipped so people from
all walks of life have easy access but, from my perspective, it isn’t.
Depending on how that goes, I may actively get involved in advocating
for changes to ensure that people with disability have access to the
legal system that is equal to their nondisabled counterparts. It is not
a path that I would ordinarily have chosen, but to date I feel that I
have had to be an advocate as change needs to happen and it is
something that I am passionate about and enjoy.
I began my legal career working as a paralegal, then as a junior
solicitor for a small law firm. I was there for 15 months until I
realised I wasn’t satisfied working for a firm where the aim was to
make money as opposed to helping people. I left and obtained a job with
the Legal Aid Commission, first in an administrative capacity as a
grants officer, then as a solicitor. I was also a participant in the
Australian Employer Networks’ program ‘Stepping into Law 2005’.
My disability presents two challenges in the workplace: firstly, I find
it difficult to hear on the telephone, so I use a telephone amplifier;
and, secondly, I cannot hear very well in the courtroom. At the moment,
I do behind the desk work, which means contact with clients and
solicitors occurs via email and telephone. In my prior employment, I
attended court on a few occasions which were very, very nerve racking,
as it is very difficult to hear in the courtroom. I have had to bring
attention to my hearing impairment to the court and its inhabitants
(which is mortifying and should not be necessary), stand right in front
of witnesses in the witness box and sit right next to the other party’s
solicitor.
Although I now have a job I love, I readily admit it hasn’t been an
easy road. It wasn’t until I reached university that I realised that my
disability was a problem. Prior to university, I didn’t have many
problems in terms of my disability – I had supportive teachers who went
out of their way to ensure that I was not excluded by virtue of my
hearing impairment. While the Humanities faculty went out of its way to
assist me in any way possible, the Law faculty, which was more
important to me as I’d always intended to become a solicitor, didn’t. I
tried to change the learning environment to ensure that students with
disability had the same access to the learning environment as their
non-disabled counterparts, but did not have much success. Sometimes, I
considered dropping out of uni, but I persevered. However, I left uni
with a dearth of self-confidence.
Thanks to hard work, perseverance and determination to be a lawyer the
future looks bright. I know I have a lot to offer the world, and that
includes my profession. If anything,
I am the one who can pick and choose who I want to work for and in what
capacity; it is not up to employers to feel that they are doing me a
favour by giving me a chance. I am not a charity case – I am just as
good as the next person.