How to Create the Disability Representation you Want to See
By Abbey Dalton, 21st October 2021
For the longest time, I have known that I want to be a lawyer. This is despite the fact that I didn’t meet another lawyer until I started law school, let alone another disabled lawyer. One thing I always craved was some sense of community within the legal industry. Law school is competitive, the legal industry even more so. I was constantly threatened by the possibility that no matter how hard I worked or how good my grades were, the competitive industry would not make space for me as a disabled woman. However, as valid as those feelings were, that belief is simply not true. What I have discovered is that there is, and always will be space for us as disabled people in any field we want to pursue.
Representation and community are so important for minority groups, whether it be in the workforce, an educational setting, or society generally. A couple of years ago I was searching for a disabled lawyers association, a place where disabled people in my chosen field could connect and share ideas and experiences based on our lived realities. But when I searched to see if such an association or network existed, all I found were articles about how disabled lawyers were ready, willing, and able to start working, but unable to land a job or progress in their careers. It didn’t fill me with the optimism I hoped it would, and I wanted to change that. I wanted a professional association where students and early career professionals could talk to like-minded individuals who had faced similar challenges. Somewhere they could also see how many disabled people are thriving in their careers, not in spite of their disabilities, but because of the rich, nuanced perspectives it has afforded them.
“...there is, and always will be space for us as disabled people in any field we want to pursue.”
Many disabled people face social, environmental, economic, and attitudinal barriers to employment, irrespective of the industry they enter. The unemployment rate is twice as high for disabled people compared to their able-bodied counterparts. It is still commonplace for disabled people to be paid below the minimum wage. In 2021, we can and must be doing better.
During my search for disability representation, I realised that the social change I craved needed to start within the profession I was entering. If I wanted disabled representation and community, I had to take steps to create it. Though, I didn’t think I would be able to create it as a law graduate fresh out of university. I thought I would need more experience before I could turn my attention to bolstering disability representation or even building a community of disabled people. But, a chance phone call earlier this year, and a few emails later, I was on Zoom with my fellow co-founders Ella and Natalie, planting the first seeds for what is now the Disabled Australian Lawyers Association (DALA). In a few short months, we’ve been able to connect people in our industry, speak about the barriers and successes experienced by disabled people, and begin to ensure disability is central in the diversity conversation.
As a disabled person, I never saw myself represented in my professional field. I know that I am not alone in feeling that. So often, disabled people are framed as passive victims who are served by the legal system, instead of leaders and drivers of reform. DALA has been a game changer for me. Now, even amidst the ongoing uncertainty of yet another COVID lockdown, when I sit on Zoom with Ella and Nat planning DALA’s next endeavours, I am filled with immense hope and optimism. After helping found DALA and seeing increased representation of disabled professionals, I now see so many new possibilities for myself and others.
I feel so privileged to have been able to build this network and am so excited to see where it will go. Disability is still so underrepresented in many spheres, and my advice to others is to take that first step in finding your people. Whether it’s sending a LinkedIn message out of the blue, approaching someone you’ve never spoken to before at school, or sharing a part of yourself with people, these steps are so valuable in being agents of the change we want to see. Through DALA, I’ve experienced that we are never too young, inexperienced, or alone in our desire to lead the way in building our community.
Abbey (she/her) is currently working as a graduate lawyer in government. She is also one of the co-founders of the Disabled Australian Lawyers Association (DALA), a national association which advocates for greater representation and inclusion of disabled people in the legal profession. Outside of the law, Abbey loves soaking up Melbourne's brunch scene, spending time by the ocean, and is obsessed with all things Taylor Swift.