[blindLaw] Structural barriers faced by blind legal professionals in the developed world

[Olusegun -- Victory Associates LTD, Inc.]

Rahul, in England, you have two choices:  You could be a solicitor or a
barrister.  You already know that solicitors put the cases together for the
barrister to argue in court.  It's different in the United States!  

Each of the 50 states and the territories run their own show.  In essence,
there's no ONE SIZE fits all in the United States.  Being called to the bar
in the state of New york DOES NOT mean that I have the right and privilege
to practice law in the states of Hawaii or California; I must necessarily be
admitted to their bars for such purpose.  However, states do work out
RECIPROCAL AGREEMENTS amongst themselves; a good example are the states of
Wisconsin and Minnesota.  In Wisconsin, graduation from a college of law in
the state grants you the right to practice law in the state, no bar exam
needed.  Conversely, a law graduate from a state of Wisconsin law college
can practice in Minnesota without having to write the Minnesota bar exam.
I'm not aware of any restructuring of the reciprocal agreement between these
two states, and, if I've written in error, perhaps other colleagues in this
space will straighten things out for me.

With respect to England, the immigration system is extremely strict.  In a
few months, if this has not already started, British immigration will begin
counting down the number of days you can spend before you have to leave.
Perhaps if you can get an internship that may eventually lead to some job
placement the story might be different.  May be being a Rhodes Scholar, and
a prospective graduate from one of its prestigious college of law might also
make a difference.  I will suggest that you find any number of barristers
and solicitors to chat with on the subject matter, perhaps they can pull a
string or two for you.  Going back to immigration issues for a minute:  I
followed two students who attended Conventry University; they obtained their
Master's degree in Mass Communications; the were not even allowed to
participate in an internship.  These students returned to their home
countries, and, with some luck, got hired by the BBC as local staff.
Immigration issues are rough and tough, citizens of most countries DO NOT
understand or know much about the many dirt paths a non citizen have to work
in to get a fair break.

I wager that, for blind individuals, practicing a chosen profession will
always be a challenge.  The cost of assistive technology equipment, finding
accessible professional practice apps/software, and deciding between the use
of Braille or synthetic speech do weigh heavily on the choice that has to be
made.  No profession is kind to the blind; established norms in each one
promotes marginalisation of the blind no matter how many legislated Acts
against discrimination are in the books.  The fight for equal access,
chances and opportunities is a never-ending struggle,; discrimination on all
fronts will continue to leave scabs in the human flesh.  

All that said, I challenge you to follow your conscience and consciousness!
Carefully determine and identify your want(s) and/or desire(s) from at least
two perspectives:  Personal and professional!  Without doing this, deriving
joy and satisfaction from what you do could be a long shot.  For me, my joy
and satisfaction come from being able to impact lives.  I elect to do this
behind-the-scenes without any noisy fanfare.  I don't make enough pennies
for what I do; nonetheless, I derive satisfaction from it because I see
situations change for the better and a lot of happy beneficiaries.
Currently working with someone on issues of asylum; next court date is
January 21, 2020; I KEEP HOPE ALIVE, trusting that a SHINING LIGHT will be
lit for the individual I'm working with.  

So, if India beckons you and you can hear the clarion call loud and clear,
assess and weigh your options and aim at running towards that finish line.
Good luck and all the very best with the decision-making process!

Sincerely,
Olusegun
Denver, Colorado