[blindLaw] Questions Regarding Blindness and Accessibility in Law School & the Legal Profession

[Natasha Ishaq]

Hello All,

I will be starting law school in the fall and have a few specific questions
regarding blindness and accessibility in law school and the legal
profession as a whole.

First, I was wondering whether anyone on this mailing list who is a
prosecutor, defense attorney or judge would be willing to speak with me
about navigating accessibility within their work. As someone interested in
pursuing criminal law, I understand that viewing photographic images and
videos are often part of the job when it comes to reviewing evidence. I
would like to know how blind attorneys and judges are best able to overcome
this kind of accessibility barrier and still maintain independence in their
line of work?

Second, what is the best software application that can be used to review
annd navigate through electronic documents that are hundreds of pages long?

Finally, what is the best approach to take when given inaccessible
documents, such as inaccessible scanned PDFs or handwritten files?

My goal is to have the solutions for the above barriers planned out prior
to starting law school so that i can better focus on coursework, clinics
and professional training without having to feel “stuck” because of
inaccessibility. Essentially, I want to have a plan I can immediately
follow to prevent these problems from arising in the first place.

I am grateful for any and all insight and help. Thank you all so much.

Warm Regards,
Natasha