Practical tips on how to make the legal workplace more accessible for people with disabilities

I was very pleased to see such strong audience engagement at the Law Society’s panel discussion on Creating a Disability Confident Workplace held in conjunction with the International Day of People with Disability last Thursday.

The panel discussion, expertly facilitated by Nic Parsons, a solicitor at Nicholas George Lawyers and a member of the Society’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee, provided practical tips on how to make the legal workplace more accessible for people with disabilities.  

Two of the panellists, Natalie Wade, Principal from Equality Lawyers, and Darren Fittler, Partner at Gilbert + Tobin (G+T), spoke about their personal experience as lawyers with a disability.

Darren Fittler, who started as an unpaid intern at G+T 16 years ago, spoke about the difficulties he faced as a law student and in his early days as a lawyer. Darren is currently working with G+T to develop a disability action plan for the firm, and explained that disability makes up part of the diverse world we live in, and society can and should accept and accommodate permanent disabilities. 

Natalie Wade shared her early experiences as a lawyer for the South Australian Government, noting that appearing for the first time before a court or tribunal is intimidating for all young lawyers. However, it can be significantly more daunting if you need to additionally consider whether you will be able to access the room and table. Natalie pointed out that for lawyers with disability, accessibility at an office level has improved, but as participants of the justice system and officers of the court, accessibility frequently remains a problem. 

Isabel Heiner, Program Manager at the Australian Network on Disability (AND), outlined how the  organisation can assist law firms to become more inclusive of people with disabilities. She explained that having a recruiting statement that acknowledges disability is a simple step firms can take to encourage applicants with a disability to apply for a position. I commend the panel discussion, which is now available on demand to all in the legal profession. 

Tomorrow, in our final Thought Leadership event of 2020, we will turn our attention to the topical issue of religious freedom and discrimination. 

I am delighted to have Emeritus Professor Rosalind Croucher AM, President, Australian Human Rights Commission, Anne Robinson AM, Founder and Partner, Prolegis Lawyers, and Professor Simon Rice OAM, Professor of Law, The University of Sydney, joining me to explore the potential legal impacts of the proposed religious freedom reforms and the changing landscape for many solicitors and their clients. 

Richard Harvey, President, Law Society of NSW

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