About Us
Disabling Barriers Scotland is a Not for Profit Group with a focus on assisting aspiring solicitors with a disability to gain access to the legal sector, remove obstacles faced by lawyers with disabilities throughout their legal careers, and celebrate the successful careers of lawyers with disabilities.
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OUR MISSION/NEXT STEPS
Create an Online Portal
We have received a quote from a website developer (Denovo) to establish a robust online presence through the creation of a 20 page website. This website will share information on best practice guidance, upcoming events, opportunities, and celebrate our partnerships.
Engage University Students
We are also in discussions with UnionCloud to create a membership hub where we will oversee our mentoring, work experience, and careers development opportunities. When live we will onboard new student members at careers events, through law societies, and University careers hubs.
Providing Advice & Advocacy
We are currently surveying our members to learn more about the difficulties that they encounter and what they would like DBS to prioritise. We have recently successfully advocated for increased internet connectivity at Glasgow Sheriff Court.
Raising Awareness
We will be partnering with Autistic Flair to raise awareness of disability within the Scottish legal profession. We hope that by normalising the conversation this reduces the stigma attached to disabilities within our profession.
Hosting Insight Events
To date we hosted several insight events discussing neurodiversity and disability within the workplace. We have co-hosted events with LawCare, SYLA, Law Society of Scotland and the Society of Advocates. We will continue to host roundtable discussions.
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WORKING GROUPS OVERVIEW
Education
Whilst having a considerable emphasis on the employment sector, part of our focus will also be directed towards those training to join our profession. With the ‘stabilizers’ of school removed once a student reaches university they are now much more independent however also more isolated. For a person with a disability this can be a very exposing and testing experience. We would hope to offer support to students in such a position and help ease the transition from education to employment. This will be done through membership, working with universities on and off campus and a work experience program.
The group will focus on addressing key issues currently impacting the entrance to the legal sector faced by aspiring solicitors with a disability. This will include working with legal firms to offer training days, work experience opportunities, and application advice sessions. We will provide this service with a keen focus on current University students and those applying to study Law at University level.
Legal Firm Engagement
Our aim is to work with various organisations who work within the legal sector, for example The Law Society Scotland who helped create the group. We also look to engage with firms throughout different areas of law, to help grow ourselves and it would be our hope to inform as to the issues disabled persons face in the course of their employment.
Given the lack of a predecessor in this area of work, we will be looking for any guidance or support from voluntary groups who are much more established and experienced than ourselves. We understand that our group and others across the legal, voluntary and government sectors have a wealth of experience. We would welcome engagement and advice, we hope that by working collectively we can create a legal sector that is welcoming to those from all backgrounds.
We aim to write an education piece for legal firms created by members of the group to share insight and personal experience that we have. This would be of benefit to internal diversity and inclusion policy advisors seeking to understand the lived experience of professionals with a disability. We believe that our group members could offer a valuable insight before diversity and inclusion policies are implemented.
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CURRENT ISSUES
Disabling Barriers Scotland will act as a type of lobbying group comprised of persons with disabilities, interested parties and supporters. Issues that affect those with disabilities will be discussed and identified by the group who will then get in touch with organisations and institutions themselves to try and enact change where it is felt discrimination is at play. We will aim to change the current conversation in the legal sector in Scotland by celebrating the successful careers of members with disabilities.
In essence, Disabling Barriers Scotland, will function as the informal trade union type group for those with disability involved in law in Scotland. This is the first group of this type to be in established and it is long overdue. For the protection of both disabled persons in the profession, and those in the future who will be joining us, it is our hope that DBS can help clear pathway. If we can help, one person or student with disability Instead of being put off and add to law becoming a more welcoming and manageable area of work, DBS will have been a success. Our ambition is to help those with disability move being apologetic about what makes them different to unapologetic.
Whether it be in education or employment consistently the same issues of policy or environments which negatively impact disabled persons ahead of those without a disability and it is our goal to work with these groups to tweak how things are done for the benefit of all not just most.
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