Ashleigh DoRozario Discusses ‘The Language of Ability’ in the Queensland Law Society’s Proctor
Potts Lawyers’ litigation lawyer, Ashleigh DoRozario, has authored an article discussing ‘The Language of Ability’. Her article is this month’s spotlight feature of the Queensland Law Society’s online publication, Proctor.
Ashleigh DoRozario is legally blind as a result of an autoimmune condition. However, she was not always blind. Ashleigh has been a valued member of our Potts Lawyers litigation team for over a decade, and we have been with her throughout the diagnostic journey to legal blindness; supporting her wellbeing, learning her remarkable capabilities despite adversity, and encouraging her professional development.
Over the years Ashleigh has learnt to adapt to her disability, and has gained considerable insight into living with a disability in comparison to living life as an ‘abled’ person. In conjunction with her impaired eyesight, another hurdle experienced by Ashleigh has been dealing with discrimination and unconscious bias towards disability.
It is for these reasons that Ashleigh is passionate about helping people who are injured, impaired or disabled. Ashleigh’s personal experience with disability has led her to pursue a career in law, with a focus on personal injury law, anti-discrimination and human rights.
In this article, Ashleigh aims to change the narrative surrounding disability, and open readers’ minds to the diverse abilities often developed and honed to compensate for any injury or impairment. Ashleigh reports her memory, hearing, creative thinking and problem-solving skills have improved since becoming blind because these diverse abilities have been exercised daily in order to make up for the deficit caused by her sense of sight. Certainly, we have been fortunate to see Ashleigh flourish in the face of adversity.
Just because Ashleigh cannot see clearly, does not mean she lacks vision! This article provides valuable insight into living with injury, impairment and disability, but also champions diversity within the legal profession and in the wider community generally.
Ashleigh’s disability has adapted her skill sets and given her diverse abilities, one of which is a greater understanding and empathy for clients who experience injury, impairment or disability, and the difficulties that inevitably come with adapting to unforeseen and unfavourable circumstances. Her lived experience has heightened her passion to help those with personal injury, and stand up for anti-discrimination and basic human rights.
Ashleigh DoRozario is a founding member of the Queensland Law Society’s Diverse Abilities Network. This personal investment championing diversity, inclusivity and equality makes her a fantastic advocate in the fields of personal injury, anti-discrimination and human rights law.
While Ashleigh’s article has been written with a legal audience in mind, it is a great read and insight into life with disability. If you wish to learn more about Ashleigh and the language of ability, you can read more here: https://www.qlsproctor.com.au/2020/06/the-language-of-ability/