Breaking the Silence for Disabled Attorneys

Private Wealth attorney Michelle DeVos authored an article in the Daily Business Review celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and sharing her experience as an attorney with Asperger's. Ms. DeVos shares insight about what the life looked like for individuals with disabilities prior to the enactment of the ADA and how those walls were further demolished by the landmark case, Olmstead v. L.C. She also indicates that, while the ADA and the Olmstead decision fostered positive changes in the disability community, there are more exclusionary walls that need to be demolished. "We live in a flawed society where judgment, criticism, stigmas, stereotypes, hate, bigotry, and discrimination still exist," she said. 

"Though I continue to witness and experience instances of discrimination against individuals with disabilities in the legal profession, I am no longer afraid. I am very proud of who I am and I am in no way ashamed of my Asperger’s. I am no less of a human being because of it," Ms. DeVos said. "As I have broken my silence, it is my hope that my voice acts as an impetus for change. My hope is that the legal profession will lift up its voice for lawyers with disabilities and begin to appreciate the abilities that lawyers with disabilities possess."

READ: Breaking the Silence for Disabled Attorneys (Subscription Required)