A 23-year-old woman made history recently after becoming the first Black blind woman to qualify for the UK bar.
Jessikah Inaba told Metro that she completed her five-year course at London’s University of Law entirely using Braille. She says her family and teachers were huge support systems in getting her through the course, who all played a pivotal role in her passing the bar.
“It’s been crazy – I still can’t really believe I’ve done it,” Inaba said. “One day I’ll wake up and realize how amazing this is. It was hard and I often thought of giving up, but my supportive family gave me courage and strength.”
She added: “I always believed in myself from the start – there’s nothing about me which means this isn’t possible. I know I can do this job really well, and the more people like me who go through training the easier it will become. It’s a really good feeling, I know I’m giving hope to others in similar situations to mine. There’s a triple-glazed glass ceiling.”
She further stated that being a woman of color with a disability has not been the easiest for her, but she hopes that her journey and story can inspire others to do the same.
“I’m not the most common gender or color, and I have a disability, but by pushing through I’m easing the burden on the next person like me.”
Inaba began to pursue her law degree in 2017 before beginning a master’s while simultaneously enrolled in a professional training course. She said it took nearly a year before her school could obtain two of the study texts in a form that she would be able to read on her computer.
She also said pictures and tables in books made it difficult for her to comprehend all of the coursework, causing her to miss out on some of the material. But she says she was able to complete the course by taking notes in Braille, transcribing lecture notes and asking friends to read to her.
She added that she thanks the university for providing her with the additional support needed to get by.
She also said the university stepped in to provide additional one-on-one support to help her when her inability to access course materials started to hold her back.
In a statement, the University of Law said, “Jess is the first black and blind student to study at The University of Law. We are extremely proud of Jess’ achievements and we know she will be an inspiration to all students, showing that you can succeed in the face of physical challenges.”
Congratulations, Jessikah! We wish you continued success on your journey.
