Emily Keller-O'Donnell, Data Journalist

Blind Law School Graduate Wins Case to Become Lawyer

    Cathryn Bonnette has won her first legal battle: earning the right to practice law in Washington, D.C.

    On July 13^th, Bonnette won her case against the D.C. Court of Appeals and the National Conference of Bar Examiners (NCBE), earning the right to take the exam with her chosen form of technology. She then passed the test, according to the Memorandum Opinion for the case that she filed with the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.

    Bonnette is a legally blind law school graduate in Arlington, Virginia who sought to take the Multistate Bar Exam in July using a computer with the accessible screen-reading program Job Access With Speech (JAWS), according to the decision filed by U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly.

City Council Proposes Business Accessibility Bills

    A City Council hearing late last year has led to two new bills promoting business accessibility.

    City Council Member Deborah Rose is the primary sponsor of Intro 744, which would require agencies to educate business owners on issues concerning access for persons with disabilities. The bill is co-sponsored by 19 Council members.

    The bill would require the Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities (MOPD) to work with city agencies to develop an education plan for business owners. According to the bill, “Such plan shall include, but not be limited to, education on federal, state and local disability access laws, common barriers to accessibility, and methods to help pay for modifications that are required to meet accessible standards.”