Exploring the (In)accessibility of Ontario Law Schools: A Distant Dream for Candidates with Disabilities

This Major Research Paper (MRP) will investigate Ontario law schools’ current admissions policies which create barriers for candidates with disabilities to be granted admission and pursue a career in law. Through the mystification of application requirements in the “Access” category of admissions, the lack of clarity around admissions criteria in comparison to other application categories falls short. Via the use of vague language on admissions websites, a limited mode of expression for personal interest statements within the application itself, and an inequitable focus on performative measures of assessment (i.e. Law School Admissions Test scores, GPA, extracurriculars), admissions committees claim to the application of a holistic approach to evaluation is extremely misleading, adhering to a selection process that does not equitably reflect a candidate's strengths and suitability as a law student. In addition to this, candidates that are selected and become students, carry an immense amount of pressure to prove they are worthy, through expectations to prove their success at the expense of their disability (Dolmage, 2017). Through evaluating current admission policies and providing recommendations to revise current ableist processes for future lawyers with disabilities, my aim in conducting this research will be threefold; using a literature review to understand the experiences of current law students with disabilities; to further explore the challenges candidates with disabilities face in accessing Ontario law schools using an autoethnography detailing my own experience as an applicant in the Access category. The aim of the secondary data analysis is to disentangle the paradox of an inaccessible Access category of admissions. Ultimately, the basis of this analysis will emphasize the need to rework admissions processes to reflect the meaningful use of various admissions categories that supports intersectional identities, specifically the consistent inclusion of an Access category.