Pride in Me; Pride in My Practice – Join us at Middle Temple on 1 July
- Daniel Holt
- Jun 12, 2025
- 3 min read
Updated: Jul 7, 2025
July marks Disability Pride Month, a time to celebrate disabled/neurodivergent identity and push for the change still so desperately needed in the Bar. DPM is an apt time to recognise our worth, not despite our impairments, but with them. It is about pride in who we are, what we have overcome, and what we contribute.
I look forward to hosting “Pride in Me; Pride in My Practice” at Middle Temple on 1 July, as part of Disability Pride Month. This event holds a deep personal significance for me. As a disabled barrister, I have lived the reality of navigating a profession that was not designed with people like me in mind. And I have spent my career trying to change that, both for myself and for those who come after me.
Too often, disability is framed as a challenge to be managed. But the truth is that my disability has shaped me into a stronger, more thoughtful, and more compassionate advocate. It has given me insights into the lived realities of others, a profound understanding of structural barriers, and a creative approach to problem-solving. These certainly are not disadvantages. Instead, they are assets, and the legal profession is better when it recognises them as such.
Unfortunately, we have a long way to go. Despite our progress, too many disabled barristers are still excluded by inaccessible buildings, inflexible systems, and cultures that make it harder for them to ask for what they need. I know what it’s like to feel like you have to prove that you belong, simply because the profession does not expect you to be here.
The road ahead is uncertain, especially considering the benching of the Bar Standards Board (BSB) reforms to Core Duty 8, which transitioned from a passive requirement not to discriminate to an active duty to advance equality, diversity, and inclusion. At the event, we’ll be talking about how we meet future needs. What does it mean for different chambers, especially those in listed buildings? How do we ensure that flexibility does not become a loophole for inaction? How can we provide clear guidance and proportionate enforcement? And how do we make space for lived experience to guide the implementation of these reforms?
We will also be discussing visibility. For so long, disabled/neurodivergent barristers have been hidden, whether by stigma, by barriers, or simply by being pushed to the margins. But representation matters. When disabled or neurodivergent barristers are seen and heard in court, chambers, and leadership roles, it changes what the profession thinks is possible. And it tells the next generation: you belong here.
For me, Disability Pride Month is about that sense of belonging. It is about celebrating who we are, but also insisting on a profession that sees our value. I have been fortunate to find strength in community through networks, friends, and mentors who helped me carve out a space in a world that was not always welcoming. This event is part of that ongoing work: creating space, building connections, and amplifying voices.
We will also look at the intersections because disability/neurodivergence does not exist in isolation. It intersects with race, gender, sexuality, and class, and we need to understand those overlaps if we want to build a genuinely inclusive profession.
I invite you to join me, Michael Etienne, Alice de Coverley, and Konstantina Nouka at Middle Temple. Whether you are disabled or not, this is your profession too, and inclusion is everyone’s responsibility. Let us come together to celebrate how far we have come and to commit to going even further.
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