NDEAM Profile: Katie Strickland – New Harvard Graduate, Ready to Start Law Career

Attempting to move forward with college plans after a spinal cord injury can be daunting, but nothing was going to stop Katie Strickland. Returning to the University of Texas at Austin with her mother as her caregiver, not only was she able to complete her studies, she moved on to Harvard with her eyes set on becoming a lawyer. Now freshly graduated from law school and ready to start her first job in November, read on for Strickland’s story.

College Bicyclist Injured Doing What She Loves

Before her injury, Strickland loved bicycling. She was part of racing teams, and was highly competitive. Unfortunately, while riding her bike six weeks into her freshman year at the University of Texas while training on a morning ride, she was hit from behind by a car.

“In an instant, I transitioned from a carefree college student obsessed with cycling to a quadriplegic disabled person learning to live life from a power wheelchair. In those early days, the world no longer seemed as full of possibilities: I now worried about my ability to go back to university, to live independently of my parents, to find a career that I could both enjoy and rely on to support myself, especially with all of my new disability-related needs,” she says.

With a C5 injury, Strickland was determined to return to college. Thankfully, she was aided with caregiving help from her mother, which made returning to school possible. While in college, she also had to learn about accommodations. “I had to learn how to ask for the accommodations that I needed from my schools and my employers even though I sometimes felt like a burden. I had to remind myself numerous times that my reasonable accommodations are not a burden; they are my legal right! Besides, as more of us with disabilities join the workforce, the more disability-related accommodations will become commonplace and the more accessible our world will become.”

Strickland graduated with a bachelor’s degree in government in 2018. After graduation, she took a gap year, then decided she wanted to go to law school, and set her sights on Harvard Law, where she was accepted.

Choosing a Law Career

“I chose to get a law degree because working as an attorney is a surprisingly accessible career path that primarily requires brain power (and accessible technology!) instead of physical labor,” she says. “And working as an attorney offers me interesting challenges, a variety of subject matters to explore, and a way I can help others. Additionally, depending on where I choose to work, being an attorney can also provide financial security and workplace flexibility (e.g., remote work).”

While in college, Strickland utilized adaptive technology, which she plans on using in her career. “Throughout my education and now in my career, the primary adaptive technology that I have relied upon is Dragon Dictation software,” she explains. “Having voice to text dictation software makes typing so much faster and easier for me, and Dragon is the most reliable software that I have found for my needs. I also use touch screen tablets and laptops with large track pads in order to independently operate my devices.”

Strickland wants to emphasize the importance of higher education. “I am now on the cusp of starting my legal career this fall at a law firm in Washington, DC. Finishing my education has created so many new opportunities for me, and I have met so many incredible disabled students, attorneys, and others along the way.”

Also “employment for those of us with disabilities is absolutely possible,” she says. “Sometimes the journey to employment will require extra steps such as figuring out jobs that are most appropriate and accessible for one’s particular needs, acquiring the necessary education or other qualifications, or arranging appropriate disability accommodations.”

As for advice to anyone seeking their first job post-injury, she shares this advice. “Those looking for their first job should also educate themselves on the Americans with Disabilities Act in order to know their rights to workplace accommodations and ask for the things they need to be successful in their chosen career path,” advises Strickland.

She also wants to thank her family, friends and SPINALpedia for their support. “None of my journey would have been possible without the support of family, friends, vocational rehabilitation services, and others too numerous to list. For example, I am grateful to the team at SPINALpedia for their support during and after law school by helping me with several aspects of first being a disabled student and then an employed person. I have received guidance on things such as how to navigate my disability during an internship, maintaining caregiving services while working, finding community, and participating in accessible recreational activities.”