Sights set on legal career

Janeil Odle may have lost her eyesight at the age of six, but her vision to become a lawyer never faded.

Today, as she spoke on behalf of 16 new lawyers, admitted to the BAR, she encouraged others to “keep your eyes on the prize”.

“Just to everyone, not just the disabled but everyone. If there’s a path that you want to take in life and you know it’s best for you, you can put your mind to it. Put everything you know in place to get you on that path and go for it. Yes, at times the road might be rough and you will have difficulties but don’t let them stop you. Keep moving on and pushing forward, keep your head up and keep your eyes on the prizes,” she encouraged.

Janeil’s impressive academic journey started at the Irving Wilson School for the Blind and Deaf before she moved to the Wilkie Cumberbatch Primary School next door and then Combermere.

Her tertiary education took her through Barbados Community College and the University of the West Indies where she completed her law degree with First Class Honours.

The 26-year-old recalled a few moments when teachers struggled to adapt their teaching methods to accommodate her disability but Janeil fondly remembers the supportive lecturers and tutors who went above and beyond to assist her.

It was at BCC that she said she felt the “most at home”. The eventual paperless approach adopted just as she started studies at UWI, also proved very helpful as she does most of her work via her laptop. She was not a victim of discrimination on the basis of her disability at the university and said she still keeps in contact with supportive lecturers.

Moving from a class of 15 at BCC to almost 200 at UWI, first left Janeil feeling intimidated but she quickly overcame this. She said she found a group of friends and they helped to make the journey a lot easier.

Those friends followed through with their support, to law school in Trinidad. Though missing her main support system; her family, Janeil said her friends helped a lot.

She was grateful for the assistance she received, though she said she missed out on being able to do more because her family wasn’t there with her.

Studying for her legal certificate was challenging at times but Janeil said she motivated herself.

“There were a lot of times where I would second guess myself, wondering if this is the profession I’m really meant to be in. Can I cope? Is this what I have to put up with for the rest of my life? Can I do this?”

However, she said she kept reminding herself that “it has been done and it is being done right now and if people can do it, I can do it too”.

That motivation has led her to now pursue her Master’s in Public Law.

“If you have a dream, you have goals, go for it. Do not let your circumstances or what people might try to tell you or the obstacles that may get in your way keep you down,” Janeil said, adding that she credits the support of her mother, brother and father for helping her throughout her journey.