Emily Edgar

BCom, LLB

A law and commerce graduate from WA’s Notre Dame University and a WA local, Emily is well equipped to contribute to the business and legal community in WA. She demonstrates empathy and provides a unique perspective and wholistic approach toward disability communities due to her lived experience of Cerebral Palsy. However, living with a physical disability herself and being wheelchair bound for most of her life, has meant that Emily has faced significant challenges, including various forms of discrimination. However, her unwavering determination, persistence and resilience have enabled her to overcome these challenges to successfully obtain both the abovementioned degrees. Nevertheless, despite holding these qualifications, finding long-term sustainable employment has always been extremely difficult for her.

Emily has a strong passion for Disability Human Rights Policy and Regulation, and an innate desire to ensure, through education of businesses and individuals alike, that instances of disability and employment-based discrimination are minimised in the future, thereby hopefully creating a more cohesive society.

In 2015 Emily experienced a career highlight when she was honoured to be a key member of the University of Notre Dame’s Australia’s Disability Working Party (Community Service Project) established by the University as part of a commitment to improve their policies and procedures regarding access and inclusion of students with disabilities. Upon the invitation of the then Vice Chancellor Prof Celia Hammond, Emily provided specialised advice to the University on matters including, but not limited to, physical building access, and equitable access to course materials for those with varying disabilities.

In April 2023, after an extensive search Emily commenced work as a Part Time Paralegal Law Clerk at a prominent Western Australian law firm working there until March 2024 and she is extremely grateful to those responsible for giving her this very valuable opportunity.