Nepal's first blind advocate Laxman Gyawali's journey of struggle

Dr. Laxman Prasad Gyawali, Nepal's first blind advocate, is now active in the disability rights movement. Born in Gulmi, he faced financial hardship and narrow-minded social attitudes from an early age. The need to earn a livelihood led him to study law.

He faced numerous challenges in passing the Bar Council examination to obtain his license to practice law. Even harder, he says, was the challenge of actually appearing in court to argue cases after receiving his license. He recalls judges reacting with surprise and questions upon seeing a blind lawyer come forward to argue a case.

When a dean refused to let him pursue a master's degree in law (LLM), he instead completed a PhD in political science. He is now pursuing his LLM once again.