9 April, 2015 10:54AM AEST

Disability no barrier for blind Cairns lawyer

Imagine living your life without being able to see, unable to distinguish between light and dark and unaware of the plethora of obstacles in even the most mundane environment.

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Cairns woman Louisa Young lives her life in darkness but that has not stopped her graduating university with a double degree and being admitted as a lawyer in Queensland.

Born completely blind, Ms Young used to rely on a cane to get around but with the assistance of her seeing eye dog and best friend Keegan she said she now lives her life to the fullest.

"We're a team but we operate as one," Ms Young said.

"She lets me know what's around, so if we're going down a step she'll sit down at the top and if we're going up she'll put her front paws up so I can feel that her body is on a tilt.

"With a cane you can walk into overhanging obstacle likes signs and trees, whereas Keegan is able to see all those obstacles and let me know they are there."

Along with Keegan, Ms Young uses a computer program called JAWS (Job Access With Speech) to assist in her role as a lawyer.

"I'm not able to use a mouse because they're purely graphical so I use the keyboard to touch type and the program tells me what's on the screen," she said.

"I have two Braille computers that have access to the internet but for work purposes I use the desktop computer because it's integrated with the software that the firm uses.

"Keegan is great in the office, she puts my clients at ease and lets them know that I'm independent and capable."

Although she never lets her disability hold her back, Ms Young said she is still surprised by the way some people behave when they meet her and Keegan.

"Some people are a bit reluctant to let you into restaurants or venues, particularly because of the dog," she said.

"There are negative perceptions of what blind people can do and some people just don't want to go out of their way to make things happen for us.

"I think a lot of people think all blind people are the same but that's definitely not the case.

"Everyone has different qualities, different strengths and weaknesses, different needs for support and different limitations."

Offering advice for those who meet blind or visually impaired people with seeing eye dogs, Ms Young said the most important thing is to treat people with respect and not to be afraid.

"I love it when people talk to us and engage with us because it's always really nice to meet people and build relationships," she said.

"The best thing to do is to get to know each person as an individual, get to know their preferences and how they like to interact with people.

"Basically treat them they way you would anyone else."