Dharug woman makes history as Australia’s first blind Aboriginal lawyer
A proud Dharug woman from Mount Druitt, Samantha Alexander has made history, becoming Australia’s first blind Aboriginal lawyer. But for Samantha, this milestone is about so much more than her accomplishment - it’s about representation, belonging and changing the system from within.
Lighting the fire for justice
Samantha’s journey into law didn’t start in a courtroom. It began in community, at a legal centre where she saw the power of advocacy to transform lives. That experience sparked something in her. “That’s what lit the fire,” she says. “I didn’t just want to help people navigate the system... I wanted to change the way the system speaks to our mob”.
She admits she never set out to make history. It wasn’t until the end of her studies that she realised she’d be the first. And yet, she still feels like the same girl who was told she couldn’t. “And yet, here I am,” she laughs.
Samantha’s law degree from Charles Darwin University was earned through determination, adaptive technology and sheer grit. Blindness has never defined her – it's shaped her perspective, teaching her to see the world differently, listen more deeply, and create space for others who might otherwise be overlooked. “Success isn’t defined by sight; it’s defined by vision. Obstacles aren’t barriers, they’re opportunities to innovate, adapt and persevere.”
Words for the next generation
For Samantha, her story is bigger than herself. It’s about showing young Aboriginal people that they can belong to spaces that have historically felt out of reach. “I want to be living proof that we can be in spaces unapologetically, without losing who we are,” she says. “We belong in the law too.”
Her advice to young people chasing their dreams is simple but powerful: don’t wait for permission. “Kick the door down with your ancestors at your back. You don’t have to fit the mould, you are the mould. Your story is your power. Now go get ‘em tiger!”
Samantha’s story is reminder that representation matters. Every achievement echoes across generations, inspiring others to follow and showing that no barrier, physical or systemic, can define who we are or what we can achieve.