Disability activist and law student Louie McGee to deliver Carleton convocation on ‘Guiding Access to Change’
McGee is a law student in his final year at University of Illinois Chicago School of Law.
Louie McGee is a law student in his final year at University of Illinois Chicago School of Law. He is a graduate of the University of Minnesota, Iron Man triathlon finisher, disability advocate, and blind. He will deliver Carleton’s first convocation of 2026 on Friday, January 9, from 10:50 to 11:50 a.m. in Skinner Chapel. His address is titled, “Guiding Access to Change.”
Pursuing a life that breaks through the boundaries disabled people live with every day, McGee aims to bring this focus on disability advocacy and supporting vulnerable communities to his law practice in the coming year. As a guide to his able-bodied peers who have guided him, whether shouting directions on the way down the ski mountain or running alongside him for a race, he plans to steer a changing world towards a more inclusive future.
“I have a rare retinal eye disease called Stargardt that steals my central vision. Relying only on my peripheral vision, I have little useful eyesight. After being diagnosed at age 5, it has progressed, but I decided blindness would not be a limiting factor in my life. With great support, I have been able to do anything,” McGee writes on his website. “Growing up, my family and friends guided and helped me try all kinds of things, experiencing them alongside me. I learned I could still do most things even if I saw them differently. I have always been encouraged by people who wanted me to be the best I could be and it seldom occurred to me that something might be beyond my reach.”
This convocation will also be live streamed — please register in advance to receive information on how to attend via Zoom. Carleton convocations are free and open to the public. Find upcoming events and archived recordings (including in podcast form) on the convocations website. For more information, including disability accommodations, call 507-222-5461 or email nponder@carleton.edu.
After each convocation address, Carleton hosts a luncheon with the speaker. Convocation luncheon will be held this week in the Great Hall from noon to 1 p.m. If you are interested in attending, please RSVP on the convocations website.