Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Keiara Fort. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Keiara, thanks for joining us today. Let’s jump to the end – what do you want to be remembered for?

I desire to leave my mark in the disability community by helping to increase employment opportunities and create more inclusive work environments where they can thrive.The sky has always been the limit for me. My parents encouraged me to pursue my goals, despite the fact that I was living with a visual impairment. And I was fortunate to have people in my corner at every stage of my education and budding career. Although there were limitations on what I could do, I never felt as if my options were little to none because I knew I could always depend on family, teachers, and mentors, as well as a wealth of resources to help me along the way.

I hope employers are challenged and encouraged to welcome people with disabilities into their workplaces as valued employees. I hope they are more confident in their ability to meet each employee’s unique needs as a result of the roadmap I helped lay before them.

I desire for future generations to glean from my life that they can achieve success, even with the presence of barriers.

Finally, I hope my family is able to say that despite my efforts and determination to make a lasting impact in the world, I never allowed my work to prevent me from being present in their lives and always put my family first. I hope that people remember my kindness, generosity, servanthood and effective leadership. And finally, I hope people remember that everything I did on this earth, I did it unto the glory of God.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

When tasked to tell someone about myself, I never know where to start. But I will start here – I am Keiara Beverly Fort, attorney and reasonable accommodations consultant, residing in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Aside from my professional identity, I am a lover of Jesus Christ, military wife, and a sucker for seeing other people achieve their goals.

It doesn’t matter if it’s my husband breaking a record in the automotive sales industry or one of my sister’s cheerleaders nailing a stunt they’d been working on for weeks. Witnessing anyone reach new heights never ceases to bring joy to my heart.

My thirst for opportunities to cheer others on as they crush their goals stemmed from my parents’ desire to see me overcome the challenges I face as a woman with a disability. Despite predictions that I would not amount to much, my mom, in particular, fought tooth and nail for me to have access to resources that ultimately helped me become my family’s first attorney, a zealous advocate, and the people magnet I am today.

After witnessing the impact of strong advocacy in my own life, I was enthralled with the idea of being a voice for those who are not able to speak for themselves. I strongly wish to see other individuals with disabilities thrive socially, academically, and vocationally. My passion to see others win and personal experiences positioned me to help college students achieve academic success as assistant director of Disability Services at Louisiana State University and propose the institution of Louisiana’s State ADA Coordinator office to oversee ADA compliance among state agencies, which exists today.

I actually had no intentions on becoming an entrepreneur. I’d known since the third grade that I would one day pursue a legal career and that I would serve individuals with disabilities. But I never imagined that I’d be in position to start a business of my own.

When I decided to move forward with this vision, I had no idea how it would be realized. And if I’m honest, it’s still taking form. However, at the root of my mission is this:

I help employers create unique paths to success for all their disabled employees. Through effective accommodation planning, policy development and training, equipping them with tools that make ADA compliance feel less burdensome, I can manage an organization’s accommodations process to ensure it is prepared to offer every candidate and employee equal opportunity.

While being in business is no walk in the park, I am excited about where my “yes” to the call will lead.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

When I first started my business, I’d started with a traditional law firm name, serving clients seeking estate planning and business formation services. I also provided services to any other client who had legal matters I felt I could handle as a budding attorney.

Eventually, it was apparent that while the work I was doing was rewarding, it wasn’t what I’d initially set out to do. Truthfully, I felt comfortable pursuing something that was already established instead of embracing the discomfort of pursuing a foreign path. After months of contemplation, I took a leap of faith. I changed my organization’s name to Tamar Legal Consulting LLC and began working toward building a business around my passion.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

One of the scariest things about starting my business has to be doing it alone. Of course my husband, friends, and family have cheered me on, but on a day-to-day, I am doing the work and making all the business decisions.

Last year, I took on a case that truly challenged me. This particular matter was more complicated than I anticipated when I agreed to render my services. It actually turned into two matters, one of which I did not feel prepared to handle at all. Over the course of my representation of this particular client, I was encouraged to drop the case several times. But I believed there was hope for her. Ultimately, I gave my client a fighting chance to remain in the house her late husband purchased for them before he passed away. I held my ground against attorneys who were much more experienced than me and proved to myself that I am capable of doing difficult things. Not only did I prove to be resilient as an individual, but as a zealous advocate for my clients.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @the.kei.project ; @tamarlegalconsulting
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/keiarabfort