Blind worker awarded £3k compensation

Dewsbury blind woman Tmara Senior, who has received £3,000 compensation after claiming discrimination by a disability charity, is pictured with her husband Wayne but did not accept any liability.

Tmara said: “I feel like I was pushed out. It was almost as if everything I did wasn’t good enough, that I wasn’t valued any more.”

Asked why she thought colleagues wanted her out, she said: “I don’t FIVE students from Moor End Academy are off to Abu Dhabi!

The Year 11 students were the winners in the Land Rover 4x4 in Schools Technology Challenge to design and build a radio-controlled four-wheel drive vehicle after putting their vehicle through its paces in front of judges at the world-famous Silverstone race track.

It means the students – Arshman Hussain, Amaar Farooq, Zain Anjam, Rizwan Ali and Alyan Saleem – will now go forward to the world finals to be held in July in Abu Dhabi, capital of the United Arab Emirates, to compete against national final winners from schools and colleges across the globe.

Design technology teacher Paul Warburton said: “The team were runners-up in two categories but scored consistently throughout to win the national championship.

“Now they have the opportunity know. I stand up for myself and I won’t take it.”

The former community development worker is happy that the settlement didn’t include a confidentiality clause which means she can now speak out.

Her husband Wayne, a former Moor End Technology College pupil who is also blind, said: “Tmara is proud to have achieved a settlement that does not include a confidentiality agreement.

“She hopes this achievement will to address any problems they had at the national finals.

“They will look at where they scored less well and address those problems before the world finals.”

The after-school project, sponsored by Chapel Hill-based recruitment firm Stafflex, began in September with the academy fielding two teams, one of Year 9 students and the Year 11 group, named Team Robust.

Both teams secured places in the national finals after being successful in the regional finals held in February.

And pictured are (left to right) Arshman Hussain, Amaar Farooq, Zain Anjam, Rizwan Ali and Alyan Saleem with their scale 4X4 vehicle entered in to the Land Rover Challenge competition, with DT teacher, Paul Warburton (centre) and team sponsors, Maggie Netherwood and Abigail StahelinHall (right) of Stafflex Huddersfield. encourage other disabled people and unfairly dismissed workers not to submit to such agreements because they enable cover-ups and put other people at risk.”

In 2013 Tmara was paid £5,000 in compensation in a private settlement with Kirklees College over claims she was bullied by a teacher and pupils. The college did not comment at the time.

A spokesman for Cloverleaf Advocacy said it did everything possible to support all 160-plus staff.

He added: “Regarding the issues highlighted, we remain confident our actions have been right. We do not tolerate any incorrect behaviour and take immediate action wherever appropriate.

“This employee was appropriately made redundant in March 2016. A claim of disability discrimination was later submitted and our exemployee accepted a settlement without proceeding to an employment tribunal and we do not admit any liability.

“We are concerned that such untrue allegations may damage a local charity that is working hard to support people with disabilities.”