Government guilty of discrimination!

ON THE day Prime Minister Boris Johnson launched his National Disability Strategy, the Government were found guilty of discriminating against deaf people.

Katie Rowley, 36, from Leeds, started court action after two TV Covid-19 briefings went ahead without interpreters on screen.

Ms Rowley took action against Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove in relation to the “data briefings” on 21 September and 12 October 2020.

She had argued that being unable to access the official information had caused her stress and affected her wellbeing.

Mr Justice Fordham said: “The lack of provision – the provision of subtitles only – was a failure of inclusion, suggestive of not being thought about, which served to disempower, to frustrate and to marginalise.”

The level of damages awarded to the claimant would be assessed by a county court judge, he added.

Many who use BSL as their first language say they cannot rely on subtitles because the average reading age for deaf people is nine years.

■ NEW PROMISES, OLD PROBLEMS: p4