UK disability discrimination law and stammering / stuttering
This case suggests there may be a claim for indirect discrimination against an employer who does not take adequate action against harassment by third parties such as customers. The employment tribunal held the employer liable as regards its failure to ensure all racial abuse was reported. However this part of its decision was not appealed, … Read more Bessong v Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust
An employment tribunal had made a reasonable adjustment by referring a disabled claimant to the Bar Pro Bono Unit, to get a free legal representative. The Court of Appeal held this was sufficient adjustment, on the facts. The court said normally it is entirely appropriate for a tribunal to leave it to the legal representatives … Read more Anderson v Turning Point Eespro
The Court of Appeal held it was not disability discrimination on the facts to refuse to send an employee on an assignment to Dubai because of high medical risk. The case is of interest on direct disability discrimination – it is not enough that the reason for less favourable treatment is ‘indissociable’ from the disability. … Read more Owen v Amec Foster Wheeler Energy
For the first time, an appeal court has upheld a claim that (direct) discrimination because the claimant was perceived to have a disability is unlawful under the Equality Act. The claimant did not need to show she actually had a disability. The court also discussed the boundaries of direct discrimination. (More on Perceived disability). June … Read more Perceived disability: Chief Constable of Norfolk v Coffey
The claimant was entitled to an early pension only because of his disability, but it was less than it would have been for a disability which came on suddenly. It was less because he had reduced his working hours because of his disability. The Supreme Court held there was no ‘unfavourable treatment’ within s.15 Equality … Read more Trustees of Swansea University Pension & Assurance Scheme v Williams
Regulations say that a tendency to physical abuse cannot be a disability under Equality Act 2010. It had therefore been held that an autistic child with a tendency to lash out could not claim under the EqA when he was excluded from school. The court held this regulation is incompatible with Article 14 of the … Read more C & C v The Governing Body of a School
The Court of Appeal held that failure of managers to do enough to prevent harassment by a third party was only a breach of the Equality Act if the manager had a discriminatory motivation. Howerer in the present case the union was liable anyway because the harassment was by officials who were its agents. Also … Read more Unite the Union v Nailard
A bakery in Northern Ireland refused to supply a cake iced with the message “support gay marriage” because of the religious beliefs of its owners. The Supreme Court held this was not discrimination by association because the objection was to the message, not to any particular person or persons. Supreme Court, 2018, www.bailii.org/uk/cases/UKSC/2018/49.html Facts A … Read more Lee v Ashers Baking (‘gay cake’ case)
A claimant who spoke fast, and may or may not have had cluttering or a stammer, was held not to have a disability within the Equality Act. Employment tribunal, June 2017. Full decision: gov.uk. The claimant had a speech disorder manifesting as fast speech. A speech and language therapist suggested it was perhaps ‘cluttering’ or … Read more M v Mitie Aviation Security
The claimant had ME/CFS, and also dystonia which affected her speech. She referred a complaint against a county council to the Local Government Ombudsman and requested support because of her and her husband’s disabilities, including one or more face-to-face meetings rather than just using email. The Ombudsman lost the request, and turned down subsequent requests … Read more Blamires v Local Government Ombudsman