Deaf Mum Sues Little Mix Concert Promoter

Deaf mum sues Little Mix promoter for not providing sign language interpreters at gig.

SUSSEX, United Kingdom -- How one mother's frustration turned into an unprecedented legal action. Eight-year-old Cate Merry and her friend Megan are big fans of Little Mix.

They've got the T-shirts, the photo albums, the CDs, can sing the songs and rock the dance routines.

So how did their love of the band lead to unprecedented legal action?

Last year, Cate's mum Sally Reynolds bought six tickets to see the band in concert on 1 September at the South of England Event Centre in Sussex.

Sally is Deaf and booked for herself and two Deaf friends to go with their daughters who are all able to hear.

In order that she and her two friends could fully access the performance, Sally asked the organisers, LHG Live, to provide a British Sign Language interpreter.

She was initially offered carer tickets and told that she could bring her own interpreter, but she didn't consider that met her needs or amounted to full access.

Speaking exclusively to the BBC, Sally explained: "We asked two or three times, please can you provide the interpreter for us, and the explanation we got back was just a 'no'.

"It didn't have any reason behind it and eventually we became so frustrated.

"I wanted to share the same experience my daughter had - essentially I just wanted access to the songs."

Legal Action - Under the Equality Act 2010, any organisation supplying a service to the public is under a duty to make reasonable adjustments to ensure that a disabled person's experience is as close as possible to that of someone without a disability.

With just days to go before the concert, and no interpreter in place, Sally took an unprecedented legal step... Read More on BBC News.

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Deaf Children "Allowed To Engage In Sexual Activity" At School

Deaf News: Children at a school for the Deaf were mishandled by staff, allowed to misbehave and engaged in sexual activity.

EXETER, UK -- BBC News: Devon and Cornwall Police are now investigating the claims made against Exeter Deaf Academy.

The BBC understands three staff members have been suspended, but the school would not confirm this.

The academy said it would act "quickly if it is found that any improvements need to be made".

Restrain children: Sources from the inquiry told the BBC they received a letter from the whistleblower detailing claims which included staff drinking alcohol on residential trips.

It is claimed the drinking led to a lack of supervision of students who engaged in sexual activity.

The letter also alleges excessive force was used to restrain children, along with techniques that were not authorised by regulators.

The concerns were raised, the letter says, but not dealt with.

The allegations prompted Devon and Cornwall Police and Devon Social Services to launch an investigation.

Exeter Deaf Academy said: "We continue to cooperate fully with the ongoing investigation by Devon County Council and Devon and Cornwall Police and cannot and should not comment until this is complete and the facts have been properly established.

"We care deeply about the welfare of our students, and will act quickly if it is found that any improvements need to be made at the Academy."

The academy - a mixed, residential facility that currently has 76 students aged between four and 24 - would not comment on whether or not any staff had been suspended.

Devon and Cornwall Police said: "We are not yet in a position to comment regarding whether there have been any criminal offences or other breaches of legislation, however, the safety of the students is paramount and we will work together to ensure that a thorough investigation is conducted."

Devon County Council said it was "working closely" with the police and the academy's chief executive.

The latest report by the regulator Ofsted, in February this year, was critical of the academy saying it "requires improvement".

SOURCE - BBC News