Council ‘awareness course row’ settled

A disabled woman who was discriminated against on a disability
awareness course run by Liverpool Council won £2,000 damages
for injury to her feelings in an out-of-court settlement last
week.

Rosemary Walker was awarded the cash on the day her case against
the council was due to be heard at Liverpool County Court.

In 2003, Walker, who uses a colostomy bag, attended a two-day
training course run by the council as part of her then job as a
youth worker for Merseyside Youth Association.

On the first day of the course she was forced to tell delegates
about her condition when she was unable to change her colostomy bag
in a nearby toilet because there was no sanitary disposal box.

She then had to search the building looking for a box but failed to
find one. Eventually, a course delegate organised for one to be
brought to the building.

Walker brought the case against the council under the Disability
Discrimination Act 1995 and was supported by the Disability Rights
Commission.