Students Wins Compensation From College That Ignored Special Needs

Rosie Watson, aged 48, a deaf student at Durham University, has reach a settlement of £25,000 after the university repeatedly failed to take her profound deafness into account.

Ms Watson claimed that her tutors were not informed about her special needs due to her deafness or failed to take them into account, and continued to deny assistance even when she requested it.  Ms Watson said that ignoring her special needs effectively meant that the university discriminated against her, which forced her to leave in her third year. The compensation claim was supported by Darlington Association on Disability.

The settlement was to reimburse her college fees, a student loan, but also for injury to her feelings and psychiatric damage.

Durham University denied the claims and paid the compensation to Ms Watson without any admission of liability.