Courts / Ireland / Report
College ordered to pay deaf student over sign language discrimination
2023-07-14
Hearing Or Decision
Summary
In a decision by the Workplace Relations Commission, Griffith College was found to have contravened the Equal Status Act 2000 by refusing to provide sign‑language interpretation for a deaf law student, Sofiya Kalinova, and by requiring her to pay for it herself. The tribunal noted that the college's policy assumed Kalinova needed Irish Sign Language interpretation and a note‑taker for the entire course, including weeks already completed, without a proper assessment of her individual needs. The college's head of faculty, Karen Sutton, had estimated the cost of interpretation at €9,000 but had not shared this with Kalinova. The adjudicator, Kevin Baneham, ordered the college to pay Kalinova €3,000 in compensation and to revise its disability policy to comply with the Act. The case highlights the requirement for institutions to evaluate each learner's needs rather than rely on blanket assumptions.
Who, what, where, when and why
What: Report matter: College ordered to pay deaf student over sign language discrimination. Procedural stage: hearing_or_decision
When:
- 2023-07-14 Publication
Case subjects
Applicant
Topics
If a fact, identity, locality or legal outcome needs review, email the newsroom with this report's details prefilled.
Email a correction request