'Braille' case challenge to Equality Tribunal

A visually impaired woman who is taking an Equality Tribunal case over an institution's failure to provide her with a braille service has claimed the tribunal is discriminating against her as it will not provide a document in braille.

Ms Áine Wellard's case against an unnamed financial institution is listed for hearing on February 10th.

However, when the Dublin woman asked the Equality Tribunal for a copy of the respondent's submission, she was told that a copy could be produced in print, but not in braille.

"This seems to me to constitute a prima facie case of discrimination," Ms Wellard told The Irish Times.

She said the tribunal's failure to provide her with the document in braille meant that she at a disadvantage because of her visual impairment.

The Equal Status Act 2000 outlaws discrimination in the provision of goods and services on any of nine grounds, including disability. Respondents must prove that they provided "reasonable accommodation" to meet the complainant's needs.

"It seems hypocritical that the Equality Tribunal do not provide proper brailling services whilst being called upon to pass judgment on others who do the same," Ms Wellard said.

She has a voice synthesizer on her computer so e-mails are "read out" by the computer. However, this was not suitable where documents were concerned as she needed a hard copy so that she could study them in detail.

Ms Wellard said the Equality Tribunal had the facilities to transcribe documents into braille and had done so in the past. Even if they did not have the facilities, they still had the option of sending the documents to outside bodies, she added.

A spokesman for the Equality Tribunal said the tribunal was impartial and therefore could not comment on any issues surrounding a case scheduled to come before it.

Speaking in general, the spokesman said the tribunal tried to facilitate everyone who came before the tribunal, whether they had a visual, hearing or physical impairment. "But I couldn't possibly comment on a specific case," he said. The spokesman referred The Irish Times to the Equality Tribunal's customer service charter.

The charter gives a commitment "to provide facilities for persons with a disability, including audio loop, documents in braille format, leaflets in other languages, full wheelchair access and sign language interpretation when sought". It also gives a commitment to respect the rights of all parties at all times in the delivery of service.

Ms Wellard said she intended to lodge a complaint with the Equality Tribunal's complaints officer.

She is also initiating a second case to the tribunal over a voluntary group's refusal to allow her to take part in a scheme which involves bringing dogs to visit patients in institutions.

The group told her that her dog was 100 per cent suitable for the scheme but she would have to have a sighted person with her as she might endanger herself or others.