BDA welcomes dyslexia tribunal case

The British Dyslexia Association (BDA) welcomes a discrimination case against the Gloucestershire Police.

A judgement by Bristol Employment Tribunal held that Gloucestershire Police had discriminated against Chief Inspector Phil Haynes in his application for promotion to superintendent and failed to make reasonable adjustments for Mr Haynes in his work

Mr Haynes is dyslexic and has 20 years service with the Gloucester and Kent Police Forces. He brought the claim under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995.

The tribunal will consider the compensation the force should pay to Mr Haynes at a hearing on 6th November 2009.

The tribunal found in favour of Mr Haynes’ case by a majority of two to one, stating that the force had failed to apply its own disability policy in relation to promotion interviews.

Judi Stewart, BDA Chief Executive, said: “The Employment Appeal Tribunal recognises that dyslexia, at all levels, is included in the Disability Discrimination Act and employers need to be aware of this. We welcome this case, which illustrates that failure to provide reasonable adjustments can result in litigation. All employers should ensure managers and staff have dyslexia awareness training and provide workplace support for dyslexic employees.”