The Argus - News - Man sues council for not = listening

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Friday, 26 August 2005

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Man sues council for not listening

by Andy = Tate

<= SPAN=20 class=3DnewsPicPhotoCaption>Colin Bennett is suing Brighton and Hove = Council for=20 not having facilities for the deaf

Many people would find the idea of sitting through a three-hour long = council=20 meeting a form of cruel and unusual punishment.

Not Colin Bennett.

The retired electrical engineer, who has hearing difficulties, is = taking=20 Brighton and Hove City Council to court in an attempt to force it to = make every=20 single speech and debate audible to the hard of hearing.

Mr Bennett, 64, from Hove, has been campaigning for seven years to = get the=20 council to install fully functioning induction loops in the city's two = debating=20 chambers and main committee rooms. An induction loop allows anyone with = a=20 hearing aid to hear proceedings crystal clear.

The council installed one in Hove Town Hall three years ago but since = then it=20 has been dogged with technical problems.

At the start of the year the council installed a local loop at = Brighton Town=20 Hall which covers an area of about six seats in the members' area. None = of the=20 committee rooms has been fitted with the technology.

After years of letter writing and quiet nudging, Mr Bennett has had = enough=20 and is suing the council under the Disability Discrimination Act.

The case is due to reach Brighton County Court on September 9, when a = judge=20 will say whether his case is strong enough to proceed to trial.

Mr Bennett is not looking for compensation but for the council to be=20 compelled to install, operate and maintain an induction loop or = infra-red system=20 in all public chambers.

He said: "I regret I have had to take it this far but I take a keen = interest=20 in local affairs and I like to know what our elected members are saying. = At the=20 moment my democratic rights are being taken away."

Mr Bennett is backed by the Brighton and Hove Disability Advice = Centre.=20 Volunteer Diane Fazackarley said: "This is not a small organisation, = it's the=20 council and everyone should be able to hear what is going on."

Councillor Paul Elgood, chairman of the equalities forum on the = council,=20 said: "Colin Bennett has been a tireless campaigner on these issues and = is very=20 right to raise them. The council must meet the needs of all residents,=20 especially those who have a disability."

The council refused to comment on Mr Bennett's case but a spokeswoman = said:=20 "The council is committed to improving disabled access in all of the 458 = council-owned buildings and to promoting accessibility to the city as a = whole."=20