Forties People

A woman has been awarded £125,000 in a landmark discrimination case which caused the House of Lords to clarify Britain's disability law.

Elizabeth Boyle claimed she had been discriminated against by SCA Packaging, her employer of 32 years, due to her vocal nodules which affect her ability to speak clearly.

Despite her protests, SCA removed partitions near Boyle's desk in 2001 causing her to speak more loudly. The company argued that Boyle was not disabled because her condition no longer had an adverse effect on her life, but she began proceedings against them in October 2001 on the grounds of their failure to make provisions for her disability.

Seven months later, Boyle extended her proceedings to include unfair dismissal after being made redundant and, after being heard in the Court of Appeal in Belfast, the case ended up in the House of Lords, which decided that people with physical or mental conditions that reoccur or vary in severity over time should still be termed "disabled".

Conditions such as diabetes and epilepsy are now covered by disability law and Boyle's award has been hailed by experts as a significant decision that sets a new precedent for future discrimination cases.

Posted by Mary King