Deaf mothers who took on Little Mix promoters win ‘ Best Use of Law’ award

Three deaf mothers who took on the promoters of a Little Mix concert have won the Best Use of Law award at the Sheila McKechnie National Campaigner Awards. 

Sally Reynolds, Sarah Cassandro and Victoria Nelson were only able to follow part of the Little Mix event because the promoter refused to accept that British Sign Language (BSL) interpreters were reasonably required.

When challenged with legal action, they were threatened with costs liabilities of over £100K. The birthday treat turned into a powerful legal battle and the women worked together under the banner Access4All, represented by lawyer Chris Fry, with assistance from Barrister Catherine Casserley.

In 2021, the Central London County Court criticised the behaviour of the LHG Live (the company changed its name to Live in the UK) finding them guilty of unlawful discrimination under the Equality Act.

Deaf people face barriers when trying to access services, including legal services. Achieving a positive outcome in this case provided an immense benefit to the Deaf community. The judgment made it clear that service providers are required to provide British Sign Language interpreters for Deaf service users.

You can see the video of them collecting their award here (skip forward around 20-25 minutes into the video and turn the subtitles on):

Access4All said:

“We are extremely delighted that SMK Awards has recognised the outcome of our important legal campaign. We hope that raising awareness of this legal case will empower Deaf people who want access to services, without them having to go through lengthy discussions or seek out legal action.” 

SMK Awards judge Rossanna Trudgian said:

“My heart is always with anyone experiencing injustice and taking action. Here, I saw a group of women who took it upon themselves and just ran with it. I hope their example will inspire a sense that anyone can use the law to secure change.”

Jo Campion, Deputy Director of the National Deaf Children’s Society, said:

“Deaf people should be able to relax and enjoy every show they attend, rather than worry about whether it’ll be accessible. As this vital case shows, they have exactly the same rights as hearing people and it will hopefully be a catalyst for change.

“Thanks to the dedication and hard work of Sally, Sarah and Victoria, more venues could now follow suit and improve their own accessibility, meaning deaf people will feel more included and valued. They fully deserved the nomination for this award and we’re delighted to see them win.”