A deaf would-be law student has begun proceedings against a London law school, alleging disability discrimination on the grounds of ‘unfavourable treatment’ and failure to make ‘reasonable adjustments’.

Roger Ford was accepted on a free course run by the SAS Law School of Regent Street. He says both he and the disability employment adviser told the school he would need a British sign language (BSL) signer for the first day of the course, to be held at the Royal Courts of Justice. However two days before the course was due to start, he claims he received an email stating: ‘Unfortunately we do not provide BSL signer. Sorry.’

Human rights and education solicitor Jaswinder Gill of London firm AP Law, who is acting for Ford, said his client wants to highlight the ‘widespread injustice and inequality suffered by disabled people in the UK’.

John Carter, the principal of SAS London Law School, said he would fight the claim. ‘The school employs a person with a disability, which surely proves we are not prejudiced,’ he said.