A DEAF man who believes he was unfairly discriminated against at a Big Brother audition is taking his complaint to the Disability Rights Commission (DRC).
Paul Cripps, 25, of Baker's Arms, Leyton, said that the judge at his audition for the Channel 4 show refused to write questions down so he could understand them. He then allegedly told him he could not go through because he is deaf.
Mr Cripps also alleges that people in the queue were pushing and bullying him because of his disability.
advertisementHe has described the audition as his "worst experience" and is now seeking advice from the DRC about whether Big Brother production company Endemol has broken the law.
A DRC spokeswoman did not wish to comment specifically on Mr Cripps' case at this stage.
But she said that production companies, when auditioning people for a show, have responsibilities under the Disability Discrimin-ation Act.
She said: "They have a duty to make reasonable adjustments for disabled people to audition for a show whether it is to provide a sign language interpreter for someone who uses it or ensuring that someone with a learning difficulty is given enough time to answer questions."
A spokesman for the show said that the show had a member of staff dedicated to assisting people with disabilities.
Guardian
