Deafworks Partners have substantial experience of the impact of deafness on education, employment and everyday life. For their CVs, please see the following:
- Nicholas Callow CV
- Laraine Callow CV
Deafworks have prepared expert witness reports in a range of areas. For a full list of our past legal reports illustrating the areas we cover, see here. Or see below for our case studies (all of which have been anonymised):
- Medical negligence
Case study: A doctor commented on the cause of deafness, while we were asked to assess the consequences in practical and financial terms in the areas of education, social life, and employment. - Educational negligence
Case study: A pupil had been placed in a special school. The parents complained about the choice of school, the type of work he was doing and the transport arrangement. It was clear that the choices made were inappropriate and we were asked to produce a full report on this. - Employment disputes
Case study: The solicitor was part way through a case and needed an extra report to back up their argument. This concerned a person who had been deafened in an accident. We were asked to give our opinion on what the effects would be on the client’s employment, the types of jobs she could now do, and what sort of adjustments the employer would ideally need to make. - Discrimination under the DDA
Case study: There was a breakdown in communication between a hearing line manager and a deaf employee. We were asked to explain what kind of communication the deaf employee used. - Child Care proceedings
Case study: A deaf child was being placed with foster parents, and it was unclear whether a cochlear implant was suitable for the child. We were asked to comment. - Best Interests proceedings
Case study: The client was in care, as a ward of court. The question asked was whether this young adult was competent to express a view about what was best for themselves. There were complicated family issues, and the report was needed very quickly (within a week). We interviewed the client and their carers face to face and the service providers over the telephone, so that we could advise the court. The main aspect was clarifying what the client’s communication level was, and what steps the court would need to go through to be sure that she had taken the decisions for herself. - Access to court
Case study: We were asked to advise on whether a deaf client would be able to understand a case and what sort of communication support he would need in court. - Forensic Speechreading
Click here to see what Deafworks can offer.
As well as writing reports we also:
- Present evidence
We have 25 years experience of presenting evidence at courts and tribunals. - Advise solicitors
On a wide range of deaf-related topics
Our clients are solicitors, unions and other organisations who have D/deaf clients. We do not generally deal with deaf clients themselves as most need legal advice. We advise the advisors. However, some individuals do come to us when they are clear about what they are asking us to do.
“We asked Deafworks to read through our papers and to help us with the deaf-related comments so that we could take these back to our solicitor. Worth every penny! Incidentally they also gave us advice on where we could go once the case was settled.” (A satisfied customer)
If you are a D/deaf individual who cannot pay fees, try your local Citizens Advice Bureau, Legal Aid Centre or the RAD (Royal Association for Deaf People) Legal Centre based in London (providing UK services). Good luck and come back to us if you get stuck.
We will undertake to work on any cases anywhere in the United Kingdom, and will prepare reports for Legal Aid Cases.
We provide an initial telephone discussion to solicitors at no charge. Contact Nicholas Callow on 020 7689 0033, or by email at njc@deafworks.co.uk
We are registered with:
- UK Register of Expert Witnesses
- The Law Society
A satisfied customer:
“Deafworks really pulled out the stops in helping us to wrap up a tricky case that had been going on for several years. Even the judge commented on their professionalism.”
(A firm of solicitors in the North East of England.)
N.B.
If the proposed report is outside of our field of expertise, we will aim to recommend alternative experts.
