I failed my driving test over ridiculous ‘rule’ & it WASN’T my fault – I tried to explain but they wouldn’t listen
A TEENAGER is distraught after failing her driving exam - for being dyslexic.
Mia Bartholomew, 17, jumbled up the letters during a licence plate reading test.
The examiner said she could not continue and told the DVLA to revoke her provisional licence, saying she needed glasses to drive.
The A-level student from Christian Malford, Wilts, was left in tears after trying to explain she was dyslexic and claims the examiner ignored her pleas.
She said: “I was crying, honestly, I was in bits. I was trying to find a test for ages and it’s so hard to find a test.
“I’ve got dyslexia and I mix up the letters when I read them.
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“The examiner just said: ‘All I’m asking you to do is read numbers and letters.'
“But that’s precisely what I have the problem with.”
Mia’s mum Marie, a nurse, rang the DVLA and was told she needed to get a certificate from an optician saying she could see.
Marie, 46, said: “We went to Specsavers and had her eyes tested.
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“They said her eyesight is above where she needs to be and she doesn’t need glasses for driving.
“They said it was important to tell the DVLA that or if she had a crash and wasn’t wearing glasses she would be at fault.
The mum continued: “Mia found out when she was eight or nine that she had dyslexia.
“I’ve sent a written report about it to DVLA and I’m waiting to hear back.”
Marie said they paid £60 to do the test and another £12 to do it on a Saturday.
She added: “It’s so hard to get a test at the moment. I was up at 6am every day trying to log on to the app.
“To fail her because of her dyslexia was just so frustrating and upsetting for her.
“We’re now in limbo waiting for the DVLA to reinstate her provisional licence and we’ve got to go through the whole thing again.”
Mia’s twin sister Sienna, 17, passed her test the week after Mia was failed in December.
The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency said it could not comment on individual cases.
But it added that with test candidates with dyslexia, examiners can ask the candidate to write down the number plate instead of saying it out aloud.
A spokesman said: “Anyone who meets the minimum standards for driving can learn to drive and take their test regardless of any disability.
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“When candidates book a driving test, we ask them to say if they have a disability, health condition or learning difficulty so we can ensure that every candidate is treated fairly.
“We would always encourage candidates to disclose any disability, health condition or learning difficulty so that reasonable adjustments can be made for them.”
