Students with severe learning disabilities or difficulties have a wide range of ambitions and aspirations, just like their peers. Yet, in Herefordshire there is currently no high quality further education facilities available for young adults aged 19-25. Appalled at the lack of options for her 19-year-old son, a Bridstow woman has started a campaign for better further education for disabled young adults in the county.

Alison Sheppard's son, David, has severe learning needs and is in his final year at Barrs Court School. When considering his continuing education for next September, she was staggered at the lack of choices available to him, and has decided to take up the fight. Already her petition has collected over one thousand signatures.

Alison has another teenage son, Michael, 17, who attends Hereford Sixth Form College and the differences in opportunities available to both boys are stark. "Both are good looking, well behaved, lovely boys," she told the Gazette. "Yet only one will be able go to college locally. David won't, just because he is disabled. Is that fair?"

When contacted by the Gazette, Barrs Court School Headteacher Richard Aird said he had been arguing for high quality educational provision in the county for five years but: "for some reason the local authority has been reluctant," he said.

For the rest of this story please see this week's Ross Gazette.