Students on Wearside will today be challenged to help disabled people.

About 140 students from three North-East sixth-form schools will join others from City of Sunderland College, at the Seaburn Centre, in Sunderland, today and tomorrow, for the design challenge.

They will be given the original plans of Terminal Four of Heathrow Airport.

All the original disabled access markings will be removed and it is up to the teams to decide where they should be placed to best help less abled travellers.

They will be assisted by engineers who will provide technical guidance.

The event was organised by Connexions Tyne and Wear, in partnership with the Construction Industry Training Board and Aim Higher.

Kate Eldon, of the training board, said: "The challenge will provide the students with a wider understanding of disability issues and of reading complex construction documents."