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Posts
Disability On TV
Monday, 30 March 2009
I know I have spoken about this lady before, but it is still getting quite a bit of coverage, people are still talking about her, and I am shocked at the amount of parents who think her disability will scare their children...openly admitting ignorance if you ask me...
On Cbeebies there is a new presenter, she’s a pretty girl, bubbly, good at her job, but dare I say it…she has a disability, she only has one hand. I have to say, I didn’t even notice at first, and I expect most kids didn’t…but parents actually started making complaints, hundreds of them flooded in apparently.
What a joke!
Some insensitive 'idiot' (for want of a better word) actually said… "Is it just me, or does anyone else think the new woman presenter on Cbeebies (Cerrie Burnell) may scare the kids because of her disability?
"I didn't want to let my children watch the filler bits on the bedtime hour last night because I know it would have played on my eldest daughter's mind and possibly caused sleep problems... and yes, this is a serious post."
Amazing! and sadly..no, it wasn't just him!
I truly cannot believe that so many people would discriminate so freely, perhaps if he was more sensitive, his kids would be too. Kids really don’t care about disabilities, until they are taught to do so, they may be curious, which is natural, but scared…I doubt it very much???
Other people accused the BBC of employing her to score points, actually accused the BBC of positive discrimination can someone explain this term to me please?
Cerrie Burnell rose above it, and even though she was said to be disappointed by the criticism she still welcomed the discussion…
"It can only be a good thing that parents are using me as a chance to talk disability with their children," she said. "It just goes to show how important it is to have positive disabled role models on CBeebies and television in general."
Good for her.
This young lady has a child herself, is her child going to grow up frightened…NO! Because her child will be brought up in a household where differences make no difference to what a person can achieve.
Here, see her for yourself, and you tell me...is she scary? intimidating???
30 March 2009 at 15:34
You are right. Children don't notice disabilities. We were in the store one day and my daughter knew the salesclerk. They had a long conversation. When we left, I asked her how the girl lost 3 of her fingers. "She's missing fingers?" she said, "I didn't notice."
There need to be MORE people on television with challenges, not fewer.
30 March 2009 at 15:42
Ah yes, I know just how to handle this.
*takes out his wand and points it at the story*
Riddikulus!
30 March 2009 at 17:49
It is ridiculous, sometimes i think things are getting worse, we are so busy concentrating on what people can't do, on their limitations, we don't stop to notice what they can do...
its hard to think of Deion out in the world having to put up with so much ignorance...no one should have to.
30 March 2009 at 18:54
I agree that MORE people with "disabilities" should be on tv, because it is fear of the unknown that perpetuates these types of fears. What is to fear from someone missing part of their arm? Nothing. Children don't notice these things and when they do, they simply ask for an explanation, which is easy enough to give. "That girl was born with only one arm. That happens sometimes." End of story really. What all of the parents who posted complaints were really saying are, "I'm afraid of people with disabilities and I don't want to explain my fears to them."
30 March 2009 at 19:07
exactly right, the truth is, kids are just curious and you can't be upset about that, its natural, its adults putting their own fears onto their children...thats the problem, the ignorance...its not like her disability affects her job...
30 March 2009 at 19:09
I guess most ignorance stems from fear, but kids aren't scared unless they are taught to be, i never mind kids asking questions, if only more people were open with their kids about disability...
30 March 2009 at 20:10
Yeah, that shows major ignorance with the parents saying their children would be scared. My son might ask me about it but he wouldn't really care either way.
30 March 2009 at 21:49
How are we to teach our children if we want to hide people's disabilities/inabilities. They need to learn acceptance regardless of what a person looks like, what they have or don't have. We can't shelter our children and we can't shun those who have "disabilities".
30 March 2009 at 22:04
amen!
30 March 2009 at 23:31
Children do not care about such things! Even if they did notice, once explained, that would be it! I agree with Kim, we need more people with challenges represented!
31 March 2009 at 03:23
i simply do NOT understand that thinking at ALL! and i am not a particularly angelic person... isn't compassion and just basic humanity in everyone? am i just naive?