I just read another article that I thought I’d share with
you all because it’s about two words that don’t really go together,
‘disability’ and ‘TV’. I’ve spoke about this subject many times before but the
post (http://disabilityhorizons.com/2014/01/disability-and-tv-is-it-time-for-our-close-up/)
by actor Mik Scarlet is particularly poignant as he is inside the industry and
therefore knows a lot more than me (his appearance in Brookside was long before
I was born).
The way I see it is that the people in charge of
commissioning at the main TV channels such as the BBC have it in their mind
that audiences don’t want to see disabililty on their screens. Now, most of my
readers will probably disagree with that sentiment but there are parts of
society who would be in uproar and complain that having disability thrown in
their faces makes for uncomfortable viewing. The potential backlash from having,
for example, a wheelchair bound presenter on a mainstream show is probably the
main reason why there aren’t any.
A lot of you are probably thinking didn’t he write an
article about ‘The Last Leg’ (new series starts on Friday by the way), praising
the programme for building on the success of the 2012 Paralympics and keeping
disability in the public eye? Yes I did but I don’t class that as being
mainstream. Can I just point out that the only shows focusing on disability are
after the watershed. It’s almost as if this taboo subject can be spoken about
but only after the kids go to bed. We don’t want children to learn about those
freaks and start to believe they are normal. They must remain blissfully
ignorant.
Without sounding like Martin Luther King, I hope that in the
future humans look back with shock and disbelief at the lack of disabled coverage
on TV. Just like I do when I watch old programmes and see that people of any other
race than white are few and far between.
Bye for now!
It’s really frustrating that given the modernity of our age today, there’s still that backward thinking that discriminates disabled people. It’s saddening to know that in the era of modern television, there are audiences who complain about seeing disabled persons on their screen, just because they feel uncomfortable looking them. I hope the thoughts you shared here opened up their mind about this matter. Thank you for sharing! All the best to you!
ReplyDeleteJason Hayes @ DECORM
Unfortunately, although the amount of disabled faces has increased slightly in recent years, I do not think the commissioners are brave enough to make programmes specifically explaining disability. The audience are ready for it IMO but no one is willing to take a calculated risk.
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