To be annoyed that disabled woman have no air time on TV?

[RedSuedeShoes]

Like a previous poster I am getting really annoyed about the ancient ugly men on TV and the thin pretty women. Good to know our lives are over by the time we're thirty.

Anyway, for a while I've become aware that there are no women with disabilities on TV. The News has a blind guy and a guy with a stammer but have you ever seen a disabled woman? NO, because woman have to be pretty, bubbly and size 10!

[sethstarkaddersmummyreturns]

Cerrie on CBeebies!

[sethstarkaddersmummyreturns]

and she is of course, pretty, bubbly and probably a size 10

[RedSuedeShoes]

Well that's really serious TV isn't it!

[Miggsie]

I agree...I don't think there is much on TV I can identify with being in my forties, disabled with a child...the ratio of men to women in dramas is about 3:1 anyway and they are either frumpy and brainy or gosh, brainy but still able to wear high heels and be sexy or dim and sexy. Except the soaps where lots of the women are nothing special to look at but have hideous personalities, otherwise they wouldn't be a soap character.

Occasionally you get disabled characters but it always seems to be an "issue" to discuss rather than realistically portraying someone living day to day with a condition.

However, as most TV writers and producers are men in their 20's and 30's it is not a bug surprise really.

[Mooos]

Mmm..are you one of these overly politically correct people?

Personally I think the best person for the job and there probably (statistically) aren't that many disabled (your word) women or men who are want to/are good enough to be on TV.

[RedSuedeShoes]

I really am not PC but woman are not treated equally on TV. And somehow I am sure there was a qualified disabled woman who would have been better on the news than a guy with a stammer!

[redflag]

I hadn't noticed, i also don't see people that represent me, A 25 year old mother of two, looking after a disabled man. But i don't care, why would you?

[MaMoTTaT]

according to \link{http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2003/06_june/12/disabled.shtml\this} (from 2003!) it the broadcasters and industry professionals who were holding back then - no doubt it's the same now.

[RedSuedeShoes]

Why shouldn't I care? I bet you care about something I deem as trivial!

[NordicPrincess]

i see about as many disabled people on tv as i do in real life so in my case it is an accurate depiction of my experience of them all though this isnt deliberate from the tv directors point of view

[saggarmakersbottomknocker]

What is the definition of disabled in this context? Do you mean there are no women on TV with visible disabilities?

[redflag]

I care bout people starving to death, mass genocide and people being murdered!

Not if there is someone on the telly with a limp who can represent me!


Why does everybody have to be bloody represented! who cares!

[NewOrImproved]

I don't feel like people on tv are supposed to 'represent' me TBH

[Spero]

Granted, on a scale of things to get upset about, starting with genocide, forced gential mutilation and child sex trafficking, I agree that the lack of disabled people visible on TV is not up there in the top ten.

But that doesn't mean it is a trivial concern or that op can't find it annoying. I think it is an important issue. Without 'representation' already vulnerable people become further marginalised and feared.

the furore over Cerrie on CBeebies is particuarly interesting. Apparently some parents 'complained' that their children found her missing arm upsetting. I applaud CBeebies for putting forward a positive representation of a disabled person, just getting on with the job. I think that is a great message to be sending to children and their stupid bigoted parents and it also annoys me that women don't get much of an air time presence in certain sectors of the media unless they are under 40 and beautiful.

[MaMoTTaT]

redflag - if someone "well known" is on the TV with a limp that (like it nor not) filters back to the viewing public and perceptions are then formed about people with a limp.

Look at the uproar from some parents over Cerrie's appearance on CBeebies - they rathered their children didn't have to see someone with a disability.

If disabilities become more "mainstream" on our TV screens then hopefully more people will realise that just because someone has a disability doesn't mean that they're incapable of doing a job.

There was a reason the DDA was brought in in 2004 (now since mostly been replaced byt the Equality Act) - it's because many disabled people weren't employed because they are disabled, not because they're not up to/don't want the jobs.

[laweaselmys]

There are always lots of people with various health issues/disabilities on hollyoaks.

Channel 4 is hosting the Paralympics and is putting loads of effort into promotion before hand and disability based shows.

I think it is changing.

Don't dismiss cbeebies either, the kids that grow up watching Cerrie might be broadcasters one day.

[lifeinagoldfishbowl]

There is a blind woman in emmerdale, and a girl in a wheel chair in coronation street, there was a girl in a wheelchair in hollyoaks

[redflag]

You see i find that slightly patronising, Arm or not she was best for the job, and the bbc shouldn't be applauded (in my opinion) for treating her like a normal human being.

I too remember the way people reacted when she was on cbebies, And may i point out, my then three year old didnt notice, And i doubt any child noticed, he still doesn't notice if people are fat thin small or disabled.

And everyone demanding to be represented is just ludacris in that case we should just change presenters every day, so everyone can have a go then no one can complain.

[RedSuedeShoes]

I am talking about programmes that are not soaps. So the News, reality programmes. There must be an amazing singer with one leg who could be a judge on "I'd do anything".

My main issue is disabled female women in SERIOUS, intellectual roles.

[Spero]

Agree wholeheartedly with MaMoTTaT.

I walk with a limp and people apparently find this incredibly difficult to come to terms with. every single bloody day I get someone expressing surprise that I actually have a job and get around. I think they equate physical disability with mental handicap. At one job I was even asked if I would be a 'fire hazard' i.e. could I get out of the building by myself. Er yes, as I got myself to the building via public transport I think I can manage the stairs down.

I try to be patient and kind as I accept that for most people I am the only person they have ever met with a visible disability and they just don't have any point of reference for people with disabilities living their lives or having children etc.

So it would make the lives of disabled people a lot nicer if there was more 'positive' representations of us in all aspects of the media, just so maybe we wouldn't have to deal with so many questions/stares from the able bodied (and closed minded).

So nope, not a trivial issue.

[MaMoTTaT]

"Don't dismiss cbeebies either, the kids that grow up watching Cerrie might be broadcasters one day."

That's very true. Hopefully seeing Penny Pocket (don't know her RL name ) and Cerrie will filter through to the broadcasters of the future that actually - they can do just the same job.


I think one problem with representation of disability on TV a lot of the time is that it's based around how "brave" someone with a disability is, or used a one off "highlight an issue" thing rather than having someone just being there, on a regular basis, often going through some of the same stuff as everyone else.

[Spero]

I applaud the BBC Redflag because I can't see that many other orgnisations doing it. If you find that patronising, that is your business.

[BuntyPenfold]

Cerrie is a great role model.

She reminds me of wonderful Mrs Robinson at my primary school, who had lost her right arm and had a slip-on plastic one which she would pull off every morning and put down by the piano. We loved to see the
new kids faces when she did this!

She played the piano with one hand and her stump for every assembly and also taught the recorder group, as well as her own class of 8-9 year olds.

I would never had said she had a disability, if I had known the word at age 8. She didn't have a problem at all.
Everyone wanted to be in her class.

[redflag]

Spero, I think it is, like i said my Dh is disabled, not a disability that can be seen, We have comments from people thinking he is not that ill. And i don't care! to me this is trivial and pointless! There are better things to concern yourself with.