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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Is this wrong or am I being too pc...

81 replies

sillyoldfool · 21/09/2013 09:02

Dd1 (6-Y2) did an assembly yesterday for 'jeans for genes day' all lovely, school raised money for a good cause, brilliant.
The assembly was about genes and what they are/how they affect us.
They explained genes as being like a recipe, then said 'sometimes someone has the wrong ingredients and the recipe goes wrong, if a person has the wrong ingredients they might have to use a wheelchair or a hearing aid or take lots of medicine'
I thought that was the wrong way to teach 6/7 year olds about disability, I'd be mortified of dd told someone in a wheelchair they were made with the 'wrong ingredients' it's just not true!
I feel as though I should say something about it, but am I overreacting?

OP posts:
WhereDoAllTheCalculatorsGo · 21/09/2013 10:05

Namechanged, the social model of disability is responsible for the advances in rights of disabled people to function normally in society. The medical model was responsible for viewing disabled people as 'not normal', needing fixing to be able to join in with normal life and no longer considered the primary model.

JumpingJackSprat · 21/09/2013 10:06

i think genetic research is incredibly important. my dss has CF and its a truly bloody awful condition for him to have to live with. im sure he would rather not have it. so if genetic research can cure it (and inroads are being made) then i think that is only positive surely? i dont think that is anything like saying i want to get rid of all disabled people. (thats to the poster who hates jeans for genes day.)

Original poster
sillyoldfool · 21/09/2013 10:12

It is very thorny though, I know deaf people who would be upset if they had a hearing child.

OP posts:
WhereDoAllTheCalculatorsGo · 21/09/2013 10:16

why is it thorny? I don't think it is

Dawndonnaagain · 21/09/2013 10:18

Just to make it really difficult, there are many members of the Autistic Community who object to jeans for genes day. They do not consider their genetic structure to be anything other than different. Jeans for genes looks for a model to repair or change , but if you don't consider yourself in need of repair then it's quite an insult.

mrsjay · 21/09/2013 10:21

my disability isn't genetic not everybody who has a disability has a genetic disorder, , I do see what the school were trying to say and explain it to the children about the recipe etc but it just seems a bit Hmm to say it the way they did i dont think YABU i think they could have explained it loads better,

Original poster
sillyoldfool · 21/09/2013 10:22

I was responding to jumpingjack, who's point I can totally see, but which isn't following the 'social model' strictly.

OP posts:
everlong · 21/09/2013 10:23

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
sillyoldfool · 21/09/2013 10:27

So, I'm going to ask who wrote the script for the assembly and suggest that using the word 'wrong' was a bad idea, that it should have been clear that only some disabilities are caused by genes, and that disability should have been explained in the same context as eye/hair/skin colour, it is a difference which might mean people might need extra consideration but is not 'wrong' or a problem.
Is that acceptable?

OP posts:
everlong · 21/09/2013 10:31

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

fanjoforthemammaries7850 · 21/09/2013 10:33

It wouldn't have hugely bothered me

But loathe the term and concept "too PC"

mrsjay · 21/09/2013 10:38

well disability and illness isn't the same as hair or eye colour is it you are making it too simple now, the assembly was for 5/6 year olds, I do understand you are trying to say illness and disabilty is a fact of life which it is but to say it is the same as eye colour is isn't the same, I guess the only word i could see wrong with the assembly was wrong.

DancesWithWoolEnPointe · 21/09/2013 10:38

Many genetic disorders are caused by the processes of meiosis or crossing over not occurring correctly - so that is something going wrong. Genetic disorders that are varieties of a healthy gene that occurred by mutation in the past, that still occur are not, however, something going wrong, they are just being passed on.

Perhaps it would have been better to say some people's copy of the recipe has a mistake in it that makes them unhealthy. YANBU. I think the intention of the school was good, but the delivery could have been better.

fanjoforthemammaries7850 · 21/09/2013 10:39

I thunk unhealthy is wrong too..people with genetic disabilities aren't necessarily unhealthy.

DancesWithWoolEnPointe · 21/09/2013 10:42

I was thinking of genetic illness that make people sick - like cystic fibrosis or sickle cell anemia. But you are right - a person is albinism or Down's syndrome isn't unhealthy.

Okay, so the recipe was wrong and it made the people unusual?

Original poster
sillyoldfool · 21/09/2013 10:43

It was just that they used the word different in the context of hair and eye colour, but wrong for disabilities, I thought different would be better used for both.
I'll just say that I think the word different should have been substituted for the word wrong then?
Is that ok?

OP posts:
DancesWithWoolEnPointe · 21/09/2013 10:44

It is quite difficult to explain you 6 and 7 year olds why you need to raise money for people with genetic disorders without giving some indication that it is difficult to live with these disabilities.

fanjoforthemammaries7850 · 21/09/2013 10:44

I would avoid unusual or different too. I am picky. .sorry Grin

valiumredhead · 21/09/2013 10:45

Oh no,I don't like that at all and agree it makes it sound as though people can be 'wrong.'

mrsjay · 21/09/2013 10:46

Oh fanjo what ya like Grin

OP i just think you should say you thought the word wrong was negative word to use as you thought it gave out the message that people with illness and disability are not the same as everybody else,

(did that make sense)

BarbarianMum · 21/09/2013 10:46

Conversely though Dawndonnaagain there are people who do view their disability as 'something broken that needs to be fixed' rather than something they want society to accept and embrace (thinking of aunt with MS here).

I don't think any one model is going to fit all here given the wide range of disabilities and the individuality of the people experiencing them.

Original poster
sillyoldfool · 21/09/2013 10:47

What word would you use fanjo?
I can't say anything if what I suggest is just as bad as 'wrong'!

OP posts:
DancesWithWoolEnPointe · 21/09/2013 10:47

But what would you use Fanjo? I appreciate that there shouldn't be a negative connotation on the word, but what would you use - some people's copy of the recipe has a mistake in it that makes them......

mrsjay · 21/09/2013 10:48

I don't think any one model is going to fit all here given the wide range of disabilities and the individuality of the people experiencing them.

I agree with not all people with a disability is accepting of it and struggle with it, especially people like your aunt with MS which comes on a healthy person it is hard to accept it sometimes

Original poster
sillyoldfool · 21/09/2013 10:49

So I should just express that I think the word wrong was incorrect and leave it there?
I'm a problem solver by nature so don't like to point out a problem without offering a solution!

OP posts:
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