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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

World book day - wheelchair

44 replies

winkygirl · 15/01/2017 20:58

DD (10 years old) is loving The Midnight Gang by David Walliams and has asked to go to school as Amber for World Book Day. This would involve wearing pyjamas, making fake plaster casts for her arms and legs and hiring a child's wheelchair on which I would put a sign "property of Lord Funt Hospital".

Problem is I am feeling uncomfortable about her using a wheelchair as part of a fancy dress outfit. I am worried it is inappropriate/insensitive. Am I over-thinking this?

OP posts:

OutDamnedWind · 15/01/2017 23:07

Dowager How do you see that as different to say blacking up to dress up as a specific person/character, say dressing up as Barack Obama? Genuine question, not being snarky I promise

SchoolNightWine · 15/01/2017 23:09

I'm quite disappointed at the reaction of the teachers on here. Does that mean you would find a child that needed a wheelchair permanently 'impractical' and 'bring chaos' to your classroom/school. Surely it could be a great opportunity for all the children to have a go and experience the challenges faced every day by wheelchair users, and hopefully make them more understanding in the future.

TheDowagerDuchessofDenver · 15/01/2017 23:13

OutDamnedWind Because that would contradict points two and three of my 'why blackface is offensive' list.

I don't see anything wrong with a white child dressing up as Barack Obama, any more than it's wrong for a blonde kid to play Mary in the Nativity play. But I wouldn't let them black up to do it - I'd just dress them in a suit and a Vote Barack badge or something.

PurpleDaisies · 15/01/2017 23:15

Surely it could be a great opportunity for all the children to have a go and experience the challenges faced every day by wheelchair users, and hopefully make them more understanding in the future.

When in the busy school day with lessons already planned are the children supposed to do this? Are the lunchtime supervisors expected to supervise the able bodied children playing with it in the play ground in a way that a disabled child wouldn't because they would actually be using it?

I think it's great to promote understanding of disability but just springing it on the teacher and expecting them to turn it into something positive is pretty unfair.

PurpleDaisies · 15/01/2017 23:16

And I have taught students who use wheelchairs. I dkbg see them as any trouble at all because I'm expecting them to be their and they use their wheelchairs to get wroubdcrather than as something to play with.

PurpleDaisies · 15/01/2017 23:16

Arghh-I'm expecting them to be there. Not their!

bumsexatthebingo · 15/01/2017 23:17

Plenty of wheelchair users find able-bodied people using them as props offensive.

HateSummer · 15/01/2017 23:18

Omg. I can't believe you even contemplated hiring a wheelchair 😱. I'm glad you're not doing it anymore.

TheDowagerDuchessofDenver · 15/01/2017 23:19

Sorry, grammar a bit dodgy there. Blacking up to play Obama would be wrong because of points two and three. Dressing up as 'a disabled person' would be wrong because of point one.

Neither of those things apply in this case, or in the case of a child dressing up as a person they admire who is a different race than them, which IMO is very different to dressing up AS a different race. (And incidentally, would make finding any world book day costume difficult if you aren't white, sadly.)

UnderClaws · 15/01/2017 23:20

I'm a teacher and posted above. The children I've taught who used wheelchairs haven't kept getting out in the playgroup to let mates run around in it! Nor have they already got a chair at their desk in their way, I've had advance warning to adjust the layout and they'd learnt to control then around others without causing injury to themselves or others and been very skilled in one case at hurtling down ramps at speed to terrify people by braking or serving at the last second but hey

Original poster

winkygirl · 15/01/2017 23:20

I didn't mean to cause offence. I honestly apologise and will delete the thread so as not to offend anyone else.

OP posts:

UnderClaws · 15/01/2017 23:24

Winky, don't stress it's a tricky area and you asked first...

I once organised a wheelchair basketball team to come in and let the pupils try the sport in PE- HUGE amount of complaints came in about it! It was during the paralympics and a local team offered, kids thought they were the coolest guys ever after watching videos of them getting floored and. Ouncing up but parents felt it wa s offensive... so I've been there!

Original poster

winkygirl · 15/01/2017 23:28

Thanks UnderClaws.

OP posts:

bumsexatthebingo · 15/01/2017 23:32

A wheelchair basketball team will have specially adapted sports chairs though. They wouldn't be potentially denying a local child a needed wheelchair!

MrsNuckyThompson · 15/01/2017 23:38

Interesting that the only wheelchair user to have responded (as far as I can see!!) did not find it offensive.

OP, sounds like on balance this might not be the best idea but don't let this bunch of vipers make you feel as though you've been insensitive or anything!!

OutDamnedWind · 15/01/2017 23:42

The only one who's said they use a wheelchair, nucky, there could well be others.

AndNowItsSeven · 15/01/2017 23:43

Sorry if my post was harsh op I am a wheelchair user with disabled dc ( though not wheelchair users) so am a bit sensitive.
I think it was fine to ask the question but glad you aren't going to go ahead with the idea.

northernmonkey1010 · 16/01/2017 00:08

You could always black her up and send her as princess jasmine?! That's equally as offensive

elliejjtiny · 16/01/2017 01:18

My DS2 (8) and my DS4 (3) are both wheelchair users. DS4 wouldn't understand. DS2 would probably only mind if your DD's wheelchair was fancier than his. So if your DD had a wheelchair with no spoke guards and wheels that squeaked, that would be ok .

I'm not sure how I feel about it. If someone did that at my boys school I'd be worried about it upsetting my dc primarily.

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