small but utterly essential point taken, thomcat, i stand completely corrected.
i kinda work in the tv area, however, and there is not a scrap of offence to be taken in my securely-held conviction that the producers of Eastenders, however well they are handling the storyline now (don't know, it's not happened yet) will not be bold enough to keep it going to adulthood. they generally shit themselves when disability gets less 'cuddly' if you know what i mean?
well, apart from River City, to be fair, but the girl's father recently reappeared in the programme (only to be shot, oops) and she wasn't anywhere to be seen. i know the people who were involved in casting that actress, she's excellent. and not in a patronising way, i promise, she really was a cracking actor. name of Paula Sage, she was in Afterlife as well. Made Sean Connery cry, apparently.
anyway, thanks for pulling me up about 'person first, disability second'... i won't balls that up again.