Home > Features > Disability is everywhere: ITV, airport scanners, assisted suicide
Disability is everywhere: ITV, airport scanners, assisted suicide
14th February 2010
Behind every headline and situation there's a disability angle not often talked about. Simon Minty kicks off a new regular series for BBC Ouch!
Recently I've been doing the occasional stint as the newsreader for the Ouch! talk show. When gathering items to discuss, it's been interesting to notice that disability permeates so many every day stories. Often we don't notice this or just take it for granted but it's not always highlighted by the journalist. You might argue that not mentioning it is a good thing as it suggests difference is natural - as disabled people we are part of life's landscape. However, it is a shame sometimes when the relevance to disability isn't given an acknowledging nod as it can confirm the notion that disability is 'over there', a separate thing rather than something touching so many things.
Let me give you an example of what I mean. I mentioned on the February talk show, the recent appointment of Adam Crozier to the role of Chief Executive of ITV plc. The disability connection? Adam is also Chair of the Employers' Forum on Disability, a body that promotes better employment and access for staff and customers with impairments. This secondary role means Adam is pretty cool and down, (as much as captains of industry can be 'cool and down') with disability. So whilst I'm not suggesting Adam will ask Mat Fraser and Liz Carr from Ouch! to present the 10 o'clock news this summer, I am suggesting it does mean that, when disability pops up in meetings at ITV, Adam won't shy away or switch off, pun intended. Indeed he will be interested, and no doubt surprise a few of the executive team with his enthusiasm.
So although disability might be everywhere, sometimes spotting the link is not easy.
So although disability might be everywhere, sometimes spotting the link is not easy.
Bollywood mega-star Shahrukh Khan (not disabled as far as I know) explained his experiences with the new scanning machines at Heathrow airport when he appeared on BBC One's Tonight with Jonathan Ross on 5th February 2010. With tongue firmly in cheek, Khan claimed his scanned naked images were being printed and circulated by scanner operators. He went on to say some of the airport staff asked him to sign them. British Airports Authority (BAA) who own and run Heathrow strongly deny this.
So the disability angle? Indulge me for a moment. Some disabled people are a little worried about invasion of personal areas with these all-seeing new security scanning machines. I'm one of them as I have bits and bobs about my body that are different and I'd rather keep them private (I'm referring to unusual joints or limbs before you get carried away looking for a story that really isn't here). Indeed, I actively stopped posing for 'medical research' photos at Great Ormond Street Hospital once I reached 16. Khan's story albeit said in jest, perpetuates doubt about BAA's claim that naked pictures are not possible. The mega movie star has kindly raised the concern many of us have.
So the disability angle? Indulge me for a moment. Some disabled people are a little worried about invasion of personal areas with these all-seeing new security scanning machines. I'm one of them as I have bits and bobs about my body that are different and I'd rather keep them private (I'm referring to unusual joints or limbs before you get carried away looking for a story that really isn't here). Indeed, I actively stopped posing for 'medical research' photos at Great Ormond Street Hospital once I reached 16. Khan's story albeit said in jest, perpetuates doubt about BAA's claim that naked pictures are not possible. The mega movie star has kindly raised the concern many of us have.
Alexander McQueen, the uber-fashion designer sadly died recently at the age of 40. I've been reading about the influences and trends credited to him; would we have worn very low waist-banded trousers without him? He is recognised as the creator of sculpture through art-like clothing.
When I heard he had died, my genuine sense of loss was for another reason. You're probably getting my drift now. In the late 90's he used disabled models both on the catwalk and in the magazine Dazed and Confused with Nick Knight taking the photos. Using disabled models had been done before but McQueen and Knight raised the game and I'm not sure they have been surpassed. The images weren't clumsy, they were classy, it wasn't subtle, they were unapologetic. They oozed coolness and dripped sexiness. Collaborations like that with talented people is one of the times we should use the word inspiring.
When I heard he had died, my genuine sense of loss was for another reason. You're probably getting my drift now. In the late 90's he used disabled models both on the catwalk and in the magazine Dazed and Confused with Nick Knight taking the photos. Using disabled models had been done before but McQueen and Knight raised the game and I'm not sure they have been surpassed. The images weren't clumsy, they were classy, it wasn't subtle, they were unapologetic. They oozed coolness and dripped sexiness. Collaborations like that with talented people is one of the times we should use the word inspiring.
One recent and high profile story, clearly related to disability, has been the debate around assisted suicide profiled in both the Panorama documentary and Sir Terry Pratchett's recent Dimbleby Lecture. But one aspect of Sir Terry's talk has been relatively unmentioned, and it was the best bit for me.
He explained that, due to Alzheimer's, he wouldn't be able to read his lengthy speech and so asked Tony Robinson - the actor known mostly for playing Baldrick in Black Adder - to read it for him. Sir Terry sat beside Tony, nodding or smiling as another read his thoughts. Within moments of the speech starting, the live audience and me watching at home adjusted. I didn't give it a second thought. Until now. Such support is a reasonable adjustment, like using a sign language interpreter or easy read document perhaps. I love the fact that no one brought it up, (except for me, now) and no one questioned it. I've not heard anyone imply this adjustment was inappropriate nor claim it devalues his opinion, regardless of whether you agree with him or not. We simply accepted it.
So all we need now is for everyone else's adjustments to be accepted as the norm. And for me to stop looking for disability everywhere. But it is everywhere and I like to think life's a little richer because of it.
He explained that, due to Alzheimer's, he wouldn't be able to read his lengthy speech and so asked Tony Robinson - the actor known mostly for playing Baldrick in Black Adder - to read it for him. Sir Terry sat beside Tony, nodding or smiling as another read his thoughts. Within moments of the speech starting, the live audience and me watching at home adjusted. I didn't give it a second thought. Until now. Such support is a reasonable adjustment, like using a sign language interpreter or easy read document perhaps. I love the fact that no one brought it up, (except for me, now) and no one questioned it. I've not heard anyone imply this adjustment was inappropriate nor claim it devalues his opinion, regardless of whether you agree with him or not. We simply accepted it.
So all we need now is for everyone else's adjustments to be accepted as the norm. And for me to stop looking for disability everywhere. But it is everywhere and I like to think life's a little richer because of it.
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Comments
It's not at all unusual for a Pratchett fan to hear Tony Robinson reading Terry's thoughts - he's narrated many of the Discworld audiobooks and to some of us he might as well *be* Terry's voice. He's also by now familiar enough with Terry's writing style, rhythm, syntax and so on, that it hardly sounds like reading at all. That may be part of why it was allowed to pass unremarked.
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This is a small nod to what I would like to see, which is an automatic check by all meeja, before they come out with an item which carries a small or a major disability angle, which they fail to mention. The worst recent one was the Boris statement that every scheme for disabled access to transport is dumped The spin doctors had prepared the statement as though it is a victory for common sense, and that was the way it was reported, without fuss, without comment, without thought, and without reference to the Equalities Law (Just imagine if the discriminated-against group had been a meeja pet, for example "Boris says he has taken sensible measures to reduce crowding on public transport, by banning all Jews, Gays and Ghurkhas." !)
Then there is the airbrushing-out-of-existence of wheelchair users when planning property shows, emigration shows, travel shows, and even gadget shows, despite the fact that a gadget is not a spoiled brat's silly toy, but in some cases a life-transforming innovation in a disabled person's world.
P.S. ,As an aside, I happened to hear the same excerpt read by Tony, then on a different programme by Terry himself. As often happens, the professional actor is better than the professional writer, when it comes to reading aloud.
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I am a "suicide survivor" when i was 17yrs old i shot myself and luckily the bullet went down bounced off my rib and came out the back of my neck. Well I have always talked to teens a a few adults about suicide so more people learn about it. I have 1 arm and i have worked with the disabled in assisted living companies. And about 10yrs ago my mother lost 1 of her arms 2 so i am experienced with this but now that i trying 2 find a job in my field I am getting turned down, I think its people not believing i can do the work even thow i just left a job after 3yrs doing the same thing. Why r people still judging on the outside?
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This is an excellent point. I'm constantly noticing disability relevance in news stories which don't point it out themselves... and you're right that it's because for most people, disability is 'over there somewhere'... it's like we're another species.
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Well said Mint. There is no such thing as perfection and I hope there never is :)
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