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  • Parents Overreacting to Disabled Host?

    One-armed TV host scares kids, parents say
    Experts say that adults’ wariness of BBC TV show host is ‘old-fashioned’

    BBC
    Co-host Cerrie Burnell was born with a disability that left her with an incomplete right arm. Some parents say she may frighten children; other accuse the BBC network of going overboard in the interests of diversity.

    updated 41 minutes ago
    When the BBC hired a pretty young actress to co-host a daily program for toddlers, it never expected viewers to complain that the young woman might give their children nightmares.

    “I didn't want to let my children watch the filler bits on the bedtime hour last night because I know it would have played on my eldest daughter's mind and possibly caused sleep problems,” wrote one viewer in an e-mail to the British television network after seeing Cerrie Burnell play games and read children’s stories.

    The viewer’s problem? Burnell was born with an incomplete right arm that ends in a stump below her elbow.

    According to a BBC report, most viewers have been supportive of Burnell, who took over a daily slot on the BBC’s children’s network, CBeebies, at the beginning of February with Alex Winters. But a handful have written to the station complaining about her disability. Some say she may frighten the children. Others accuse the network of going overboard in the interests of diversity. Some say they don’t want to have to address such issues with very young children.

    Burnell, who has a 4-month-old daughter, seems unfazed by the controversy. “Children come up to me in the street every day and say 'What's that?' I wouldn't say they're frightened but certainly they're inquisitive,” she told BBC magazine. "I would always take the time to explain to a child. All they want is an explanation. They want to know 'What's that?' and 'What's happened?' and 'Why are you different?' And then they will move on."

    Barbara Otto, the executive director of Health & Disability Advocates, a national American organization that lobbies, said in a phone interview that she would be surprised if a person like Burnell caused a similar reaction in the United States.

    The Americans with Disabilities Education Act has mainstreamed as many disabled children as possible into regular schools. “We have community inclusion of people with disabilities,” she said. “Kids are going to school with people with different abilities. In the United States, this would be unheard of.”

    In England, experts have noted that small children do not normally have difficulty dealing with people who are different. Where adults may turn their heads away from someone in a wheelchair, toddlers will walk right up to them and ask them about their chair. They don’t ask what’s wrong, but rather what is.

    “They acknowledge it, they don’t look away,” Otto said of small children. “They ask what happened, not out of horror or disgust or fear. They want to know what happened. A responsible adult tells them: ‘Here’s what the situation is.’”

    Are adults the problem?
    England has non-discrimination laws similar to those in America. The problem isn’t with kids but with adults, Sir Bert Massie of Great Britain’s Equality and Human Rights Commission told the BBC.

    "I think what's happening is a number of adults do have prejudices, do have very negative views about disabled people, and instead of admitting the views are their own, they're projecting them on to their children and saying the children are doing this,” he is quoted as saying.

    Otto agreed. “It’s the adults,” she said, noting that Baby Boomers were raised in an era when the disabled were excluded from mainstream society. “People with disabilities were ‘the others.’ They were went away to live in institutions. A lot of that changed starting in the 1970s and 80s. It’s an old-fashioned notion.”

    Otto said the reaction to Burnell is symptomatic of a larger issue some parents today are trying to cope with.

    “This situation really speaks to an issue we’re seeing in parenting today,” Otto said. “Given the challenges of being a parent and the inability to control what our kids are exposed to, some parents are having a real drastic reaction. Maybe this is a part of it. Some people strive to shelter their children as long as they can. I suppose you see that everywhere. You see people home-school their kids because they don’t want them in an environment where they can’t control what they’re doing every minute of the day.”

    Although the target of complaints, Burnell did not attempt to tell parents how to raise their children. “I'd never comment on anyone's parenting or the time for them to have a discussion with their child about disabilities,” she told the BBC. "It's a totally personal thing and people have to do it when they feel comfortable to do it. But I would just hope that, I guess, me being on CBeebies would present an opportunity for them to do that in the comfort of their own home."

    It seems in cases like this...the children are more mature than the adults!
    “When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace.” ~ Jimi Hendrix
    "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." ~ Eleanor Roosevelt
    sigpic

  • #2
    Here's a link.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mK61ssge600

    I find her quite pleasant, having said that I had a female teacher in the first grade who had a calliper on her leg and was seriously handicapped. My best mates dad lost both his legs in a traffic accident, while he was a toddler. In the next village over we had a metalsmith who had lost a hand, another mates dad.

    One can only hope that the young service people who have lost limbs serving our countries aren't hidden away, for fear of offending some ones sensibilities.

    Tony
    Yet another ex-tankie of 1 RTR origin.

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    • #3
      The said young lady is daily on my grandkids Children's TV. The very first time they saw her they stopped and stared. 10 seconds later, back to normal. I do think it's an adult problem. Let's hope none of the complainants have an accident where a family member looses a limb or worse.

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      • #4
        Maybe its just me, but people seem to have become absurdly 'precious' with their kiddies. Complaining about this young lady borders on the offensive.
        sigpic

        Win nervously lose tragically - Reds C C

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        • #5
          I don't care if she has an incomplete arm or 3 arms. Was she the best possible candidate for the job?
          "Only Nixon can go to China." -- Old Vulcan proverb.

          Comment


          • #6
            I don't think it's an adult's problem.

            I'm going to be terribly honest, with all due respect though.

            When I was a child I would freeze around a disabled/handi-capped and a mentally challenged person. I wasn't used to it. What I mean is, I never seen anyone like that, so when I did it would scare me; I wasn't a little scardy cat either. Thats just how it was. I even had a friend in my grade 10 class that when a mentally challenged student came jumping into our classroom -he was literally jumping repeatedly- he just froze in one spot and we realized he was scared.

            I'm ashamed I was like that when I was a kid, but I didn't know any better. So from my experience I can say its not an adult's problem, kids probably are really scared. They have to be exposed to it, or told why people are that way to overcome it.

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            • #7
              Originally posted by Mobbme View Post
              I don't think it's an adult's problem.

              I'm going to be terribly honest, with all due respect though.

              When I was a child I would freeze around a disabled/handi-capped and a mentally challenged person. I wasn't used to it. What I mean is, I never seen anyone like that, so when I did it would scare me; I wasn't a little scardy cat either. Thats just how it was. I even had a friend in my grade 10 class that when a mentally challenged student came jumping into our classroom -he was literally jumping repeatedly- he just froze in one spot and we realized he was scared.

              I'm ashamed I was like that when I was a kid, but I didn't know any better. So from my experience I can say its not an adult's problem, kids probably are really scared. They have to be exposed to it, or told why people are that way to overcome it.
              Commendable and honest my dear Mobbme.:) You froze 'around' a disabled/handi-capped or mentally challenged person. Today, we don't hide these persons as of before. You froze because you had never seen, or were apart kept from handicapped people. Remember, these are people with a handicap and not a handicapped person. Getting back to the point in question, I suspect these same people did not allow there children to watch the Paralympics in case of 'shock'. Or the homecoming of our Olympic stars...how sad:(..not for the kids but for the parents.

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              • #8
                I don't know. I do think a lot of how children view disabled people stems from what adults either tell them or react to them.

                When Ashley was about 7, we were at the playground in the mall and there was a little girl with down syndrome playing by herself. Ashley asked me what was wrong with her and why other children weren't playing with her. I explained about the down syndrome, and she asked if she could play with her. I told her of course. She went over to the little girl and sat down next to her. Next thing I see is Ashley and the little girl running around, sliding down the slide, playing on the other toys that were there. I looked around to see if the parent was near by and I saw her father, smiling at them, then he looked at me and smiled and mouthed "thank you"! When we got ready to leave, Ashley helped her put her shoes back on, and gave her a big hug! That was probably one of the proudest moments I had regarding Ashley!
                “When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace.” ~ Jimi Hendrix
                "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." ~ Eleanor Roosevelt
                sigpic

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                • #9
                  Originally posted by Southie View Post
                  I don't know. I do think a lot of how children view disabled people stems from what adults either tell them or react to them.

                  When Ashley was about 7, we were at the playground in the mall and there was a little girl with down syndrome playing by herself. Ashley asked me what was wrong with her and why other children weren't playing with her. I explained about the down syndrome, and she asked if she could play with her. I told her of course. She went over to the little girl and sat down next to her. Next thing I see is Ashley and the little girl running around, sliding down the slide, playing on the other toys that were there. I looked around to see if the parent was near by and I saw her father, smiling at them, then he looked at me and smiled and mouthed "thank you"! When we got ready to leave, Ashley helped her put her shoes back on, and gave her a big hug! That was probably one of the proudest moments I had regarding Ashley!
                  See, it's the kids who don't care; they don't have pre-conception.. ah! innocence. I can only imagine the Fathers re-action to see someone 'normal' (Ashley)willing, and wanting to play with his precious daughter, possibly somebody for the first time..Heartbreaking.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Originally posted by Southie View Post
                    I don't know. I do think a lot of how children view disabled people stems from what adults either tell them or react to them.

                    When Ashley was about 7, we were at the playground in the mall and there was a little girl with down syndrome playing by herself. Ashley asked me what was wrong with her and why other children weren't playing with her. I explained about the down syndrome, and she asked if she could play with her. I told her of course. She went over to the little girl and sat down next to her. Next thing I see is Ashley and the little girl running around, sliding down the slide, playing on the other toys that were there. I looked around to see if the parent was near by and I saw her father, smiling at them, then he looked at me and smiled and mouthed "thank you"! When we got ready to leave, Ashley helped her put her shoes back on, and gave her a big hug! That was probably one of the proudest moments I had regarding Ashley!
                    Don't you just love kids. Fantastic story, thanks for sharing. :)

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Originally posted by dave lukins View Post
                      Commendable and honest my dear Mobbme.:)
                      Thanks sir :)

                      You froze 'around' a disabled/handi-capped or mentally challenged person. Today, we don't hide these persons as of before. You froze because you had never seen, or were apart kept from handicapped people. Remember, these are people with a handicap and not a handicapped person. Getting back to the point in question, I suspect these same people did not allow there children to watch the Paralympics in case of 'shock'. Or the homecoming of our Olympic stars...how sad:(..not for the kids but for the parents.
                      Totally agree.

                      I like what Southie did, she's cool :)

                      Instead of hiding from the problem, I think the parents should address the problem with their children and explain.

                      P.S I was also afraid of drunk people

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by Mobbme View Post
                        Thanks sir :)



                        Totally agree.

                        I like what Southie did, she's cool :)

                        Instead of hiding from the problem, I think the parents should address the problem with their children and explain.

                        P.S I was also afraid of drunk people
                        Then don't get drunk:)) I have drink under control. I only get drunk once a day. The Doctor said to me 'do you have a drink problem' I said 'No. I can drink anything':))

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Originally posted by Mobbme View Post
                          Thanks sir :)



                          Totally agree.

                          I like what Southie did, she's cool :)

                          Instead of hiding from the problem, I think the parents should address the problem with their children and explain.

                          P.S I was also afraid of drunk people
                          Thanks Mobbme! Actually Ashley is the Cool one! She befriends just about anyone. She's also very cautious though! :P

                          And I am also afraid of drunk people! :)
                          “When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace.” ~ Jimi Hendrix
                          "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." ~ Eleanor Roosevelt
                          sigpic

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Originally posted by dave lukins View Post
                            Then don't get drunk:)) I have drink under control. I only get drunk once a day. The Doctor said to me 'do you have a drink problem' I said 'No. I can drink anything':))
                            hahahha, I think that belongs in the joke section :)):))

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                            • #15
                              Originally posted by dave lukins View Post
                              See, it's the kids who don't care; they don't have pre-conception.. ah! innocence. I can only imagine the Fathers re-action to see someone 'normal' (Ashley)willing, and wanting to play with his precious daughter, possibly somebody for the first time..Heartbreaking.
                              Originally posted by Chaobam Armour View Post
                              Don't you just love kids. Fantastic story, thanks for sharing. :)
                              Well, as Tophatter once said...everyone needs a pocket Ashley! :)) She is a good kid and I'm very proud of her!!
                              “When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace.” ~ Jimi Hendrix
                              "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." ~ Eleanor Roosevelt
                              sigpic

                              Comment

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