On the This Morning website there is a little girl with autism doing the Big Ben bongs. I have nothing against the little girl, and as a child I liked copying the bongs too. I didn't do it on TV, it was just a child playing as this is. She wants to live in the clock and be the gongs, no more than childhood fantasy.
Why has she been allowed to do this publicly? I can hear the laughter and see the looks of pity as I write. The little girl is being used as an object of redicule, and somehow its ok because she lives with autism? No absolutely not, they are using autism to use her, for entertainment, if thats what its called. Autism is being used as an excuse by the adults to make this seem ok, but it isn't.
Disabled people are often viewed as cute, or amazing if they do quite ordinary things. People wonder how we manage and see fit to comment or even watch. I call this performing seal syndrome, treating disabled people not as a person, but as an object. This mindset and the This Morning stunt add to the negative view of those with disabilities by society. Do most people ask how abled bodied adults make coffee or cook food? No, so why is it ok to subject disabled people to this? Would This Morning have done this if she didn't live with autism? If they would, and I doubt it, why was autism even mentioned?
Disabled people will only have real rights and equality when the standards of what is socially acceptable behaviour towards others are the same whether interacting with disabled or non disabled people. It is not ok to ask those with disabilities personal questions, or comment on what they do if it wouldn't be seen as appropriate if asking an able bodied person.
No comments:
Post a Comment