A British television channel has been getting flack from parents over the decision to allow a woman born without a hand to star in a kids TV show.
They say the kids are scared. I say the parents need to get over it.
Cerrie Burnell took over a segment of the popular show Bedtime Hour last month, and parents have been threatening to boycott the show. Some say their kids are afraid while others claim the TV show used a sort of reverse discrimination in its decision to hire Burnell.
The Daily Mail says Burnell was born without an arm and calls her the "one-armed presenter," but a look at the picture of her shows she was actually born without a hand - she actually has most of her arm. To be honest, even if she had NO arm, I don't see the problem.
She's a human being. And kids are going to run into someone with a disability somewhere, some day. What better place to make the introduction than in the safe environs of a much-loved television show? Here in the states, Sesame Street makes it a point to invite guests with disabilities to take part in the show, exposing kids to people in wheelchairs or with Down syndrome, folks who are blind, even other kids with disabilities. The message is clear - they have a disability . . . so what? There's no reason to treat them differently, and kids need to get that message early.
What's more - little kids might be curious about something different about another person, but being afraid of differences is a learned response. If parents react poorly - like the folks who claim their kids won't be able to sleep if they watch the show - it's no wonder their kids are scared. They're training them to think that there's something scary about the woman on TV. The same goes for the parent who says their child keeps asking about the woman's arm. They're turning to you for guidance, Mom. Provide it. Answer their questions. Be honest. Tell them that there's nothing to be afraid of, and take advantage of a smiling, happy face to put to the disability as you face the challenge of teaching your kids about acceptance and tolerance
Unless it's really the parents who are afraid?
Image: Daily Mail
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