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Disability Is Everywhere: Coalition reverie, aliens and film reviews
2nd June 2010
It’s widely known that Gordon Brown has a glass eye and that his speeches were in a larger font size making it easier for him to read them. He lost the eye in a rugby accident whilst at University. Perhaps less well known was the impact of his impairment on the televised Prime Ministerial debates.
But come the third showdown, he stayed on the right again. How bizarre - I thought at least politically he should he be on the left. Adam Boulton on Sky News later enlightened me by explaining, very matter of factly, that Brown had asked to be always on the right as he found this position easier due to his sight.
As many of you know, the UK’s new Prime Minister David Cameron and his wife Samantha had a son, Ivan, who had cerebral palsy and a rare form of epilepsy. He sadly passed away last year.
I generally liked their approach to talking about Ivan - they ensured that he was included in everything they did and the family adapted when it was tricky. Ivan was considered, rightly, a full member of their family, different but equal. Cameron recently expressed concern that their next child due in September may have the same condition.
The younger actor, Karl, mentioned he couldn’t see 3D after an operation he had as a child because of a ‘lazy’ eye. Then Ian revealed he couldn’t hear in stereo, as only one of his ears is ‘good’. There was an almost audible moment of hesitation about whether the word disability would be uttered.
Simon Mayo, a natural on the subject of disability, waited for his guests to clarify. As it turned out, Ian opted for describing his ‘wonky ear’ and suggested he and Karl needed to pair up to see 3D stereo films together! Could this be another coalition in the making?
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Comments
Hi,
There are at least 3 Cabinet Members who have a deaf / hard of hearing close relative and, as well as Stephen Lloyd, there are at least 2 other MPs who are hard of hearing.
Ian
NDCS Campaigns Officer
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