Silenced: The Hidden Story of Disabled Britain
Cerrie Burnell uncovers the shocking story of how disabled people in Britain were shut out of society for decades – and how they fought back.
For more than a century, one group of people in Britain has been shut out of society, denied basic human rights and treated with fear and prejudice.
Now, in this shocking, moving film, writer, actor and presenter Cerrie Burnell is going to uncover the hidden story of how disabled people fought back – and won their freedom.
Cerrie was born without the lower part of her right arm. As a presenter on CBeebies, Cerrie was astonished to learn that some viewers thought her appearance would scare watching children. Now, she wants to find out where these attitudes to disabled people come from and why they persist today.
She discovers how our modern attitudes to disabled people were first formed in the workhouses of Victorian Britain, uncovers the original records of an institution created to segregate disabled people and stop them having children, and traces the hidden lives of those confined to institutions for their whole lives.
Cerrie hears astonishing stories of heartbreak and cruelty. But she also meets some pioneers who changed the lives of disabled people forever. John Evans was one of the very first to move from a residential home into a one of his own, and Alia Hassan brought the streets of London to a standstill as part of a campaign fighting for disabled people to be allowed to get on a bus.
Ultimately Cerrie discovers that although much has changed for disabled people in Britain today, the battle is not yet won.
Silenced is a story of huge social change that many of us still don’t know about, told through the hidden lives of disabled people.
Last on
Clips
-
What does it mean to be young and disabled in today's world?
Duration: 03:11
-
"As a disabled person, it's revolutionary just to exist"
Duration: 02:46
-
Shocking treatment
Duration: 01:55
-
Jean Gambell's Story
Duration: 01:40
Music Played
-
Rangers, Milan Dufek, Marcela Voborska, Helena Marsalkova
Oh Shenando
Credits
Role | Contributor |
---|---|
Presenter | Cerrie Burnell |
Composer | Mat Davidson |
Director of photography | Tom Hayward |
Sound | Chris Youle-Grayling |
Production Manager | Regie Gardener |
Producer | Caroline Sciama |
Film Editor | Diane Bernhardt |
Executive Producer | Alistair Pegg |
Director | Kate Scholefield |
Production Company | Blast! Films |
Broadcasts
- Tue 19 Jan 2021 21:00
- Wed 20 Jan 2021 23:35
- Wed 3 Feb 2021 01:10
- Mon 21 Mar 2022 23:15´óÏó´«Ã½ Two except Northern Ireland & Northern Ireland HD
Featured in...
Count Us In
Exploring the many voices of disabled Brits
Body Focus
Explore the amazing abilities of our bodies in this captivating collection.