We are parents of a five-year-old boy missing his right hand—just like Cerrie Burnell, the English television presenter who faced criticism on the BBC. So we thought we'd look for an interview that would tell us something about her.
When we first visited her website, our son sat silently watching her, and we realized he was probably thinking about the effect her disability might have on others. For now, he's handled his own situation without much trouble. We came back to her site several times, and by then he hardly gave it a second thought. It was, we think, a small exercise in accepting himself that he happened to do—and as the interview itself makes clear, it's certainly healthy for everyone to get used to dealing with disability in every area of life, even in the polished world of television. In this case, the medium doesn't just fail to be an obstacle; it actually becomes a tool for approaching the real things in life naturally and therefore for growing—which should matter to everyone involved in education.
Luciano and Maria Sole Bertolini, 2009
We're sharing Cerrie Burnell's interview with the BBC from February of this year
Were you surprised by this kind of comment from parents?
No, I wasn't surprised, because it highlights the difficulties disabled people face in every circumstance of life. The fact that I'm in the spotlight brought it to everyone's attention.
How did it make you feel personally?
I'd say it's not a personal matter, but every disabled person in my position has to deal with these kinds of comments. These things happen, but if you're not disabled, you don't notice them. So I think this is actually positive, because now non-disabled people are aware of this kind of problem too.
Sometimes fear of the unknown becomes prejudice. When people talk about children being frightened, maybe it's because they're not familiar with this sort of thing. Do you understand that?
Of course. I meet children on the street every day who are visibly surprised, and I don't think it's fear so much as a need to understand. I think that reaction is very natural—it's reality. Each time, I spend a few minutes explaining to the child what they want to know: the why and what happened. A few minutes later, they move on.
What would you say to the parents of children watching your programme?
I'm not really sure what to say to parents, because it's very personal—it's about how you raise your children, and every parent and child is different.
But surely you have to respond thoughtfully…
Yes, but if a child asks questions, parents should answer by really understanding what the child is asking. My story is that I was simply born this way, but I can do everything others do. What I would do is use the question as a starting point for further exploration.
Did anyone ever discuss your disability behind the scenes and what to do about it?
No. I came to my job interview exactly as I am. I finished my training seven years ago, and I decided right then not to wear a prosthetic. Some actors wear them, and that's their choice. For me, they're pointless, and I've never felt the need to use one in any of the roles I've taken on as an actress.
So the more we see disabled people, the more we get used to it—and that goes for children too—the less we'll be surprised in the future. True, we're not yet accustomed to seeing disabled talent on TV, but this could be the start of a new era.