Representation - disability in the media

CEEBEEBIES PRESENTER SACKED FOR HAVING ONE ARM.

Cerrie Burnell, former Ceebeebies presenter was fired from her job in 2009 for having one arm. The beloved children show recieved many complaints about their presenter, from parents, explaining that due to her disability she was 'scaring children'. 

Cerrie Burnell was born with her right arm not fully-developed, and the BBC argued that the sooner children came to recognise disability, the sooner they would learn to understand and accept it...

I chose to use this news story because it shows a split in audiences in terms of the acceptance of portraying minorities such as the disabled, on television. 

As people have different life experiences, opinions are more than likely to vary quite widely when it comes to something people are not yet use to.

While there are more and more people in contemporary society that are becoming more accepting of showing physical and mental disabilities in a more equal and positive light in the media, there are also many that are less accepting. Perhaps if there was more exposer for this social group in the media,  the innoculation theory would be put into practice. 

Traditionally, the disabled were shown in the media as:

• Pitiful
• Helpless/ vunerable
• Pathetic
• Can't fend for/ look after themselves
• Vunerable
• Not normal
• Outcast

Currently, the way we view the disabled is changing:

• "Superhumans" (The London Olympics)
• Perfectly capable
• Accepted

However, there are still many people who view this group in a more traditional way - as the previous article shows - and because of this, we still see them in a pitiful light.