Representation of the Disabled - TV/Film university blog

That is a great story, dalekbuster523finish. You are fortunate to have the support you need, as well as understanding classmates and faculty. I'd love to share this story elsewhere. With your permission, of course.

'Call The Midwife' is without a doubt one of the leading dramas at representing people with disabilities both physically and mentally. It's fascinating to see it through recent history and how far we have come in regards to social attitudes and understanding and it's lovely to see those first glimpses from people that cared and were willing to make those changes, laying the foundations for what we now build upon today. Without those people who had the foresight to stand up and make a change, our society, health care and disability rights wouldn't be as they are today without them.
At least half of the episodes in each series tackles a disability in one form or another, such as youngsters with Polio, brittle bones, blindness, deafness, dwarfism, autism, Down's Syndrome, and let's not forget the huge repercussions of the Thalidomide treatment and the devastating results that followed and are still felt to this day.
The series is also at the forefront at employing disabled actors, many of whom actually have these disabilities as mentioned above which only adds to the realism and really hits the mark in making you understand as well as it being emotionally compelling.

What are your thoughts on how this series represents the disabled, do you think it has the right balance?

As somebody who grew up in the 60s and was aware of Thalidomide and conscious of how society tended to isolate Down's Syndrome, I found it a well-made reminder of both how far we have come and how unpleasant people can be when faced with the unknown. In general the show entertains and informs without preaching. The ECT strand is another example of how we used to treat mental illness - a barbaric treatment IMHO.

Yes the show is a bit frothy and too nice in places, but it needs to entertain as well

Dalekbuster523finish, did you catch the premiere of the 2016 Oscar-nominated film 'Life, Animated' earlier tonight on BBC Four at 9pm? A documentary about an autistic young adult who learned how to communicate with the outside world through his love of Disney films, using them as an emotional road map. The film charts how repeated viewing of the classic movies enabled Owen Suskind to see the world as deep and complex, as well as inspirational and instructive.

I'm just not a fan of period dramas. Victoria is the only one I enjoy - and that's largely because of the Doctor Who connection with Jenna Coleman.

Have you heard of the world's first international film festival for people with learning difficulties?


y3603032disabledfilmtv.blogspot.co.uk/2017/02/the-oska-bright-film-festival.html

I'm definitely going to watch War of the Worlds. I don't mind period dramas that have a sci-fi, fantasy or action/adventure element to them.

Another brilliant episode of Sunday's Call The Midwife, in it continuing the tragic and huge repercussions of the Thalidomide children and reuniting Dr. Turner with the couple whose daughter was born without limbs, taking them to the new specialist unit where the toddler is fitted for prosthetics.  Lovely to see the experience helping the girl's mother realise that she is not alone. Such a great series that's at the forefront in depicting disabilites on television.

Dalekbuster, it'll be great to hear your reviews on this episode along with last Wednesday's Dispatches and the BBC Four showing of 'Life, Animated'.

Disabled? Got an idea for a film but no money to finance it? Your project may be eligible for the BFI Diversity Fund: y3603032disabledfilmtv.blogspot.co.uk/2017/03/the-bfi-diversity-fund-part-one.html?m=1