Hi readers, it’s Emily and William here talking about the programme Ralph and Katie on BBC One.
If you’ve not seen it, it’s about a married couple who have Down Syndrome. We can’t comment on the story as we’ve not watched it yet, but it’s positive that BBC1 are showing a drama programme on prime time tv which features people who have Down Syndrome.
We wonder if it would be harder to make a drama series which features people with a more hidden disability, like us, or a mental health condition. If you met most of our friends with a learning disability, you would not even know at first. Once you got chatting you may guess something is a bit different by how they talk or react.
You can hide mental health problems completely too, though some people might appear very anxious, or show signs of drug/alcohol addiction.
We’d love to see more people like us, or with mental health problems, starring in TV dramas. It may help the public who often still have no idea how to ‘be’ with people who are ‘different’ in any way. Maybe if people with hidden disabilities were on TV more, the public would be less afraid, like how to speak with us – which is pretty much like anyone else! They probably don’t mean to avoid us but we wish they wouldn’t.
I, Emily, think if someone followed me around for a month and wrote about what I did, they would not only realise I am pretty much the same as everyone else but wouldn’t be able to stop laughing as we have so much fun at home. I think it would be hilarious – entertaining and educational at the same time.
We have more to say on this so tune in next week!
The writers of the Our View column are supported in their editing by People First Dorset - a charity led and run by people with learning disabilities with support from staff.
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