It's been fascinating to read all the furore about Cerrie Burnell, the new CBeebies presenter who was born without part of her arm. She's "scaring toddlers". "I didn't want to let my children watch the filler bits on the bedtime hour last night because I know it would have played on my eldest daughter's mind and possibly caused sleep problems... and yes, this is a serious post.", says one.
Last October, I was in Arden's primary school, spending a morning in each class to get an idea of what year I'd like to teach. The children were completely at ease with my being in a wheelchair. They asked endless questions, thought my wheelchair was "cool", wondered why when they'd fallen from trees they could still walk. As with Cerrie Burnell, it's the parents that were awkward, unsure of what to say. My children are often sitting in my chair, taking off for a spin. One friend went home after having a play-date with Arden and asked her parents if she could have a stairlift in her house.
No, it's the adults who see it as an issue. I've been approached by a company who are making a documentary about parents with disabilities. One aim of the programme is to encourage disabled dads to become more involved in their children's lives. "The short film we're still researching into is called "My favourite day" and it is a child's story about a particular day at school that they remember and what was so special about it, is the fact that you - as a parent with mobility issues - were there for her."
Arden would love to be on tv. But the fact that I might have been "there for her as a parent with mobility issues" would not occur to her. What would be important was that I was there for her. The "mobility issues" simply don't feature on her radar. She, and Griffin, just want me in their lives as their father.
We've declined the documentary invitation.
