[SENCO-Forum] 'Supercrip'

I heard a weird one recently in a similar vein.  A TV personality, I forget
who it was, was being interviewed and had recently had an accident. 

In reply to the enquiry as to how the recovery was going, said something
like "basically I'm fine healing is progressing well, I just have to learn
to be a bit more patient.  I broke the same part of my spine as Christopher
Reeve and so 1 cm higher or lower and I'd be sitting here talking to you
from a wheelchair and using a voice box." 

There was something in the voice that suggested a touch of disappointment,
like it would have been a "cool" thing to have happened, left me feeling
quite numb. Are some people so desperate for fame and attention?

Colin Redman

-----Original Message-----
From: senco-forum-bounces at lists.becta.org.uk
[mailto:senco-forum-bounces at lists.becta.org.uk] On Behalf Of
kngbrndn at aol.com
Sent: 18 February 2007 10:23
To: middleroom at blueyonder.co.uk; hepburnbrian at hotmail.com
Cc: senco-forum at lists.becta.org.uk
Subject: Re: [senco-forum] Posters

Kids in w/chairs get the same -- if not worse -- grief. The stereoptype
model that's most irritating (if not seriously depressing and demotivating)
is that of the 'Supercrip'. So all teenage paraplegic kids are expected to
be whirling around everywhere at great speed (doing wheelies) and entering
every speed-track-wheelchiar event going! Kids in w/chairs are not gong to
be any more likely to be top Special Olympic athletic/basketball stars than
the average ambulant kid is likely to be appearing in the London Olympics in
several years time!

I know that's obvious -- but you try telling physio's, over-ambitious
parents, etc. It gets very boring when strangers approach you and say "are
you going to be in the Special Olympics" just because you're in a w/chair.
Even I get it, and I'm 63! So I don't know how young para's put up with it.

It's fine, of course, if they love sport, for them to be encouraged to
actively engage in a wide range of physical activities, and it is important
to keep active and fit rather than become sedentry and obese. And, of
course, it's great fun if they're good at a particular sporting activity.

But it's become a media-hyped cliche "the brave crip kid who's overcoming
everything with a big grin". It's a lot to live up to, and they have just as
much right to slump around grumpy as any other teenager.
Brendan King  

-----Original Message-----
From: middleroom at blueyonder.co.uk
To: hepburnbrian at hotmail.com
CC: senco-forum at lists.becta.org.uk
Sent: Sun, 18 Feb 2007 1.15AM
Subject: RE: [senco-forum] Posters

Perhaps we need to have a selection of posters of Real People who are
dyslexic (footballer; mother; artist; plumber; doctor; soldier; teacher
etc) to highlight the fact that dyslexia is normal. There are already too
many negative messages given out to the dyslexic child, no wonder many
suffer low self-esteem and demotivating identities.

Displaying the rich and famous can be great for proving that dyslexia need
not be a barrier to achievement, but there is also the danger of
presenting expectations that, for some, dyslexic or not, will never be
reached.

Oliver James (Britain on the Couch) points out how youngsters are often
presented with high aspirations driven by the media along with the
apparent affluence of possibility they witness by being surrounded by
material wealth - new trainers; tv in every room; foreign holidays; latest
X-box game...young adults, for example, expect to have fitted carpets,
3-piece suite, washing machine and matching kitchen in their new homes.
The level of 'basic need' often far exceeds their income and can lead to
constant disappointment as they never fulfill the aspirations the adverts
suggest are a measure of success.

One of the most serious consequences of this is the high incidence of
depression found amongst the young. They can suffer from not achieving
daily satisfaction from the here and now; the reward of doing a job well;
the pleasure of mastering a new skill; the joy of getting a C for hard
work (when anything less than an A is considered less than perfect) ...
the pressure is always on to do better; get onto that ladder; make lots of
dosh to become rich and famous, and be a celebrity!

I'm not against encouragement and use 'famous dyslexics' to balance the
sense of failure and hopelessness many children with dyslexia can feel,
but I do think the message we should be promoting is that dyslexia is
everywhere. They are not alone. 'Normal' people have dyslexia, not just
the famous ones.

Best wishes,
Sally (Plymouth)
PS Think your c) is most accurate, Brian!

>
>
> I'm never quite sure about these posters and I fear I miss the point. Are
> they saying
> a) You have to be famous to be dyslexic
> b) Only famous people can be dyslexic
> (these may be the same, I need an emergency philosophy lesson)
> c) Look how successful, rich, and/or talented I am and you're still
> hanging
> around schools. Loser
> d) So what makes you think reading is important, then?
> e) If you can read this poster, what makes you think you're dyslexic?
> f) Face it, no matter how long you spend on Toe to Toe, you'll never be as
> rich/famous/cool as me
> g) Rio Ferdinand, I may be dyslexic, but I'm also too stupid to p*ss in a
> bottle (or am I mixing up the other campaign that tries to pretend
> footballers read books? You can see the photo shoot. No, Rio, hold the
> book
> the other way up)
> h) Albret Instinct, has he got his finger caught in a plug socket?
>
> I know, I know,I make fun of dyslexics, I make fun of dead people. Someone
> emailed me to say they wouldn't want me to teach her child (next time,
> press
> "reply all," it'll have more effect) I've even upset 2 Heads of Catholic
> schools recently.
>
> The last one clinched my fate.
>
> But in case you think it's easy to sit here and type cynical, "clever"
> comments, I'd like you all to know that I've got a sore finger.
>
> Brian
>
>
>
>>
>>I know that someone has asked about this before, but I can't find where I
>>might have put the information.  Does anyone know where I can find
>> posters
>>of famous dyslexics, please - especially footballers?  I have tried BDA
>>and Dyslexia Action, but can't find any reference to posters on either.
>>
>>Regards
>>
>>Jean D
>>
>>S Wales
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
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