Last night watched Kurt Fernley on Enough Rope with Andrew Denton. Kurt is apparently a qualified teacher, a guy a little younger than me who grew up an hour and a half or so from where I did and had three older brothers. He has had two lucky escapes from car-related accidents and eventually wants to teach in the country again.
Oh and he is a Paralympian involved in wheelchair track and road races.
I was all set to turn the television off and I wasn’t all that interested in the other guest who was the “headliner”- which of course means they came second, but I usually like the way Denton interviews with that intelliugent dialogue with Australia that I crave. So I watched the beginning and was curious when Kurt was introduced as the first guest
Kurt has a congentital disability and unfortunately 75% of the interview got stuck on the heroic, patient good guy with the heroic patient good guys mother and brother to round it out. I know it had to be covered, but I fear that they laboured it – both the guest and the host.
As a person with a disability who uses a wheelchair, I find it frightening that Paralympians themselves seem to re-inforce many of the subtle sterotypes that can confuse many who would want to treat all people with equity and as people first. As an an example, I never heard Andrew once refer to Kurt as a sportsman.
Shame really.
Good good luck Kurt. A bit of a shame Andrew.
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Have you told them your thoughts?