It has been reported in the press today that parents have complained to the BBC about the new cBeebies presenter, Cerrie Burnell. Cerrie was born with one arm. According to some parents she should not be seen on television incase she frightens children. The full story can be found on the Daily Mail website.

My four year old daughter is a fan of cBeebies. So far she hasn’t mentioned that Cerrie has a disability. She also watches Something Special, which stars children with a range of disabilities. Children are far more accepting than adults.

Taken from DailyMail.co.uk:

Disability groups have fiercely defended her and the BBC.

John Knight, of charity Leonard Cheshire Disability, said: ‘Disabled people experience disadvantage and discrimination like this every day, largely through ignorance. This needs to change.

‘Understanding disability all comes down to familiarity. The bottom line is that seeing disabled people on television should be the norm, not the exception.’

What do you think? Leave your comments below.