Coronation Street

It'd be good to see a deaf character in the street - there are some great deaf actors in "Rush" (part of Vee TV on C4), and in "Switch" on "See Hear!".

So long as they build the characters whether black, Asian, disabled, rather than focus on the issue like some other soaps would, then Corrie is the best place for creating a more realistic mix of backgrounds of characters. They could have a go at introducing some asylem seekers somehow - that'd be a real challenge for the storyliners - particularly taking into mind what I've just said about not being issue lead I suppose!

We have the big bust up between Rita and Sally in tonights episode, after Sally goes to ask Rita for the money to send Rosie to drama school!

http://www.corrie.net/kabin/5737.jpg

Chris, those have to be the three worst reasons for excluding a person with a disability I have ever read.

Even profoundly deaf people can have full audible conversations with people. Have you never seen Evelyn Glennie? She (although remarkable) is by no means alone.

People who use wheelchairs do not have to be seen travelling from A to B, they can arrive in a scene just like every other actor in the street. As you said yourself it has already been done, with little or no reference to the chair itself.

The point of true 'inclusion' (dare I be a bit liberal here) is to *not* focus on the disability, but on the person. I assume from the comments above that deaf, blind and disabled people are not supposed to have the same desires, fears and needs as other street characters?

I'm not a fan of tokenism. The point is that it shouldnt matter a jot whether characters have a disability or not.

isn't that the one owned by Dirty Des which is why the Star is currently having it's hate campaign against any gay action on normal telly?

I'm not being 'blind-ist' or 'deaf-ist'(if there is such a word!) either, but surely introducing a blind or a deaf person, or similar, may cause problems technically for the production team of the soaps, bearing in mind some of the soaps are on nearly every day of the week, already putting pressure on the actors, directors etc, to keep up with production deadlines, without having to allow for the actor's disabillity, if they used a real disabled person.

The only way they could get round it, & has been proved in Emmerdale with the Chris Tate character, is to get an able bodied actor to do it.

Whether this would annoy various pressure groups is another matter of course. (And the day I start getting PC, well shoot me !)

The sheer ignorance shown in a couple of posts above is testimony to why disabled characters (and actors) should be included in soaps, and on TV in general. Suggesting they may cause technical problems or be reduced to "walking down the street with a white stick asking for help all the time" is absolute rubbish - and it's nothing to do with being "PC".

There are plenty of deaf actors who can speak, they could speak to other characters, and "hear" them by reading their lip patterns. If introduced as part of a family or a couple, there could be another person to sign with - and use speech alongside - and the actor could be shown in the background at the Rovers or cafe signing to a deaf friend. They dealt with it well on the dramas Switch and Rush, so I wouldn't see a problem with having a deaf character/actor on the Street. The only thing stopping it is the "can't do" attitude that sadly, many people still hold.

Obviously the disability would be part of the character's journey through life, and would impact upon relationships etc. It could be handled in much the same way as Haley - her past comes up when the story needs it.

Corrie have won the BAFTA for best Continuing Drama.

YAY! And well deserved it is too, it's been a cracking year. With reference to a couple of my posts today - I'll be off my soap-box tomorrow ! (No pun intended).

Yes.