Do we have the right to tell the disabled how to live?1 min read
Reading Time: < 1 minuteTelevision presenter Jeff Brazier and his younger brother Spencer have always led very separate lives.
Jeff’s has involved the hard graft (and glamour) of establishing a showbusiness career. Spencer, who was born with cerebral palsy, has a sheltered existence.
With the help of the ACE Centre Advisory Trust in Oxford, which specialises in providing technology to help people communicate, Spencer was given a laptop and software which had a pre-programmed voice. But their hopes were dashed when, days later, Spencer refused to use the device, claiming it made him feel ‘disabled’. Despite his lifelong condition, he had never considered himself disabled, just different.
Looking back at the documentary, Jeff says he was guilty of pushing his brother too hard and demanding too much. However, despite having a social worker assigned to his mother and brother, Jeff found they could be receiving more help.