Channel 4′s search for disabled presenters is positive
August 12, 2010 in Special Needs News by Admin Dawn
This week, Channel 4 began its search for disabled presenters for their coverage of the Paralympics and have discussed the increased profile of their disabled onscreen talent over the past year. I’m one of them, having been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis not long after I joined Channel 4 News as technology correspondent.
Even though most of the time, our viewers will have no idea of my disability, how best to handle it on screen and off has been a gradual and sometimes difficult learning process. I imagine similar situations have occurred for most disabled presenters.
As I was diagnosed just a few months into my stint on Channel 4 News, ITN (which makes Channel 4 News) responded with caution. At first they weren’t sure if I should write about my diagnosis and so in many ways it was quite hidden.
