'Don't make disability a no-go area'

The issue about a man of short stature who participated in a television game show could have been settled informally, especially since there were no public complaints, the head of the National Commission People With Disability said.

The producers behind the TVM weekly programme Ħadd Għalik are being charged by the Broadcasting Authority with bad taste and negative portrayal of the disabled.

But what offended the man who featured in the programme was the charge issued by the Broadcasting Authority, since it implied he was disabled.

The man, who preferred to remain unnamed, voluntarily opted to be part of the programme, which each week sees two teams competing in various games after being divided into "types", such as "blondes vs brunettes" or, in this case, "ugly vs beautiful".

Even though he does not believe his size makes him ugly, he chose to join the ugly team because he wanted to have fun with his friends and he knows he is not particularly good-looking.

However, the Broadcasting Authority said it was insensitive of the producers to go ahead with such a programme because other people who had the same condition might have been offended.

The case has yet to be decided by the BA's board.

When contacted, the chairman of the National Commission Persons with Disability, Joe Camilleri said people with achondroplasia (or dwarfism) were not necessarily disabled.

"It all depends on the individual. If you have managed to overcome the social problems your height can cause, and you do not consider it an impairment, you are not disabled," he said.

He did not exclude that others with the same condition could feel offended by a programme that somehow implied shortness was associated with ugliness.

"I think it is up to the people to complain. I don't think I would have complained. But it is not up to me to say that. The point is, if no one complained, they should have just told the producers to be a bit more careful because the participant was an adult who knew what he was doing."

Mr Camilleri said the BA had to be careful not to be "too politically correct" because this could create more of a stigma and be patronising to the individual.

"We don't want to give the impression we have no sense of humour," he said.

Mr Camilleri also felt the participant in the programme may need to be more careful because there was a difference between people "laughing with you" and "laughing at you".

"When you go on television you have to realise you are not just representing yourself. You have to be careful because what could be innocent fun to you may be used for negative stereotyping by other people. This is a grey area. If in the programme he was made to look physically absurd, just because he is ok with that doesn't mean it is right."

He concluded that the man had every right to participate in the programme but precautions should have been taken by the producers to ensure things were sensitively done.

"The BA has to make sure disability does not become a no-go area. But the producers should think more deeply. Why make a programme: ugly vs beautiful? Why not conventional vs unconventional?"