Applying my under eye patches, I heard my husband calling my name from downstairs. ‘Lu, you have to watch this and tell me what you think’ Ollie says as I sat on our sofa only just squeezing onto the three-seater next to him and my two huge sleeping Labrador Retriever Guide Dogs.
I heard the end of ‘Shine On’ by John Lennon as Ollie rewinds our Sky Stream. BBC Strictly Come Dancing audio description kicked in and I knew he was showing me Chris and Diane’s dance. Myself and my family have been rooting for Chris and Diane and we will always have the show on to watch their dances even if we are busy because accurate representation of disability in the media is so important to me.
As I heard the audio description narrate that Chris had covered Diane’s eyes and the lights cut out my first thought was Chris is a good guy and will follow up with the context of why he decided to do that - which he did.
Chris was one of my very first interviews back in 2017 when I first became a broadcast assistant journalist at the BBC. Interviewing him on the then BBC Ouch podcast about his life as an IT technician turned comedian. I was so nervous that day but he put me at ease.
My attention turned back to the TV and my mind wondered to all of the people that may just view this dance and still say the backhanded compliment ‘he danced well for a blind person’.
Ollie chuckles and says to me ‘not too bad for a former IT guy’. I smile because we both know what a moment this is for the blind community. I am oozing with pride for him, not because we are close but because I know the prejudice he has faced to get to that moment. All of the comments about people being amazed that we are able to walk down steps, pour a glass of water or even go to the toilet.
After my own personal brand exploded on TikTok back in 2020, I know first hand that quite a few people still have very low expectations of blind people. This is often not their fault and comes from a place of genuine curiosity for the most part but I know how Chris is feeling.
It has taken me a long time to be proud of my blindness because for so long I felt like a burden, like I wouldn’t have a good life because I lost my eyesight at 17 but the more of us that are on the TV and making the decisions behind the scenes in the industry there is going to be more accurate representations of blindness out there.
This dance was a moment where we are standing behind Chris and saying our experience is a valid experience. It’s an experience that deserves to be on mainstream media and everyone was super impressed.
A true inclusive experience is an equitable experience. Give us different tools like a screen reader, maybe a different type of dance training and expect us to perform equal to our peers and we want to be judged in the same way as them too at the end result. Chris this is what you are showcasing and I really wish you and Dianne the best of luck. We are voting for you. You will have to give me some tips.