As soon as I saw the name of Rosie Jones’s new documentary – featuring an ableist slur – I felt bile rise and my body was rigid.
It’s called: ‘Rosie Jones: Am I a R****d?’
My instinctive negative reaction is because I have cerebral palsy, which means I use a wheelchair full-time and have a speech impediment.
So when I saw the new documentary name, I was transported back to traumatic instances from my childhood when I didn’t understand the hurtful words hurled at me.
That’s why I think the title should be changed and that both Rosie Jones and Channel 4 should apologise and learn from this experience.
I was six and in the school playground when I first heard the slur. At the time, I couldn’t grasp the meaning behind the word, but I knew it was intended to inflict pain and to hurt.
Ever since then, they just kept on coming. As a result, I recoiled on instinct and grew wary of other children.
