Members

[09 Jun 2009]

Rosanna Preston (CLAPA Chief Executive) attended the Cheltenham Science fair on Saturday 6th June to hear Carol Vorderman (CLAPA patron) and her brother Anton, who was born with a bilateral cleft lip and palate, talk about the impact of facial difference.  Also on the panel were Henrietta Spalding from Changing Faces and Felicity Mehendele, Cleft surgeon in Edinburgh.

During the discussion Rosanna asked the panel how the media could help to change attitude to facial difference.  Carol spoke eloquently on the media's obsession with perfect looks and the way facial difference is often portrayed as the topic of "shock documentaries".  She said that television, in particular, could make a difference to the public's perception of facial disfigurement. She also said "There are the serious documentaries which are very good and there are programmes which treat serious illnesses as entertainment, as freaky people."  "If there could be a character in say, Coronation Street, which is watched by millions and they had a visable difference, but it was no big deal, then it would make such a difference."

This story has been picked up by the media and there have been several items about it, including an interview with Mary Newbold (CLAPA Cambridge Branch) on BBC Three Counties Radio and an interview with Rosanna Preston in the Western Mail.