RADIO 4 REVEALS DEVON PEOPLE'S DISCRIMINATORY ATTITUDES

07/01/2004

A Radio 4 documentary on Alex Boys - a young man with Down's syndrome - following him as he leaves home for the first time, will be broadcast at 8.00pm on January 8 2004.

BBC DOCUMENTARY EXPOSES DEVONPEOPLES’ DISCRIMINATION AGAINST PEOPLE WITH DOWN’S SYNDROME

 

A major BBC Radio 4 Documentary, to be broadcast at 8.00pmtomorrow, will reveal the ignorance of a few Torquay residents who voiced ill-informed and discriminatory attitudes to people with learning disabilities.   

 

The documentary ‘It’s MY story - ‘Will he change his socks?’ follows the life of Alex Boys, a 20 year old man with Down’s syndrome as he leaves his family home to live in his own flat in Devon for the first time.  During the making of the programme Alex’s hopes for a flat in Torquay were dashed when nearby residents launched a tirade against plans by local charity the Robert Owen Foundation to convert holiday apartments in Vansitart Road into independent accommodation for people with learning disabilities. 

 

Carol Boys, who is Alex’s mother and also Chief Executive of the Down’s Syndrome Association says: “We are well aware that many people have outdated attitudes about Down’s syndrome but were still shocked by this experience.  What people need to understand is that adults with Down’s syndrome aspire to the same basic life goals as the rest of us – to have somewhere to live, to work, and to enjoy spending time with friends and family. The greatest barrier to these ambitions is apparently the ignorance of others and not the Down’s syndrome itself.”

 

The programme explores the experiences of Alex and his family as he strikes out on his own.  Eventually, Alex finds another flat in Newton Abbott where he begins to live semi-independently, cooking and cleaning for himself as well as making friends and starting work nearby.

 

For further information on Down’s syndrome, including key facts and guidance on language and terminology visit: http://www.downs-syndrome.org.uk/DSA_PressOffice.aspx or telephone Sarah Waights, Down’s Syndrome Association on . 

 

For Robert Owen Foundation contact David Wilson Tel:   

 

For BBC contact Alison  Potts,  Tel:     E-mail:

 

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