Dad of teenager with Down’s syndrome hits out at Emmerdale story – Bradford Telegraph and Argus

A BRADFORD dad has called Emmerdale's controversial Down's syndrome storyline"malicious and outdated" and says it "skirts dangerously close to eugenics".

Emmerdale's Laurel Thomas and Jai Sharma take a CVS (chorionic villus sampling) test, after a scan reveals their unborn baby has a possible chromosomal condition. When the test shows the baby has Downs syndrome, the couple decide to terminate the pregnancy. Emmerdale producer Laura Shaw said the story is not about right or wrong but about people taking really, really difficult decisions.

She added: People are going to have really strong views but I guess thats what makes it such an important story to tell.

Tim Curtiss 17-year-old daughter Ella, who has Downs syndrome, is a top cyclist, winning a bronze medal at the Special Olympics in Abu Dhabi and becoming double British champion in Manchester in 2019. She is part of a Yorkshire cycling squad for next years Special Olympics. Last year Ella was named in Cycling UKs 100 Women in Cycling list and in October she won the Young Achiever of the Year prize at the Disability Sport Yorkshire awards.

Mr Curtis said the Emmerdale storyline "has produced fury and anger" in the Down's syndrome community nationally and in Bradford. "As a parent of an athlete born with Down syndrome I can fully understand that anger," he said. "I understand the public interest and information defence put forward by the programme-makers, scriptwriters and actors but I feel it does not offer balance or justify this malicious and outdated attack on human beings and their right to life and skirts dangerously close to eugenics.

"I agree with Eddie Mc Connell of Down Syndrome Scotland who said: 'This is an attack on a community of people with protected characteristics. It is an assault on both the UN Convention on the Rights of Children and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. People with Downs syndrome have human rights and they are being trampled on by this storyline and the gratuitous way in which the programme-makers have sought to promote the storyline and its outcome'.

Mr Curtis added: "Further to this, actress Sally Phillips has accused ITV of being irresponsible and causing unnecessary hurt over the Emmerdale storyline. A petition objecting to the storyline has amassed over 25,000 signatures and many adults born with Down Syndrome have commented. Thousands more, including young adults with Down syndrome, have posted comments and videos on social media claiming the story serves only to perpetuate outdated ideas that those who were born with Down syndrome are unable to live full lives and are a burden to society. #dontscreenusout.

"Anyone who knows somebody born with Down syndrome knows these ideas are outdated and have their roots in the bad old days of people born with Down Syndrome being legally excluded from education until as recently as 40 years ago.

"All academic research and surveys that ask people with Down syndrome how they feel about their lives report an overwhelming majority being content, happy and fulfilled.

"For myself, it speaks to a fundamental philosophical question: Who are we to make the judgement call on who gets to live and who doesnt?"

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Dad of teenager with Down's syndrome hits out at Emmerdale story - Bradford Telegraph and Argus