I actually think this closeting away of anything "different" is partly why our generation (ie the ones now having kids) is so completely screwed up. Kids do not care, and how are we to teach them to be empathic, compassionate, WHOLE people if they are not "confronted" with something that is a serious issue for many, many people. How are they to help the old woman in the wheel chair get up the hill if they are taught through osmosis that anyone in a wheelchair is different and therefore to be closeted away and therefore inherently something bad.

How are they meant to stand up to the bully of the child with hearing aids, if they are not taught that it's perfectly okay to have this disability and that anyone who lives a solid, fulfilled, daily life DESPITE THEIR DISABILITY makes them not somone to be shunned and closeted, but someone to admire and look up to.

The whole fact that is even an issue sickens me. This woman, who is beautiful, leads a fulfilled life and was probably thrilled to have the job at the BBC should be lauded, not shunned. Any parent who thinks they shouldn't have to explain any hard things to their children is lazy. Any parent who thinks their child isn't confronted with hard-to-deal with things every day from birth onwards (yeap, from birth. "Hard" is all relative) is stupid.