Call the Midwife and disability

"I’ve been watching the BBC1 show Call the Midwife since 2012, and as a person with a learning disability it’s been an interesting experience . Set in the 1970s (when I was born!) in Poplar, East London, the show is inspired by real life events. The story centres on Nonnatus House, a convent for nuns and midwives who live and work there. The show often features the characters dealing with the reality of difficult births and medical conditions, sometimes moving me to tears.  

There is a character in the show named Reggie Jackson who has Down syndrome , he is played by Daniel Laurie, an actor who has Down syndrome in real life. It’s brilliant that a character with a learning disability is in a prime-time television drama, especially as a recurring character, not just a one-off. Having this kind of representation in a popular show, on a mainstream TV channel is great for normalising seeing people with a learning disability in the media. The show having a large audience is great, as it means lots of people will see Reggie and be able to relate to him and feel validated by seeing him on the screen.  

The series isn’t shy about boldly featuring many characters with disabilities. For example, actor Sarah Gordy who has a disability in real life, played a woman with that same disability. She was featured in a main storyline about giving birth while managing the difficulties of her health conditions. Reggie has also featured as the main character in several episodes, such as in a Christmas double-episode special. This kind of representation is amazing to see, and I’d love to see other TV shows follow Call the Midwife’s example. There are all kinds of characters in the show with different journeys, mothers, fathers, children, elderly, nuns, midwives, and disability is a big theme running through all these storylines.  

Catch Call the Midwife on Sunday evenings on BBC1, I highly recommend it!