What is the Channel 4 programme The Experiment about? | Mencap | Easy Read

What is the Channel 4 programme The Experiment about?

A television screen with a title card for The Experiment on it

The Experiment is a TV programme on Channel 4.

A red warning triangle with a black explamation mark inside

The first 10 minutes of the programme looks at crimes against disabled people in the past.

This part of the programme is hard to watch and is shows things that are upsetting.

A woman in a wheelchair next to a man with shortened arms

The programme is presented by Sophie Morgan and Mat Fraser.

Sophie and Mat are disabled presenters who work to show issues that people with a disability face.

A man with a speech bubble with money and a red cross inside it

They are worried about some of the things people are saying in the news about disability benefits.

Some people have said that disability benefits should be stopped.

A man looking unhappy at a desk witha computer, with a woman standing behind him looking angry.

Some people have said that disabled people should be made to work instead of getting benefits.

A woman in a wheelchair outside a door with a sign reading care home above it.

What happens in the programme?

The presenters open a fake care home for disabled people.

A large building with a sign reading Care Home above the door

A care home is a place where people live when they need help taking care of themselves.

A group of people with different disabilities being filmed by a TV cameraman

There are actors who pretend to be residents who live at the fake care home.

All the actors have different disabilities.

A woman in a black suit being filmed by a TV cameraman

The staff at the fake care home are actors as well.

A man walking through a door with Welcome above it

Members of the public are invited to visit the fake care home.

A man speaking to a woman in a wheelchair

The visitors meet the residents and look around the care home.

A woman in a wheelchair with support staff and both look unhappy

As the visit goes on, the people see the residents who live there are not treated well.

A man watching TV and crying

There are lots of things in the programme that are upsetting to watch.

A group of people with different disabilities wearing the same grey clothes

Everyone has to wear the same clothes.

A row of single beds in a room

Residents did not have their own bedroom and had to sleep in large rooms with other people.

A man and a woman in grey trackuits holding hands with a large red X in the corner

The residents were not allowed to be in relationships .

A woman in red pointing at a sign that says "Complain."

The show tests if any of the visitors will complain or try to stop the bad treatment.

A man reading a history book with an angry expression on his face

The bad treatment is based on what happened to disabled people in real life in the past.

A page with the word plans written on it, with a large red cross over it.

It is important to know that there are no plans for anything in the show to happen in real life.

A man with a thought bubble above his head witha question mark and a person in a cheelchair inside

The Experiment showed that lots of people don’t understand what it’s like to have a disability.

Two women standing together and smiling at each other with a green tick in the corner

The programme showed that lots of people do not know what good care looks like for people with a disability.

Mencap works really hard to try and help people understand the rights people with a learning disability should have.

We want everyone with a learning disability to have the right support to live their life to the full.