“Disabled children cost the council too much money and should be put down” was the statement that came to light this week after being made by Councillor Collin Brewer in 2011. These words not only shocked the nation but also caused an outcry of disgust and shame that a person in this modern day and in his position could express such thoughts.
Collin Brewer, a member of Cornwall council, made the remarks to a member of Disability Cornwall at a stall at County Hall in Truro, Cornwall. He has since claimed that “I did it to provoke a response”, yet “I meant no offence. I would defend disabled children to the last.” So what response or reaction was Brewer trying to provoke? Surely comments as insensitive as this, said directly to someone who works for an organisation where disability is close to home, would never get a positive reaction?
Disability Cornwall state on their website that the purpose of their ‘user led, disabled people’s organisation’ is to; “facilitate a fully inclusive society in Cornwall through empowering disabled people to achieve independence, choice and control”. This inspirational and effective charity have received a huge support since the remarks of Brewer have been published, even gaining celebrity support. Katie Price (@MissKatiePrice) posted the following responses on her twitter page on 26th February; ‘Many disabled contribute more to society than Mr brewer – ask our paralympians’ and ‘Colin brewer how would you like to dispose of my son Harvey???’. The reaction of the nation has been phenomenal and united in the thought of how Councillor Brewer could even utter those words and how has he got away with it for 18 months? As a representative and member of Cornwall’s society and authority, this should have been dealt with straight away.
Rebecca Hale, a Disability Studies student at Liverpool Hope University shared her thoughts; “This type of language towards people with impairments needs to change. It is the way in which society is constructed that disables a person rather than the impairment itself. Here Brewer demonstrates this and shows a ableist and attitudinal barrier towards people with impairments”.
It has been reported on the morning of 28th February that after apologising, Collin Brewer has resigned from his position as councillor, after initially stating he would not stand down over the comments he made.
According to a report; ‘The Cost of Childhood Disability’ by Barbara Dobson and Sue Middleton; ‘The budget standards estimated an average cost of £7,355 a year to bring up a child with a severe disability. This is at least three times more than the amount required to bring up a child without a disability established in a study using a similar methodology.’ Yes, it does cost a lot of money to care for a child with a disability and families often end up in real financial difficulty. However the bottom line is, a child – disability or no disability – is a human being, and deserves respect, time and care. Children bring so much happiness to their families and people around them, that a ‘disability’ does not matter to those who matter the most.
The only thing that ‘should be put down’ is the disgusting, prejudiced and inconceivable opinion that Collin Brewer expressed.