Comedians who have used ‘provocative’ language about people with learning disabilities will be invited to a World Down Syndrome congress due to be held in Scotland in 2018.
Down’s Syndrome Scotland is considering ‘extending an invite’ to high profile entertainers such as Frankie Boyle, who has offended people with Down’s Syndrome in the past.
The charity, which has not yet approached any comedians, wants to host an open forum fringe debate about how language is used about people with Down’s Syndrome.
Glasgow will host the congress, which takes place every three years, at the city’s SECC exhibition arena from July 24 to 27.
Pandora Summerfield, the chief executive of DSS, said: “We are hoping to have the event at some other venue in the city and get a comedian to chair it.
“Because of time of year it is, the end of July, with comedians appearing in Scotland, they’re going to be performing at the Edinburgh Festival. Language is a real issue for people with Down’s Syndrome, and derogatory language, in particular, is very common.”
She cited examples of comedians including Frankie Boyle and Ricky Gervais who both caused outrage over jokes they have used mocking people with Down’s Syndrome.
Pandora adds: “We would consider even extending an invitation to comedians such as Frankie Boyle.
“The question would be ‘is there a line over which comedy shouldn’t step?’ in relation to people [with Down’s syndrome]. We know there are some high profile comedians like Stephen Fry who think there is no line, everything’s fair game. We’re of a different view. We would like to hear people have a debate about that. We hope that people without a connection to Down’s syndrome in Glasgow might pay to come to an event where comedians that they know and love are actually talking about something like that.”
She added that whilst the use of language isn’t ‘anything you can police’ but wanted to allow people to understand the impact it might have on someone with Down’s.
Pandora along with other staff and people with Down’s syndrome was part of a Down’s Syndrome Scotland delegation that went to Chennai, in India, in August to take part in the 2015 World Down Syndrome Congress.
She said she wanted to see how the congress was run and although there were cultural and climate differences which affected timings, the event was a success.
It will also inform her views as to how they monetise the Glasgow congress (it will be principally from delegate fees rather than exhibitor revenue), which received substantial support from Glasgow City Marketing Bureau in securing the event. She said: “We were the first to use the People Make Glasgow brand; we have received a lot of support in kind.” Sam Ross and Stuart Campbell, two adults with Down’s Syndrome, also travelled to India for the congress. A third, Andrew McIntyre, was unable to travel but carried out an interview with Nicola Sturgeon, as part of a feature that was shown at the Chennai congress and will be broadcast by Down Syndrome Scotland in the run-up to the event.
“It was a great interview,” adds Pandora, who said it focused on the Scottish Government’s learning disabilities’ strategy The Keys to Life. Also as part of the piece Andrew was able to ask the First Minister about her favourite place to go in Glasgow (a park on the southside of the city), as well as her favourite food, which was curry (the same as his, even though he said vegetarian haggis because he felt he had to ‘say something Scottish’).
The congress hopes to attract between 1,000 and 1,200 delegates; in the run-up to the event a citywide awareness programme will run, which will seek to inform the public – including taxi drivers and hospitality staff – about Down’s Syndrome. Down’s Syndrome Scotland will also be tendering out to three weavers to create a bespoke tartan for the congress.
