Treasure Valley screens disabled children to Arabic viewers
Treasure Valley begins with a cartoon Pharaoh flying through the air. Like many other kids' game shows, the animated introduction soon dissolves away and a TV studio appears. But unlike most kids' programs, when the camera pans across the studio audience we see a mix of children, some able bodied, some in wheelchairs or on crutches, and some wearing hearing aids. As the show hosts explain how teams of children will compete in games knowledge and physical skill, an interpreter for each team translates the words into sign language for the deaf contestants. Even the set itself has been built with ramps and handrails to accommodate special needs.
The hosts never mention that Treasure Valley has taken extra measures to include children with special needs who are usually excluded from participating in such games — that’s the point, to show that children with physical or mental challenges can and should be integrated into “regular” activities.
“In the Middle East and North Africa it’s rare to see a disabled person in the workplace or involved in every day activities—and the prevailing attitude is that families with disabled children have been cursed by God, or that their parents must have sinned, or that disabled persons are only beggars who are possibly pretending to have injuries for financial gain. Many negative opinions abound,” says Executive Producer Ray Lovejoy. “We want to challenge this attitude by showing that disabled persons have the right to be treated as equal members of society in education and in work, and that these children can succeed in many areas of life.” Funding for the program came largely from Norad, a Norwegian government agency working to improve societies around the world.
Even before Treasure Valley made it to the SAT-7 screen, it had an impact. 120 children participated in the taping of 26 episodes, and the attitudes of these kids, and many other people involved in the production process were radically changed by the experience. For example, some teachers who brought able-bodied children to the show would call the disabled youths “you” or “they” and never address them by name. A producer pointed this out and then the teachers began to treat all the children with more respect. Many able-bodied children had never been around disabled children before and some told their parents they didn’t know how to treat the other kids. During the show they overcame their inhibitions, became friends and even began to invite the physically challenged kids to other activities. Some teachers decided to try and repeat the kids' game activities in churches across Egypt. And many disabled children, and their parents, commented this was the best experience they had ever had.
By seeing that children with physical and mental challenges can succeed in regular tasks (in this case as game show contestants) the producers of Treasure Valley believe many thousands of Arab viewers will be won over and begin to give their disabled neighbors the recognition and rights they are entitled to.
“Treasure Valley” will air every Friday on the SAT-7 Arabic Satellite Channel starting 14th July 2005
Launched in 1996, SAT-7 is an Arabic television service for the Christians of the Middle East and North Africa. Sat 7 is a corporate member of WACC.
www.sat7.org (English) or www.sat7.com (Arabic)
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