A little girl called Isla is in the running to be the face of Kinder.
Isla has Down’s Syndrome.
Please vote for her and help to change people’s perceptions of disability.
Sadly attitudes remain broadly negative, ranging from casual distaste to full blown hate.
My family have only ever experienced the former, but some people are not so – I hesitate to say lucky because nobody should be treated badly, but you know what I mean.
You may have read about a recent case of disability hate crime that was so appalling it turned out to be a watershed moment.
A family were hounded by yobs to the point where the mother killed herself and her disabled daughter.
This wasn't an isolated incident.
Here is the story of a disabled lady named Di, told in her own words (click on the picture to maximise):
This kind of thing will only dissipate if disabled people are more visible and seen in a more positive light.
So please vote for Isla!
You can vote once a day, and voting is open for another 2 days, so favourite the page and do it daily.
Thanks.
Just a quick addendum to say a HUGE thanks to everyone over on Twitter who has passed on the link to my blog post. I have been really ill this weekend and you have all cheered me up massively.
A special mention must go to Robin Ince and Peter Serafinowicz. They have a lot of Twitter followers and by retweeting the link to my blog they helped spread the word to a wider audience than I could have ever hoped to reach. Absolute stars the pair of you!
23 comments:
You can vote afresh each day so keep them coming!
Yes, I should have said that!
Will add a line to the main blog now.
Thanks Sarah Lou x
Hi Christina - done and Isla is so pretty!
Oh - I have a series of shots of you from TAM London. They are on Flickr at the moment until Tracy decides which ones are going on the website.
Do you have a Flickr account so I can add you as a contact.
Cheers,
Kelly
I can't find her on there - when I search there are four Islas. More details please...?
Done.
Hello, just to say that the page you have bookmarked is no longer the page Isla is on. She is on the page before, I assume because so many have voted, which is a good thing.
Kelly - Thanks :) I don't have flickr, but I'll search you and have a look at the pics - cheers!
Anon 1 - The page I had for her changed as so many people have voted (thanks everyone!) I have reposted the new link. Here's hoping I have to do that time and again!
Redferret - Ta muchly :)
Anon 2 - Thanks for pointing that out. I have reposted the new page. And yes, it is a good sign! :)
Thank you all so much
Emma - Isla's Mummy
Great job, Christina - my first vote's in, I'm about to retweet the tweet I found you through and I'll be back onto Kinder each day after.
It would be amazing to get this done - I'm always mystified and plain creeped out by the absence of people with disability (or plain difference) in all the media.
Oh, and I gotta agree with Kelly up there too, Isla's a really cute little kid.
Emma - You're welcome! Your daughter is adorable by the way. x
Lindsay - You're a star, thank you. I've been ill all weekend and not in the best of moods, but you and many others have made me smile with all your support for this. x
Hey, Lindsay again - it suddenly struck me that people interested in this might also be interested in
http://www.howsyournews.com/
Incase you don't know it, it's a movie and tv show made by a cool gang of people with physical handicaps or learning disabilities etc etc.
BUT it's not really that at all! Because within seconds of watching the thing you're not seeing any disabilities - you're just seeing a big bunch of funny, smart, brilliant people entertaining the hell out of you. It's great. Shows up how embarrassingly awful most mainstream media representations of downes syndrome, MS etc etc really are.
And you can buy their DVD and watch videos at that website - so if you don't know it, just go there now! I swear, the film is great. It's dead funny, and dead smart, and all the people who made it are my heroes.
Hope you feel better Christina - and wow, hi to isla's mummy emma as well! Hugs to isla! That's awesome. Cheers everyone!
Lindsay - Thanks for the heads up. I'll check that out :)
Sorry to be a pain, but there seem to be 4 girls called Isla. Can you give her number too please? Or her town?
Rachel: It's Isla aged 4 from Fleet. She is the only Isla on the page I link to. Thanks. C :)
Sorry I missed her name and charged on to the search page. Just realised that the number is the number of votes, which wouldn't be much help as (hopefully) it keeps changing. Anyway, done now (and will re-vote as often as I can!)
Thanks Rachel :) x
Thank you for your votes - the link to your blog was sent to me by a friend who saw it on a Twitter page. I will make sure I stop by from now on!
emma - So glad it has caught people's imaginations. I notice it is at the semi final stage. How many votes does Isla need to qualify for the next stage?...
x
Hi
Isla needs to be in the top 100 by 11.59pm tonight to be in with a chance of being selected by the judges for the final 30. Voting then opens again to find the 6 winners. I just hope that the judges are as open minded as everyone who has taken the time to vote for Isla.
Emma
Thanks Emma.
So hopefully it's safe to say she is in the top 100!
If the judges have any sense they will choose her. First things first, she is the cutest. But also she is pertinent to a lot of people who feel under-represented.
I'll keep an eye on the site and when (I refuse to say 'if') she gets picked, I'll mobilise another load of votes.
Cxxxx
Just a quick note for those not in the UK , Isla is listed under Hampshire not Fleet , Hampshire is the county. So get voting :-)
Hi all,
I am Isla's dad. I would just like to say a massive thanks for the support.
Isla actually won and came in the top six. her photo will be on the pack early next year!
Thanks again, very touching
xx
I always knew she'd win!
So, so glad.
Pass on my love and congrats to Isla.
I'll be buying up Kinder chocolate now.
Any excuse! ;)
C x
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