Sunday, Nov. 08, 2009

Parents plan Web broadcast of daughter with cerebral palsy

PARIS -- Disabled with severe cerebral palsy, 32-year-old Anne Lamic spends her days in southeastern France mostly in bed, surrounded by stuffed animals and dolls. She cannot speak or walk, and she sometimes has seizures.

Now, Lamic's parents are planning to broadcast her quiet life to the world via webcam. Their announcement has caused a stir in France, with many criticizing the plan as an invasion of Lamic's privacy and asking: How far is too far in the struggle to make disabled people more visible in society?

In terms of disabled rights on issues such as visibility and accessibility to public transport and buildings, advocacy groups say France trails behind Nordic countries, the United States and Canada, despite a 2005 law designed to ensure their rights are upheld.

Lamic's father says he hopes to force people into confronting their prejudices, even if his tactic startles them.

The webcam "will allow people to see handicaps in ways that are real, everyday and familiar," Didier Lamic told The Associated Press in a telephone interview Friday, adding that the videos "must be watched with tenderness and love."

Advocates for disabled rights say the parents surely have good intentions, but many are dismayed -- especially because Anne Lamic, whose family says she has physical and mental abilities comparable to a 1-month-old infant, cannot have a say in the matter.