Elliot Rosen may not be a household name yet, but he couldsoon become the first superstar with Down’s syndrome. Rosen hasjust joined the cast of one of the highest rating shows ontelevision – EastEnders – as Eddie Moon’s son, Craig,where he will be regularly seen by millions. While the meansof introducing Craig – the old ‘long-lost brother’ plotline – wastoe-curlingly clichéd, at least he’s made it to Albert Square now.That in itself is significant because Craig could help to breakdown the stigma that still affects people with Down’s syndrome. Infact, I’ve blogged before on how soaps could contributeto the fight against stigma by introducing characters with learningdisabilities. The power of programmes like EastEnders tohelp tackle stigma is undeniable. For example, Stacey Slater’sdevelopment of bipolar disorder was a long-running and much-praisedplot that has been acknowledged as helping to raise awareness andunderstanding of the condition. At the time, MDF, The BipolarOrganisation, said the number of young people calling its helplinedoubled in 6 months, mainly because of the storyline. There is noreason why – if done properly – Craig Moon can’t achieve somethingsimilar for people with Down’s syndrome. But to do thiseffectively, Craig needs to have some realistic storylines. Ofcourse, he should be seen in and around Albert Square regularly -doing mundane things like popping into the launderette – and beingan active member of the community, which will help to improve thepublic’s understanding of people with the condition. But itshouldn’t end there. There is so much scope for dramatic, yettrue-to-life stories that Craig could be involved in, that soapshaven’t covered before, such as experiencing (and dealing with)hate crime, for example. This is often a hidden crime, but astoryline in EastEnders would make it a national talkingpoint. This is an opportunity that EastEnders’scriptwriters should grab. No other soap has done anything likethis. It might just help to change attitudes, as well as makingElliot Rosen a star.
