Richard Ingrams' Week: Fear of causing offence blinds us to human

When David Blunkett was made Home Secretary in 2001, I think I was the only commentator to argue that it was not a job that was suited to somebody like Blunkett who was blind.

The issue was topical at the time as race riots had been taking place in the north of England and, normally speaking, the Home Secretary would be expected to go to the scene to 'see for himself' the extent of the damage. Yet this was something Blunkett could not do, any more than he could visit a prison to judge the conditions in which prisoners were detained.

Later when interviewed on Woman's Hour, Blunkett had quoted back to him what I had written " the BBC not liking to make the point themselves " and he replied in his usual rather high-handed way that he didn't pay any attention to what I said because I was 'just a grumpy old man'.

Fair enough. Yet the interview showed how reluctant people are to raise the subject of disability, preferring to tiptoe round it for fear of causing offence to those deserving of sympathy and support " an explanation, perhaps, of why Blunkett was until recently given such an easy ride by the press.

To be fair to Blunkett he never sought this kind of kid-glove treatment, but it might be better if in future people were more open on the subject. Otherwise the idea gains ground not only that disabled people deserve special sympathy but also they are necessarily nicer, even more saintly people than the rest of us " when the opposite is often the case.

What Dr Johnson said about illness applies just as much to disability: 'Disease produces much selfishness. It is so hard for a sick man not to be a scoundrel.'

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