Books | Films | Websites | Organisations

Books

A Cabinet of Medical Curiosities by Jan Bondeson (I B Tauris, 1997)
The history of medicine is a tale of human attempts to understand, explain and predict the workings of nature. Sometimes those attempts can take strange turns, as the author reveals in this collection of medical oddments.
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Chang and Eng by Darin Strauss (Sagebush, 2001)
Fictionalised account, based on historical fact, of the lives of Chang and Eng Bunker. In this interpretation of their story, Eng looks back on their life in the hours after his brother's death.
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Confronting Disabled Barriers by John Swain (Venture Press, 1998)
Looking at how disabled people are represented in the media, the authors argue that it is inaccessible environments and social prejudices that disable people.
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Dark Remedy by Trent Stephens and Rock Brynner (Perseus Publishing, 2002)
A medical detective story about the history of thalidomide, from the epidemic of birth defects in the 1960s to the present day.
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Freaks: We who are not as others by D Mannix (Juno Publishing, 2000)
A classic book based on the author’s personal acquaintance with such side show stars as the Alligator Man and the Monkey Woman, and bizarre accounts of people who became freaks either by choice or design.
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Freak Show by Robert Bogdan (University of Chicago Press, 1990)
Traces the history of freak shows, examines the deceptions used in marketing carnival attractions and looks at changing public attitudes.
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The Me in the Mirror by Connie Panzarino (Seal Press, 1994)
Recounts the author's experience growing up severely disabled, her struggles for education, companionship, and independence, and her life as a lesbian and a political activist.
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The True History of the Elephant Man by Michael Howell and Peter Ford (Allison and Busby, 2001)
Joseph Merrick spent much of his life exhibited as a fairground freak until even 19th century sensibilities could take no more. This is the story of a tragic individual and his survival against the odds in Victorian England.
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Understanding Disability
by Michael Oliver
(Palgrave Macmillan, 1995)
Useful and enlightening to disabled and non-disabled people alike, this is a valuable contribution to the debates about disability and the position of disabled people in society.
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Films on DVD/video

Freaks (1932)
Directed by Tod Browning
Initially rejected by MGM, then censored and misinterpreted, Browning's compassionate and unsentimental masterpiece finally surfaced in the UK as a cult film until the 1960s.
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The Elephant Man (1980)
Directed by David Lynch
Moving account of the life of John Merrick (William Hurt) who suffered from proteus syndrome, was abused from childhood and forced into a freak show because of his deformity.
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Mask (1985)
Directed by Peter Bogdanovich
The true-life story of a teenager born with a facial deformity from a rare bone disorder, with Cher as Rocky's mother.
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Children of a Lesser God (1986)
Directed by Randa Haines
Stars William Hurt as an idealistic tutor of the deaf who becomes involved with an angry, confused woman, played by deaf actress Marlee Matlin.
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Rain Man (1988)
Directed by Barry Levinson
Depicts the relationship between a highly intelligent autistic man and his younger brother, starring Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise.
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Willow (1988)
Directed by Ron Howard
Fairytale comedy that features Warwick Tudor, an actor with restricted growth.
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My Left Foot (1989)
Directed by Jim Sheridan
Extraordinary biopic of the writer Christy Brown (Daniel Day Lewis), based on his autobiography describing what life is like for a person with cerebral palsy.
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Twin Peaks – Fire Walk with Me (1992)
Directed by David Lynch
The prequel to Twin Peaks that follows the events leading up to Laura Palmer's death. Twin Peaks featured Michael Anderson, an actor with restricted growth.
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What's Eating Gilbert Grape (1993)
Directed by Lasse Hallstrom
Johnny Depp plays Gilbert Grape, bored with his life in small town America until a new girl moves into town with her grandma. Leonardo DiCaprio plays Grape's brother who has a learning disability.
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Born on the 4th of July (1999)
Directed by Oliver Stone
A drama based on the true story of Ron Kovic, a young soldier who returns from Vietnam paralysed. Tom Cruise plays the lead.
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A Beautiful Mind (2001)
Directed by Ron Howard
Hollywood biography of John Nash, who won a Nobel Prize for maths and suffered from paranoid schizophrenia. Criticised for painting a falsely positive picture of the man himself, this film portrays paranoia and delusion quite cleverly.
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Read my Lips (2001)
Directed by Jacques Audiard
An almost-deaf young woman working as a secretary is ignored, frustrated and rejected. She forms a relationship with an ex-convict, united by their mutual feelings of rejection.
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Websites

Channel 4 Television takes no responsibility for the content of any third-party sites.

A Celebration of Wheels
http://members.tripod.com/lenmac
Role models and celebrities liberated by wheelchairs all feature on this site.

Body Modifications
www.bmeworld.com/amago/bodmod/index.html
The Lizard Man's unique physical appearance is the result of hundreds of hours of tattooing, body piercing and innovative surgical procedures.

Brittle Bone Society
www.brittlebone.org/
Offers help and support to people suffering from osteogenesis imperfecta.

Cone Rod Dystrophy
www.retinafoundation.org
Cone-rod dystrophy is a genetic disorder that affects the cells of the retina, undermining both central and peripheral vision.

Coney Island
www.coneyisland.com
Coney Island USA interprets the past and experiments with the future of American popular culture with arts events and exhibitions rooted in the traditions of the circus sideshow.

Cystic Fibrosis Trust
www.cftrust.org.uk
Website offering support and information for people with cystic fibrosis and their families.

Disability Now
www.disabilitynow.org.uk
Online version of the UK's leading disability magazine. Includes news, articles, archived reports, features and links.

Four All
www.fourall.org
Channel 4's database and link between disabled people and the media.

Freak Shows in the United States
www.disabilityhistory.org/freak1.html
An insight into freak shows in America between 1840 and 1940.

Freaks
http://lukepl.8m.com/freaks.html
This page is dedicated to the great freaks who spent their lives providing entertainment. Includes Prince Randian, Johnny Eck, Grady Stiles and others.

Joseph Carey Merrick Tribute Web Site
www.jsitton.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/
elephantman/elephant_man.htm
This site is dedicated to the life and times of Joseph Carey Merrick – the Elephant Man.

Lolo Ferrari
www.goodbyemag.com/mar00/ferrari.html
It is said that, when she committed suicide, Ferrari's bust measured an incredible 71 inches – the sad conclusion of a surgical odyssey.

Mat Fraser
www.matfraser.com
Website of the actor, musician, writer and performance artist Mat Fraser. The site contains biographical information, including photographs.

My Inspiration
http://education.guardian.co.uk/egweekly/
story/0,5500,519001,00.html
The Guardian newspaper interviews Mat Fraser.

Orlan Living Masterpiece
www.wiu.edu/users/gjr100/orlan.htm
Orlan is a French artist who offers her face and body as a canvas of flesh where plastic surgeons create art with scalpels and lasers. Check out Orlan's gallery.

Pelswick
www.channel4.com/life/microsites/P/
pelswick/index.html
Channel 4 website. Contains a biography of the Pelswick creator John Callahan and other celebs like Mat Fraser. Check out cool links.

Thalidomide: Ask the Doctor
www.bbc.co.uk/health/ask_doctor/thalidomide.shtml
Thalidomide is being hailed as a treatment for several intractable medical conditions such as cancer. This BBC Health article offers some information and useful links.

Thalidomide  - Article from the Skin Cancer Foundation
www.skincancer.org/news/030124-thalidomide.php
Thalidomide, the drug once linked to birth defects, is currently being used to treat metastatic melanoma.

Thalidomide – related drug kills cancer cells
www.sghms.ac.uk/News/pdfs/march03.pdf
PDF article from St George’s Hospital Medical School that looks at the role thalidomide-type drugs are now playing in fighting cancer.

The Elephant Man
www.zoraskingdom.freeserve.co.uk/frame.htm
The Elephant Man is one of the most famous freaks that ever lived, who was 'rescued' from being exhibited on the streets to become a medical specimen.

4Health
www.channel4.com/health
Information on a wide range of health issues, with summaries of illnesses and treatments, and details of organisations that can provide medical and emotional help and support.

The Siamese Twins Eng and Chang Bunker
www.wilkesboro.com/OldWilkesInc/engchang.htm
Brief biography of the original 'Siamese twins' – now referred to as conjoined twins.

The World of Siamese Twins
www.channel4.com/health/microsites/H/health/
magazine/conjoined/index.html
Channel 4 looks at the history of conjoined twins.

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Organisations

British Council of Disabled People
Litchurch Plaza
Litchurch Lane
Derby DE24 8AA
Tel: 01332 295 551
Fax: 01332 295 580
Textphone: 01332 295 581
E-mail: general@bcodp.org.uk
Website: www.bcodp.org.uk
Set up by disabled people in 1981 to promote full equality and participation within society, an umbrella organisation representing over 100 disabled people's groups nationally.

Dial UK
St Catherine's
Tickhill Road
Doncaster
South Yorks DN4 8QN
Tel: 01302 310 123
Fax: 01302 310 404
Textphone 01302 310 123
E-mail: enquiries@dialuk.org.uk
Website: www.dialuk.org.uk/
Umbrella organisation supporting a network of local disability advice lines across the country. For details of your local office contact the above or visit the website.

Disability Information Trust
Mary Marlborough Centre
Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre
Headington
Oxford OX3 7LD
Tel: 01865 227 592
E-mail: input@abilityonline.net
Website: www.abilityonline.org.uk
/disability_information_trust.htm
Provides disabled people and carers with independent information about disability aids.

Disability Now
6 Market Road
London N7 9PW
Tel: 020 7619 7323
Fax: 020 7619 7331
Textphone: 020 7619 7332
E-mail: editor@disabilitynow.org.uk
Website: www.disabilitynow.org.uk
The UK's leading disability site, giving a whole range of useful information, articles, links, adverts and an archive.

Limbless Association
Rehabilitation Centre
Roehampton Lane
London SW15 5PR
Tel: 020 8788 1777
Fax: 020 8788 3444
E-mail: enquiries@limbless-association.org
Website: www.limbless-association.org
Information, advice and support for people of all ages who are without one or more limbs. Has a UK network of volunteer visitors who are all amputees themselves, offering support and encouragement to amputees, prospective amputees and carers.

Scope
6 Market Road
London N7 9PW
Helpline: 0808 800 3333 (9am-9pm weekdays; 2pm-6pm weekends)
E-mail: CPHelpline@scope.org.uk
Website: www.scope.org.uk
For people with cerebral palsy. A major campaigning organisation on disability issues with over 250 local groups plus hundreds of services used by people with cerebral palsy and associated disabilities.

The Thalidomide Society
19 Central Avenue
Pinner
Middlesex HA5 5BT
Tel: 020 8868 5309
Fax: 020 8868 5309
E-mail: info@thalsoc.demon.co.uk
Website: www.thalidomidesociety.co.uk
Advice and support for people with thalidomide and similar impairments, and information for anyone working with this group.

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