Everything has been intertwined in terms of your campaigning work, your academic work. Ijust wonder whether you ever, for a moment, considered going into something entirely disconnected from your own personal circumstances . Something like accountancy, law, geology . You know what, there are short people, restricted growth people in all of those professions. There are farmers, teachers, solicitors, everything. But i did not go that way. So as a social scientist, ive always been interested in what others experience and so obviously disability has to be top of the list. Let me ask you about growing up. Your family has its own history, which is important to talk about, i think. Your grandfather, it seems, experienced a mutation, a genetic mutation. My father. So, he was born in 1927. William shakespeare unfortunate name. And his father, geoffrey, who was a Junior Minister in the liberal government the last time the liberals were in coalition was very worried about it and was very upset ab
You ever, for a moment, considered going into something entirely disconnected from your own personal circumstances . Something like accountancy, law, geology . You know what, there are short people, restricted growth people in all of those professions. There are farmers, teachers, solicitors, everything. But i did not go that way. So as a social scientist, ive always been interested in what others experience and so obviously disability has to be top of the list. Let me ask you about growing up. Your family has its own history, which is important to talk about, i think. Your grandfather, it seems, experienced a mutation, a genetic mutation. My father. So, he was born in 1927. William shakespeare unfortunate name. And his father, geoffrey, who was a Junior Minister in the liberal government the last time the liberals were in coalition was very worried about it and was very upset about it because suddenly his child was short. The reason i mention the grandfather first because isnt it the
tom shakespeare, welcome to hardtalk. thank you, great to be here. it s great to have you. now, in your personal life and your professional life, everything has been intertwined in terms of your campaigning work, your academic work. ijust wonder whether you ever, for a moment, considered going into something entirely disconnected from your own personal circumstances? something like accountancy, law, geology? you know what, there are short people, restricted growth people in all of those professions. there are farmers, teachers, solicitors, everything. but i did not go that way. so as a social scientist, i ve always been interested in what others experience and so obviously disability has to be top of the list. let me ask you about growing up. your family has its own history, which is important to talk about, i think. your grandfather, it seems, experienced a mutation, a genetic mutation. my father. so, he was born in 1927. william shakespeare unfortunate name. and his fathe
to run genetic analysis of foetuses and, indeed, in vitro embryos and we can tell very quickly if they carry down syndrome genetic material or, indeed, cystic fibrosis, some other diseases. the decision oftentimes is taken to terminate that pregnancy or, indeed, to then destroy that embryo. do you support that or do you think that is a mistake? i support a woman s right to choose. so, obviously, isupport selective termination, i support infertile couples getting that pgd, it s called preimplantation genetic diagnosis. it is their right. however, i want them to make that decision knowing what it is like to have down syndrome, achondroplasia or cystic fibrosis. ie, knowing that it need