Joey Deacon
Encyclopedia
Joseph John "Joey" Deacon (24 May 1920 - 3 December 1981) was a British
author
and television personality.
, a neurological condition which left him with a muscular "spastic
pattern", particularly arms and legs, resulting in a tendency of muscular tonus in the form of flexion of arms and extension of legs. This prevented fine motor control in movements of hands and arms and meant that although he could walk with assistance, he used a wheelchair for most of his life. This also rendered his speech unintelligible to all except a few. He was institutionalised as a child and later worked making shoes in sheltered accommodation. Because he was unable to communicate freely, he was assumed by some to be mentally subnormal. However, with the help of his friends Ernie Roberts, Tom Blackburn, and Michael Sangster he was able to write an autobiography, entitled "Tongue Tied", which was published by Mencap
as a part of their Subnormality in the Seventies series. The book gave a rare, if not unique insight into the often-disregarded lives of people with disabilities at the time. With royalties raised from book sales and donations, Deacon and his friends bought a home for themselves.
Deacon had unspecified operations on the backs of his legs at St. Childe's Hospital when he was about four, but these were not successful. His mother died of tuberculosis
when he was six and Joey was raised by his grandmother. Aged eight, following several more operations, he was admitted to Queen Mary's Hospital, Carshalton
, then transferred six months later to Caterham Mental Hospital (later known as St Lawrence's Hospital), where he remained for the rest of his life. He remained in contact with his father until his father's death in 1939.
and BAFTA award-winning drama documentary for British television's Horizon written by Elaine Morgan
and directed by the late Brian Gibson, entitled Joey. This was followed by a second documentary made for Blue Peter
.
As soon as 'Tongue Tied' was completed, the team started work on a second book. Joey wanted to write a work of fiction: it was a novel about a disabled man who was desperate to learn to walk so that he could walk up the aisle and marry his girlfriend. It was never published.
Royalties from "Tongue Tied" and donations raised enough money for the four to move to a bungalow in the Caterham hospital grounds in 1979, where they were able to live more independently. After Deacon died two years later, aged 61, Blackburn and Roberts moved to a house outside the grounds, where they lived with the assistance of support workers.
for the International Year of the Disabled. He was presented as an example of a man who achieved a lot in spite of his disabilities.
Despite the sensitive way in which Blue Peter covered his life, the impact was not as intended. The sights and sounds of Deacon's distinctive speech and movements had a lasting impact on young viewers, who quickly learnt to imitate them. His name and mannerisms quickly became a label of ridicule in school playgrounds across the country.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
and television personality.
Biography
Joseph "Joey" Deacon was born with severe cerebral palsyCerebral palsy
Cerebral palsy is an umbrella term encompassing a group of non-progressive, non-contagious motor conditions that cause physical disability in human development, chiefly in the various areas of body movement....
, a neurological condition which left him with a muscular "spastic
Spastic
The word spastic is used differently depending on location which has led to some controversy and misunderstanding. Derived via Latin from the Greek spastikos , the word originally referred to a change in muscles affected by the medical condition spasticity, which is seen in spastic diplegia and...
pattern", particularly arms and legs, resulting in a tendency of muscular tonus in the form of flexion of arms and extension of legs. This prevented fine motor control in movements of hands and arms and meant that although he could walk with assistance, he used a wheelchair for most of his life. This also rendered his speech unintelligible to all except a few. He was institutionalised as a child and later worked making shoes in sheltered accommodation. Because he was unable to communicate freely, he was assumed by some to be mentally subnormal. However, with the help of his friends Ernie Roberts, Tom Blackburn, and Michael Sangster he was able to write an autobiography, entitled "Tongue Tied", which was published by Mencap
Mencap
The Royal Mencap Society is a charity based in the UK that works with people with a learning disability.-Profile:Mencap is the UK's leading learning disability charity working with people with a learning disability and their families and carers...
as a part of their Subnormality in the Seventies series. The book gave a rare, if not unique insight into the often-disregarded lives of people with disabilities at the time. With royalties raised from book sales and donations, Deacon and his friends bought a home for themselves.
Early life
Always believing him to be intelligent, his mother would ask him to count the motor cars passing at the front of their house, to which Joey would respond by blinking for each car that passed. During his childhood in hospital, he proved his intelligence several times in tests, using non-verbal communication such as blinking or pointing with his nose.Deacon had unspecified operations on the backs of his legs at St. Childe's Hospital when he was about four, but these were not successful. His mother died of tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
when he was six and Joey was raised by his grandmother. Aged eight, following several more operations, he was admitted to Queen Mary's Hospital, Carshalton
Carshalton
Carshalton is a suburban area of the London Borough of Sutton, England. It is located 10 miles south-southwest of Charing Cross, situated in the valley of the River Wandle, one of the sources of which is Carshalton Ponds in the centre of the village. The combined population of the five wards...
, then transferred six months later to Caterham Mental Hospital (later known as St Lawrence's Hospital), where he remained for the rest of his life. He remained in contact with his father until his father's death in 1939.
Tongue Tied
In 1970, Deacon began to write his autobiography with three friends. Ernie Roberts (who also had cerebral palsy), had been in hospital since the age of ten, and was able to understand Deacon's speech. Roberts listened to Deacon's dictation and repeated it to another patient, Michael Sangster, who wrote it down in longhand. After proof-reading by Chris Ring, a student who visited the team each week, it was typed by a fourth member of the team, Tom Blackburn, who was initially unable to read or write but taught himself to type in order to help. The resulting forty-four page book took fourteen months to write. BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour ran a feature on Joey and his manuscript and the resulting publicity led to the BBC TV documentary.Later life
The four men formed an inseparable group in the hospital for decades, and in 1974 their relationship was the subject of a Prix ItaliaPrix Italia
The Prix Italia is an international Italian television, radio-broadcasting and Website award. It was established in 1948 by RAI - Radiotelevisione Italiana in Capri...
and BAFTA award-winning drama documentary for British television's Horizon written by Elaine Morgan
Elaine Morgan (writer)
Elaine Morgan OBE is a Welsh writer for television and also the author of several books on evolutionary anthropology, especially the aquatic ape hypothesis: The Descent of Woman, The Aquatic Ape, The Scars of Evolution, The Descent of the Child, The Aquatic Ape Hypothesis, and The Naked Darwinist...
and directed by the late Brian Gibson, entitled Joey. This was followed by a second documentary made for Blue Peter
Blue Peter
Blue Peter is the world's longest-running children's television show, having first aired in 1958. It is shown on CBBC, both in its BBC One programming block and on the CBBC channel. During its history there have been many presenters, often consisting of two women and two men at a time...
.
As soon as 'Tongue Tied' was completed, the team started work on a second book. Joey wanted to write a work of fiction: it was a novel about a disabled man who was desperate to learn to walk so that he could walk up the aisle and marry his girlfriend. It was never published.
Royalties from "Tongue Tied" and donations raised enough money for the four to move to a bungalow in the Caterham hospital grounds in 1979, where they were able to live more independently. After Deacon died two years later, aged 61, Blackburn and Roberts moved to a house outside the grounds, where they lived with the assistance of support workers.
Blue Peter and cultural impact
In 1981, the last year of his life, Joey Deacon was featured on the children's magazine programme Blue PeterBlue Peter
Blue Peter is the world's longest-running children's television show, having first aired in 1958. It is shown on CBBC, both in its BBC One programming block and on the CBBC channel. During its history there have been many presenters, often consisting of two women and two men at a time...
for the International Year of the Disabled. He was presented as an example of a man who achieved a lot in spite of his disabilities.
Despite the sensitive way in which Blue Peter covered his life, the impact was not as intended. The sights and sounds of Deacon's distinctive speech and movements had a lasting impact on young viewers, who quickly learnt to imitate them. His name and mannerisms quickly became a label of ridicule in school playgrounds across the country.