Past Prize-Winning Programs
The Governor of Tokyo Prize
(The best program in the Issues in Education Category)
"OFF LIMITS: Strong Language"

Entered by Channel 4 Television (C4), United Kingdom
Category: Issues in Education
Duration: 24'00"

[Content]
This program is from a five episode series called "Strong Language" which encourages thought about possibilities of communication between hearing disabled and ordinary people. The series is part of a larger series about society, health and education called "Off Limits".

This episode uses the struggles and actions of a deaf teenaged girl named Zoe to portray the feelings of deaf people. The program gave an impressive description of the actions of Zoe, who discovered a way of expressing herself after being introduced to new technology such as computers. After some struggling she learned to take pride in herself and her independence.

[Jury comments]
Among the many programs which have focussed on disabled people to date, this program succeeds in giving equal importance to the cultures of both the hearing disabled and ordinary people and expressing the importance of mutual understanding and respect. Furthermore, the program is powerfully persuasive in describing useful applications of new technology, including computers, for disabled people.