Ouch: Disability Talk

Gail Porter's most recent incarnation is in comedy and storytelling related to her experiences of mental ill health, homelessness and hair loss - something she likes to share in the hope it helps other people. Emma Tracey grabbed an interview with her in Edinburgh recently. Sisters, Hermon and Heroda Berhane are fashion influencers. They are also identical twins and are deaf. They had no idea that sign language or Deaf culture existed until they arrived in the UK from their original home in Africa, but they soon took it all on board. Find out more about them in our interview. You can visit them on the web here: beinghermonheroda.com This is the last of our summer interview editions. Access All returns to its usual form next week. We hope you've enjoyed the difference, who wants news in late August, right? Mixed by Emma Crowe. Producers: Keiligh Baker, Rebecca Grisedale-Sherry, Emma Tracey and Beth Rose. Editor Damon Rose. "Alexa, ask the BBC for Access All" and you'll get the very latest edition played at you

The Edinburgh Festival Fringe is in full swing as Nikki Fox joins Emma Tracey in Scotland to put on a show at Dynamic Earth in front of a live festival audience! Comedian Joe Wells reveals how he decided to become King of the Autistics and the unusual way he discovered he was autistic in the first place. Mental health advocate, comedian and writer Juliette Burton confesses that while the rest of the UK “got into Wordle and banana bread” during lockdown, she got into neuroscience as she tried to figure out how her brain works. And Australian actor Sam Brewer has been wowing crowds with his play described by some as a “woke farce” which changes peoples’ perceptions through the power of comedy. The problem is, the play has a name that simply cannot be said on a BBC podcast… Recorded by, and with huge thanks to the BBC Edinburgh Festivals team. Mixed by Dave O’Neill Produced by Beth Rose, Keiligh Baker and Emma Tracey The editor is Damon Rose Email: accessall@bbc.co.uk and Google us for the latest trans

Musician Victoria Canal won the Ivor Novello Rising Star award in May, and has built an army of fans since supporting Hozier on tour around the UK this summer. She tells Nikki Fox and Emma Tracey how it felt to have Coldplay’s Chris Martin praise her songwriting, why she’d love to collaborate with The 1975 and how she found her sound by adapting her technique on the guitar. Plus, Victoria gets deep about the experience of writing about her body for the first time, and how it felt as someone with a limb difference, to hear ten thousand people sing her lyrics back at her. Victoria’s UK headline tour starts in September before she sets out on the road across Europe and the US. Actor Tommy Jessop made a big splash in the TV series EVERYONE was talking about – Line of Duty. When the show wrapped however, the phone stopped ringing. So, Tommy decided if he wanted to be a lead actor in a film, he was going to have to make it happen himself. ‘Tommy Goes To Hollywood’ is the new BBC Two documentary which tells

When education finishes, where do young disabled adults with complex needs find their home and a fulfilling life? One couple from Surrey have, with council backing, set-up a residential care home where disabled people own their own accommodation and enjoy stimulating pastimes. We speak to Sally Lawrence, founder of the home, Linden Farm, and Sarah London, a mum who has just submitted the paperwork to try and set one up for her son and others to live in. Samantha Renke joins Nikki Fox to discuss the latest in TV culture: A new dating show hits Netflix for people with Down's syndrome. Snow White's new diverse companions, as one newspaper puts it, are no longer dwarfs. And Hugh Grant, definitely not someone with dwarfism, is now an Oompa-Loompa. And TikTok star Fats Timbo is a celebrity captain in the Superhero Series, a para-sports event. She joins us to tell us more about it, and about her new empowered world as an influencer where she turns frustrating disability moments into video skits. Recorded and m

If you have problems with your bones, have you thought about drinking more milk? Rude and often silly questions can be an annoying part of everyday disabled life, but did you know this microaggression actually has a name? It’s called ‘ablesplaining’ and Nikki Fox and Emma Tracey have a lot to say about the annoying younger brother of mansplaining. Was your last medical appointment serene and relaxed or did you feel against the clock? A new survey of 1058 NHS frontline workers has revealed they feel the heat too with 71% saying they don’t have enough time to tend to their patients as they would like. Dr Georgie and Dan Scorer, from Mencap, offer up thoughts and solutions. And Elle McNicoll, the bestselling author behind A Kind Of Spark visits the studio to chat about writing, her amazing neurodiverse cast for the TV series and why office politics were so confusing in her early 20s (just a few short years ago). Produced by: Beth Rose, Keiligh Baker, Rebecca Grisedale-Sherry, Emma Tracey Research by: Efe

The BBC's Alex Taylor investigated 100 airlines to see how many offer free or discounted airline tickets for personal assistants to travel. Industry guidelines recommend it, but how many really follow that guidance? Melody Powell joins us to talk about the unfairness of the situation.Felix Klieser is an internationally renowned French horn player and is about to make his debut at the BBC Proms. Born without arms, he has perfected how to play the instrument with his feet. We dig deep to find out what a problem solver he really is. And presenters Nikki Fox and Emma Tracey discuss Channel 4's new adaptive fashionable clothing show (yes, I really did write that, and it IS what you think it is) and how much they enjoyed it. Studio Manager was Gareth Jones and sound mixer was Ethan Connolly-Forster. Produced by: Beth Rose, Keiligh Baker, Jack Taylor with intern power from Efe. The editor was Damon Rose. Email accessall@bbc.co.uk and say "Alexa, ask the BBC for Access All" for your smart-speaker to play the latest

Remember the ridiculously popular Wellerman song? This week, the 28-year-old star behind the sea shanty, Nathan Evans, joins presenters Nikki Fox and Emma Tracey to talk about his mental health. Anger against the government and rail authorities is hotting up. Sarah Leadbetter is taking legal action over plans to close railway ticket offices across England which disabled people say will hit them the hardest. Sassy Wyatt from Blind Girl Adventures talks about how her independence and confidence will go if the ticket offices get shut down. Plus which airports provide the best assistance? The CAA has ranked them for this year, listen in and see if you agree which one is best and which is worst. Recorded, mixed and polished by Dave O'Neill, produced by Beth Rose, Keiligh Baker, Natasha Fernandes and Emma Tracey. The editor was Damon Rose. Also available as a transcript and on 5 Live on Monday mornings, bright and early. You can also say: "Alexa, ask the BBC for Access All" to your smart-speaker. Subscribe

Getting tickets to see Taylor Swift’s Era’s Tour has been widely reported as difficult. But getting tickets for accessible seats at Wembley has proved even harder and has had to be done the old fashioned way - by phone. Music journalist, Faith Martin made over 2,000 calls to the line before getting through. With much relief, and tickets in hand, she recounts the frustration disabled Swifties have faced. We tell the story of an asylum centre in Essex which exclusively houses disabled people. It's got level floor access but it has no accessible fittings and fixtures, and no care staff which is causing real hardship. We speak to BBC journalist Simon Dedman, Maria Wilby from RAMA, the charity for asylum seekers, and two people living in the facility, to find out what's going on and who is taking responsibility. And Doug Paulley, a disability rights campaigner from Leeds, joins us to talk about his work. He was the man who famously took First Buses to court to ensure wheelchair spaces on buses were prioritised

Paralympian and former Strictly contestant Ellie Simmonds speaks to Emma Tracey about having been given up by her mother, in part, due to concern at her having achondroplasia - a condition which leads to dwarfism. A complicated situation, Ellie holds no anger towards her for the decision. She was soon adopted and it was through the people she thinks of as her parents that she got into swimming and the life she loves. Find out what she discovered about herself when she met her birth mum recently. And rolling round social media right now is a big debate about the title of comedian Rosie Jones new documentary. It's caused controversy because the title contains the R-word, a much disliked word amongst many disabled people. Rosie, however, argues that it helps people to understand what a gut-punch the word is by front-loading her programme it in this way. Debating it is Rachel Charlton-Dailey, Harry Roche and Mik Scarlet. Recorded and mixed by Dave O'Neill, produced by Emma Tracey, Natasha Fernandes and Beth R

Singer Lewis Capaldi’s Glastonbury performance went down in history after the crowd stepped in when his voice cut-out. He’s announced he won’t be touring for the foreseeable as he adjusts to a recent Tourette’s syndrome diagnosis. Friend of the show, and TV personality, Aidy Smith gives us his hot take on why this moment was so important to the Tourette’s community.Think tank, The Work Foundation at Lancaster University reveals to Access All that disabled workers are 1.5 times more likely to be in “severely insecure employment,” compared to non-disabled workers. We hear from Pippa, who went freelance because of the challenges she faced in the office, and Angela from the Business Disability Forum, who gives some top tips on navigating the workplace.And visually impaired writer and disability commentator, Selina Mills, chats to Emma Tracey about her new book, Lives Unseen, a history of blindness through the ages including the moment she discovered there was a blind Neanderthal 50,000 years ago and the time she

In her new documentary, Signs For Change, Rose Ayling-Ellis goes on a personal journey into the deaf experience to ask if attitudes are changing towards deaf people. The actor and Strictly winner pops by to talk about how emotional it was to look back on her childhood and describes her work to make life on set better for deaf people. Presenter Nikki Fox gets excited about a recent visit to a specialist disability-friendly gym, (spoiler alert, she forgot to wear a bra) and co-presenter Emma Tracey explores why blue badge theft is up 41% and what can be done to stop the rise. Recorded and mixed by Dave O'Neill. Produced by Keiligh Baker, Emma Tracey and Sophie Wallace. The editor was Jonathan Aspinwall.

This year's Download music festival in Leicestershire has received lots of negative feedback on social media from disabled people. From unstable wheelchair stands to tents being pitched too close together and people getting run over. Festival-goers tell us accessibility has taken a nosedive in the year Download marked its 20th anniversary. To get to the bottom of what happened, we hear from three people who were at the festival and the founder of Festability. Nikki Fox returns to the subject of Child Trust Funds set up during the noughties under Labour, and discovers that if you have over £6,000 in savings at 18, and can't spend it due to incapacity rules, your Universal Credit entitlement shrinks. Was that really the plan? And we speak to the founder of Wheely Haunted, Jayne Mortimore, who has not only seen and heard ghosts but has also created a website where you can find that most elusive of things ... an accessible old building that everyone can visit to find paranormal happening. Presented by Nikk

Best Interests is the new BBC One drama about teenager Marnie, who has a life-limiting condition and whose doctors have recommended her treatment should be stopped. Bafta-winning writer Jack Thorne - well known for being a disability advocate - drops in to talk about writing it, making it and also about his recent autism diagnosis. The Cost of Living Crisis rumbles on affecting many disabled people. This week we focus on people with cystic fibrosis and how this makes life more expensive after a report reveals 7% of those with the condition are now getting groceries from food banks - a figure that is twice the national average. We speak to Holly, mum to two-year-old Amelia who has cystic fibrosis, and Ben Kind from the CF Trust. And presenters Nikki Fox and Emma Tracey read out your messages about delays to roadside assistance for disabled people. Recorded and mixed by Dave O'Neill, produced by Keiligh Baker, Emma Tracey, and Beth Rose, series producer. The editor was Damon Rose.

Sophie Smart was travelling back from a birthday outing with her eight-year-old son Karson, who has cerebral palsy and epilepsy, when the car’s clutch failed on the M1.As members of Motability and on a priority-list they expected the RAC to be with them in under an hour - but after repeated calls and further communication with National Highways and the Police over a seven-hour period, no-one ever turned up. Sophie tells Nikki and Emma how the situation became a four-day ordeal and Graham Footer, from Disabled Motoring UK, offers advice on what disabled drivers and passengers should do if they find themselves in a similar situation.Author Lizzie Huxley-Jones visits the studio to discuss their debut novel, Vivi Conway and the Sword of Legend, and we get an update on Daisy Simpson, who has been stuck in an inaccessible flat for more than two years while she waits for an adapted home.Plus listener Rikki sent in a very special message – if you’d like to do the same, email accessall@bbc.co.uk, tweet us @BBCAccessAl

Which would you prefer, sand in your swimsuit or sand in your wheelchair? Nikki Fox and Emma Tracey discuss the 300 beaches that have been made accessible for disabled people in Greece. Little AI robots have started using pavements to deliver shopping to homes in Wakefield, one of a handful of towns in the UK where such services have popped-up. We talk to Lisa Johnson from Starship Technologies, the company behind it, which reaches out to disabled people before these robots arrive in new areas. And Steve Tyler, from the charity Leonard Cheshire, talks about his experience of being on the advisory panel. Musician and author, Eliza Hull, talks about parenting as a disabled person and how seeing ramps at music award ceremonies help budding disabled artists "see it to be it", as the phrase goes. Sound recording and design was by Dave O'Neill. The production team were: Beth Rose, Keiligh Baker, Emma Tracey and Rebecca Grisedale-Sherry. Editor was Damon Rose.

It's Mental Health Awareness Week. Nikki and Emma take a deep-dive into the topic of anxiety and find out when feeling anxious can be positive and when it turns detrimental. Faris Khalifa talks about his experience and Stephen Buckley from Mind gives some suggestions on how to find your calm. Model Rosie Viva talks about the year she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder after "hallucinating her way around London" and causing Stansted Airport to be evacuated. PRESENTERS: Nikki Fox, Emma Tracey RECORDED AND MIXED BY: Dave O'Neill PRODUCERS: Keiligh Baker, Emma Tracey, Damon Rose ASSISTANT EDITOR: Beth Rose EDITOR: Damon Rose Email the podcast accessall@bbc.co.uk and don't forget you can listen to us on BBC Sounds on Alexa and a transcript is also available.

This week, Noah Matthews Matofsky, reportedly the first actor with Down's syndrome to land a major role in a Disney movie, takes time out to speak with Nikki and Emma about his time on the set of Peter Pan and Wendy. He reveals what Captain Hook (Jude Law) got up to between takes and how he kept up with his schooling while on location in Canada. With Eurovision just moments away (that could be the name of our entry for 2024, right?), we look at the always diverse contest to see which disability inclusive acts you should look out for this weekend. And, a real eye-opener, we find out what your local council wants you to prove before you are considered disabled and homeless … clue, getting a blue badge seems candy-stealingly simple in comparison. We hear from Dr Beth Stone from the centre of Disability Studies at the University of Bristol, she's one of the authors of a new report on the situation, and Charlston a disabled man who has twice been homeless. PRESENTERS: Nikki Fox and Emma Tracey RECORDED AND M

TV presenters JJ Chalmers and Ade Adepitan join Nikki and Emma to chat about their roles in the Coronation. From disabled veterans to wellbeing, we unpick the weekend and also take a look at the most accessible ways to enjoy the pageantry. Emma worries that too many stories about disabled people having bad plane experiences will give people compassion fatigue, rather than fix the problem, while Nikki has some exciting intel on the new series of Gladiator. And British-Chinese dancer, Si Rawlinson talks about his new theatre show, Saving Face, based on his experience of serious and numerous food allergies and how he endured pain to cover up who he really was. PRESENTERS: Nikki Fox, Emma Tracey SOUND MIXING: Dave O'Neill PRODUCERS: Rebecca Grisedale-Sherry, Emma Tracey ASSISTANT EDITOR: Beth Rose EDITOR: Damon Rose Say "Alexa, ask the BBC to play Access All" and she will. Search the web if you want a transcript of the podcast, we do one every week. And subscribe to us on BBC Sounds or wherever you get

Aged 43, Melanie had never had sex. After a suggestion from her support worker, all this changed. She went online and found Chayse, a sex worker who was able to sensitively meet her needs. In an extended interview, Melanie and Chayse reveal how they went from spending an hour together to overnight stays. He's now helping her to find love through dating which she's relieved about because the escort business is expensive! Disability minister and all-action-hero Tom Pursglove ruffled the feathers of disabled Twitter-users this week after being filmed on a dawn raid of alleged benefit fraudsters. Nikki and Emma discuss. And when we say film, we mean Hollywood, baby. PRESENTERS: Nikki Fox and Emma Tracey SOUND MIXING: Dave O'Neill PRODUCERS: Rebecca Grisedale-Sherry, Emma Tracey ASSISTANT EDITOR: Beth Rose EDITOR: Damon Rose (no relation) Subscribe now, Google to read the transcript, say "Alexa, ask the BBC for Access All" and look out for our articles on the BBC News website too. See how we look after you

This week Nikki and Emma are joined by British Vogue cover star, Sinéad Burke, who has been assisting its editor-in-chief to embrace disability inclusion. She has the look, she has the words...and she can also make pasta. Hear our extended interview with the Irish activist. And as 30,000 people head to London for Extinction Rebellion’s pro-environment event, we hear from Dan White who will be at the heart of it. He’ll be delivering a speech on the importance of disabled people being at the table when it comes to planning a green and accessible future. Plus, Sam Little gives us her tips on how you can live a climate-friendly life - which can be a bit tricky for some of us, right? PRESENTERS: Nikki Fox, Emma Tracey SOUND AND MIXING: Dave O'Neill PRODUCERS: Becky Grisedale, Emma Tracey and Beth Rose ASSISTANT EDITOR: Beth Rose EDITOR: Damon Rose (no relation) Email Nikki and Emma on accessall@bbc.co.uk or send a voice note on Whatsapp to 0330 1239480. Oh and "Alexa, ask the BBC for Access All" - a nice and