Gear, Gadgets and Gizmos

In the vibrant world of music, where melody knows no boundaries, Barrington Chambers is an inspiring figure. In our latest edition of "Gear Gadgets and Gizmos," we had the privilege to interview Barrington, a remarkable Afro Caribbean musician whose journey is nothing short of extraordinary. A short time after coming to the UK from Jamaica in 1999 Barrington's life took an unexpecte...

Welcome to this Gear, Gadgets and Gizmos episode, where we explore Rob Smith's innovative company, Active Hands. Today's episode focuses on Rob's experience following a spinal cord injury and his challenges in finding suitable gripping aids.  Realizing the need for better solutions, Rob designed and developed prototypes in his home, eventually founding Active Hands in 2008. He has d...

Phil Friend the Chair of the Research Institute for Disabled Consumers (RiDC), talks to Gordon McCullough, the CEO of RIDC, about the launch of the National Centre for Accessible Transport. (NCAT) What is the purpose of the centre? Why does NCAT matter? What part will RIDC play? How do we ensure that disabled people are at the heart of the project? All these questions and many others are addressed...

This episode features Molly O'Brien,  a Senior Research and Insight Advisor at Activity Alliance, a charity that promotes disability-inclusive sports and activities. Molly has hearing and visual impairments. She has first-class degrees in sociology and research methods. She is a qualified yoga teacher and a ballet dancer and enjoys outdoor activities. Molly's impairments mean that she us...

Peter Goadby-Watt has been a photographer for over thirty years. He started his career as a photographic assistant and freelance photographer. He joined the BBC photographic studio (88-90)  before joining the Metropolitan Police Service in 1990 - 2014 as a forensic photographer and Head of Forensic Training. There, he honed his skills using multiple formats, film processing and printing; he joined...

In this episode of Gear, Gadgets and Gizmos, Nigel Lewis talks about his passion for IT and how it can transform the lives of disabled and older people. He also reminds us there is still much to do to ensure that technology is accessible, inclusive and available to all. His career began in software development, and he has since worked in many aspects of IT services over the years. Nigel Lewis was...

Shelly Gaynor is Peer Mentor of Independent Living Movement Ireland (ILMI), with a passion for technology, particularly Assistive Technology (AT) and how it can be deployed to remove barriers that many disabled people encounter. Shelly sees technology as putting everyone on an even playing field, and human rights for disabled people are fundamental to her. Shelly directs a Personal Assistants Serv...

Andy Garrett has a retinal partial sight condition [Macular Dystrophy] affecting his central field of vision. He worked as a police officer with the Metropolitan Police before moving to GSK. Andy's role with GSK is as Global Programme Director of their Workplace Adjustments Service. The service supports employees in securing the adjustments and accessibility solutions they need at work and re...

Fiona worked as a sales manager, successfully selling multi-million-pound software systems yet becoming progressively more disabled. When taking clients to the latest cool restaurant or bar, she made sure that venues had the appropriate accessibility & facilities. Realising this information was of use to other disabled people, it became the basis of the website www. BlueBadgeStyle.com and the...

Simone was born with shortened arms and legs as a consequence of the drug Thalidomide.  She lives in Reading, Berkshire.    After attending mainstream school, she worked for many years as a Secretary at Berkshire County Council and for Blue Circle Cement and later as an administrator for the Thalidomide Society.  Following the birth of her daughter in 1996 and spurred on by the lack of support for...

Dr Rachael Grimaldi is an anaesthetist based at The Royal Sussex County Hospital.  She decided to try and solve a major problem when she heard the story of a critically ill patient who talked about his terror when he couldn’t understand what healthcare staff were saying to him through their personal protective equipment (face masks, visors and hoods). Rachael was on maternity leave and stranded in...

The coronavirus has had a massive impact on everyone, and the Research Institute for Disabled Consumers (RIDC)  had to change and adapt to get through the crisis. In this podcast, Gordon McCullough, the CEO of RIDC, discusses the important role the organisation has played in bringing disabled people's voices into the COVID conversation.  With over 2000 disabled members, the RIDC Consumer Pane...

Hazel Dudley is retired having worked for many years in the Civil Service as a personal secretary.  She went blind in her childhood and now puts her considerable skills as a blind person to good use as a panel member for RIDC testing apps and websites.  She says she'll try her hand at most things so long as "it's legal." Hazel has developed (pun intended) a keen interest in pho...

After leaving school Gavin Neate joined the armed forces and served in the military police as a dog handler. He was based up at RAF Lucas, and just north of Lucas was a Guide Dogs for the Blind training centre and he used to go along and do voluntary work. On finishing his military career and not unnaturally he applied for and then became a guide dog instructor. He saw first hand the difficulties...

After a successful career in IT working in the finance industry, Patrick Burke was forced to take medical retirement as a result of Multiple Sclerosis. After initially struggling to adjust to his new "normal" he now spends much of his time exploring the impact of his condition and how it affects others. He continues his search for things that will either make life easier or that will spe...

Resolute, determined, funny, innovative and creative Mary Duffy is all of these things. As a Thalidomide survivor, she has invented all sorts of ingenious ways of managing her daily life and her artistic career without arms. Mary lives by the sea in Wicklow in Ireland and is an accomplished and honoured artist. Aside from her painting, she's tried pottery and photography. She loves gardening...

Steph's career started in the fashion industry where she designed for high street labels, such as Ted Baker and M&S. She had always wanted to be a fashion designer and says she was working hard, playing hard and keen to make her mark. As her career began to take off disability came into her life when she unexpectedly experienced sight loss. Her company, Making Lemonade was initially born...

Sue Kent is a massage therapist who uses her feet to massage. She pioneered this technique due to an upper limb disability caused by the drug thalidomide. She has 8-inch-long arms and seven fingers and no thumbs. She has a little strength or grip ability in her hands. Sue uses both her feet and her arms to do daily tasks, and she sometimes uses her teeth although she isn't sure this is always...

Rudi has been a wheelchair user since 1971 following an accident which paralysed his legs, arms and hands, although he can still use his hands to some extent despite having no finger movement. He says he was fortunate to have been able to receive a university education, albeit in an ancient, entirely un-adapted environment.  He has worked in various industries including the charitable sector, tele...

Ross Hovey works for Lloyds Banking Group as their Accessibility Manager. His role is to create an inclusive environment for disabled colleagues and he leads on the workplace adjustment programme. Outside of work, he is a board director for Changing Places (campaigning for better toilet facilities for the most severely disabled people), a co-chair of … Continue reading "Ross Hovey – Red Throu...

Shannon Murray is an actress, writer, disability consultant and a solicitor, on top of this she is also an accomplished keynote speaker.  Shannon was left paralysed from the waist down after a diving accident when she was 14 years old and first received international media attention a few years after her injury when she won the first ever search for a disabled model. She has since campaigned for t...

Andy Healey is an aerospace writer and published author. He blogs on mobility and disabled travel at JohnnySombreroRides.com (http:// JohnnySombreroRides.com) . Andy flew helicopters in the Royal Navy and subsequently for an air-taxi operator near London, before breaking his back in a 1985 flying accident. Since then he has written for most UK national newspapers and presented for the BBC and Chan...

Jamie Knight is an autistic web developer, writer, speaker and mountain biker. Lion is a plushie who goes everywhere with him. The duo has spent almost 10 years at the BBC working on everything from iPlayer Radio to children’s gaming. Millions of people use Jamie’s code each day. Lion’s BBC career has mostly been in antelope management. Jamie has been speaking about his autistic life for over 10 y...

Dr Alice Maynard CBE is an experienced Non-Executive Director having worked since the early ‘90s as a Trustee of several Charities and a member of two Housing Association Committees. Alice was Chair of Scope for 6 years, a £100m turnover charity providing services to disabled people with high support needs and campaigning for disabled people’s equality. Alice is a Chartered Director (Institute of...

In this Gear, Gadgets and Gizmos episode from the Research Institute for Disabled Consumers (RIDC), I’m in conversation with Vivek Gohil who has managed to find ways to enjoying gaming by bending technology to his will. Vivek is 29 and from Leicester, he lives with the muscle-wasting condition Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, he uses a ventilator to help him breathe and is a powered wheelchair user. H...