Access All: Disability News and Mental Health

Tom Skelton adds his bizarre sense of humour to the Ouch podcast and talks about his forthcoming Edinburgh Fringe show Blind Man's Bluff. (Scroll down to the Related Links section to find a transcript) In the show he brings historical blind figures to life to help him tell the tale of his sight loss eight years ago. But they’re not the usual blind role models you might think of - gone is David Blu...

This podcast contains discussions about suicide. If you are struggling at the moment, you may choose to leave this episode for another day. Why are so many students dropping out of university due to mental health problems? And what's so great about disability-focused private Facebook groups? Comedian and mental health campaigner Juliette Burton, and TV personality Mik Scarlet, take us through the...

London poet Raymond Antrobus was thought to be dyslexic with severe learning disabilities, until his deafness was discovered at the age of six. (for a transcript, scroll down this page and find it in Related Links) At school, the hearing kids taunted him because he had to sit at the front to hear the teacher, and deaf kids called him a "baby signer" because he came to British Sign Language late an...

Why office treats and commenting on people’s lunch choices can be unhelpful (Scroll down to the Related links section to find a transcript of this podcast) Eleanor Bowes struggled with bulimia at university but now works in an office and, perhaps due to her food related difficulties, has noticed a rise in “cake culture” – where people bring treats in to share. Because she has found this difficult,...

Dave Mercer had been married for three years when he had encephalitis, an inflammation of the brain, which changed his personality and relationship forever. He says the illness turned him into a "moody teenager" with behavioural problems. His wife says if she met him now, she would never marry him. (scroll down to the Related links section to find a transcript of this podcast) During rehabilitatio...

The snap general election is on the horizon so it would be remiss of a disability podcast if we didn't look at the accessibility of voting. It may be 2017, many might assume we've solved these issues by now, but it is still a work in progress. Meet Jordan Smith who has mild learning difficulties and Tracey Garcia from charity Dimensions who tell us more (A transcript can be found in the related li...

Actor Mat Fraser speaks with Ouch's Emma Tracey about his role in Richard III at the Hull Truck theatre starting in May. (A transcript can be found in the related links section of this page) The outspoken and hilarious Fraser discusses everything from queuing for a plane through to kickboxing and acting in this wide-ranging conversation. A must listen. Please like, share and review this podcast on...

In a bit of a first for us, interlopers Seaneen Molloy-Vaughan and Mark Brown takeover the Ouch podcast to discuss a matter they fully know the ins and outs of - mental health. And they bring a fascinating personal angle to it. Launched by the younger royals, the Heads Together campaign has been all over the newsmedia this week with great responses to their calls to smash the stigma and 'talk' abo...

This is the final in a series of seven entertaining and enlightening stories from people who are disabled or have mental health difficulties on the subject of love and relationships. In this edition, Harriet Dyer's best friend and boyfriend blamed her "paranoia" on her mental health difficulties, but she soon found out they were having an affair, a discovery which landed her in a police cell. The...

This is the sixth in a series of seven entertaining and enlightening stories from people who are disabled or have mental health difficulties on the subject of love and relationships. In this edition, Gianluca Trombetta, who is deaf, confesses he hated it when his girlfriend talked before he was ready to listen, so he decided to teach her a lesson. The stories were recorded in March 2017 at an even...

This is the fourth in a series of seven entertaining and enlightening stories from people who are disabled or have mental health difficulties on the subject of love and relationships. In this edition, Georgie Morrell speaks about the loss of her sight in her 20s and having to give up her "sexy London life", until her brother played a prank on her - and taught her how to laugh and live life again....

This month's talk-show is all about the stage as playwright Nicola Werenowska reveals her new play is based on her late diagnosis of dyspraxia. Director Stephen Unwin talks about how his disabled son, Joey, inspired him to look through the history books and create a play about disabled children in Nazi Germany. And musician Ruth Patterson chats about her band Holy Moly and the Crackers. Presented...

This is the third in a series of seven entertaining and enlightening stories from people who are disabled or have mental health difficulties on the subject of love and relationships. In this edition, John talks about how he liked to make sure everyone felt just as miserable as he did when he was depressed, until a chance argument over an audition led him to finding the "light in his life" in the f...

Men rarely talk about male sexual function when it goes wrong, if you know what I mean. So when Mik Scarlet became impotent after his spine collapsed he fell into depression, didn't talk about it, and wondered how he could possibly have an intimate relationship with anyone. (scroll down to Related Links for a transcript of this programme) But then, entirely by accident, a solution arose. You won't...

This is the second in a series of seven entertaining and enlightening stories from people who are disabled or have mental health difficulties, all of which are on the subject of love and relationships. In this edition, Ruby - who had never stepped on a stage before this night - talked about a disastrous date which fell foul of her co-ordination and other symptoms due to dyspraxia. (please scroll d...

Sofie Hagen presents our short series of entertaining and enlightening stories from people who are disabled or have mental health difficulties. This is one of seven podcasts which will go out over the next few weeks, all of which are on the subject of love and relationships. In this edition, the Danish comic tells her own story about the relationships she has with her therapist,friends and food. S...

Can deaf people and blind people be friends? Which bits of spoken office gossip do our non-hearing colleagues pick up? And what does "alp" mean? (scroll down to the Related Links section for a transcript of this programme) Deaf TV producer William Mager answers the Ouch team's nosey questions for Sign Language Week. With interpreter Joe Taylor. Please share this programme on social media plus rate...

Lana Grant has six children and is autistic. She wrote a book about pregnancy and birth and runs the popular Facebook group, Mums on the Spectrum. From making a baby through to the birthing process and social difficulties at the school gate, there's a lot to talk about, and Lana has been drinking-in information about it for years now. Another of her special interests - what we used to call autisti...

Meet the mum with ADHD whose video rant went viral, the woman who washes her clothes in cola to help her skin condition, and the chronic illness blogger who has turned her back on clean eating. Andrea Bell and her two sons have forms of Attention Deficit Disorder - she tells how a diagnosis changed their lives. Now she runs a charity helping others in the same boat and why she sees the disability...

Three disabled entrepreneurs share their wisdom and practical tips for building a business. Liz Jackson is blind. She got support from the government’s Access to Work scheme when running a company of over 100 staff. Ben Wolfenden has cystic fibrosis. He built his business quickly so he could step back as his health deteriorated. Clive Collins is a wheelchair user following an accident 25 years ago...

It's time for the weekly shop. Disabled mum Lizzy Gwilliam and the Ouch team have news of some recent developments which might make shopping that little bit easier. One of the newest hacks includes the wheelchair accessible trolley with space for a baby seat. Please share the link on your social media, and if you rate and review us on iTunes, or wherever you get your podcasts from, it'll help more...

NHS mental health director Mandy Stevens joins us on our monthly talk show to discuss being hospitalised for depression herself. She recently posted about it on social media and the unusual "back to the floor" perspective helped it go viral. She's raising awareness about mental health difficulties but what did she learn? US campaigner and podcaster Emily Ladau reviews what's being talked about in...

How footage taken by guide dog Kika’s wearable camera went viral and the positive change it’s had on her owner Amit’s interactions with the public. With Amit Patel, Daniel Gordon, Kathleen Hawkins, Emma Tracey and guide dogs Kika and Verona. Please share the link on your social media, and if you rate and review us on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts from, then it'll help more like-minded p...

The wheelchair v buggy case winner on life in a care home and fighting discrimination. Here’s an interview we did with Doug Paulley in 2014 for the Ouch talk show. In it, he describes an ”average Doug day” and the toll that fighting disability discrimination cases has had on his mental and physical health. Rob Crossan and Kate Monaghan present. Please share the link on your social media, and if yo...

It has been snowing widely in the UK in recent days. But other than it being colder and slippier, what other ways does it affect people who can't see? On this edition of Inside Ouch, Emma Tracey and Damon Rose are joined by sound artist Amie Slavin to discuss how weather can radically affect the sound of the environment around you. All three are blind. Find out why rain can be incredibly helpful w...