The Way We Roll

This month, we have two guests. First up is Georgina Coleman, founder of Purpl Discounts, a discount platform created by disabled people for disabled people. Frustrated that disabled consumers were often overlooked despite facing higher living costs, Georgina set out to negotiate exclusive savings on everyday essentials, entertainment and more. She shares the story behind launching the business, t...

Has there really been an explosion of people who are neurodivergent? In our latest podcast, Dr Nancy Doyle, founder of Genius Within and organisational psychologist, answers our questions.   Nancy is a social entrepreneur and leading authority on neurodiversity and disability inclusion in the workplace. She created Genius Within – pioneering scalable, evidence-based solutions that empower neurodiv...

It was hard to miss the furore of the offensive language moment at the BAFTAs this year. A couple of months on, we take a cool, reflective look at what went wrong and how we can do better next time. We wonder whether this moment has progressed the inclusion of people with Tourette’s?  It seems the Covid impact on working from home is truly ending as remote work declines and more employees are expe...

In this episode of The Way We Roll, we are joined by broadcaster and journalist Mark Mardell to unpack a shocking travel experience that raises bigger questions about disability, power, and dignity. Airports and airlines often frame decisions around safety — but where is the line between care and control? Mark’s experience highlights how quickly concern can morph into blanket policies based on ass...

The Mouth and Foot Painting Artists (MFPA) has been around since 1957 and has a remarkable impact.  Tom Yendell from the MFPA is our guest and explains the organisation's purpose: supporting artists who paint without using their hands. There are 33 British artists and nearly 800 worldwide, and they are born with a uniqueness or disability or acquire them later in life. MFPA provides a support...

In this episode of The Way We Roll, we’re joined by Dr Georges Petitjean, founder of WARM (Workplace Addiction Recovery Movement). Georges set up WARM after years of seeing the same pattern play out: Employees struggling with substance use were too nervous to tell their employers because of the potential consequences, including discrimination or career damage, rather than support being offered. Al...

Our first podcast of 2026 has our usual mix of debate, provocation, humour, and, we like to think, important insight.  We discuss how disability is reported in the media, and whether we, as disabled readers, have our own bias in seeing it one way.  Do medical prognoses collide with our lived experience? If there is no disability voice is there balance?  For a second topic, we highlight how one min...

We look back on some highlights from The Way We Roll shows from 2025. We start with disability inclusion, featuring Celia Chatres-Aris, then move on to Making Inclusive Television with Henry Smith, and Adaptive Fashion with Victoria Jenkins. We check in with our most-listened-to show, Phil’s difficult trip to Spain, called Malaga Mayhem. We give honourable mentions to Euan’s Guide head, Kiki McDon...

People join an industry, and many adapt to its culture. Occasionally, someone challenges the culture, disrupts it and brings about a new way of thinking. Our guest, Victoria Jenkins, has done just that, and done it in the harsh, fickle world of fashion. Victoria spent 16 years in the fashion industry, acquiring extensive knowledge of garment construction. Among others, she has worked with Victoria...

This month we’re talking about sex and disability — a topic that’s often ignored or treated as taboo. Our guest is Jennie Williams, CEO of Enhance the UK, who’s been a leading voice in breaking down the barriers around intimacy and disability. Jennie talks about what drew her to this work and shares insights from Undressing Disability and The Love Lounge — a space where disabled people can talk op...

In case it’s a new term to you, let us start with a definition of Benevolent Bias in relation to disability. The Wiley Dictionary says “usually manifests as pity or charity, paternalistic protection, and condescending or exaggerated praise for common activities.” A new term perhaps, but not a new behaviour. We discuss.  Coldplay came to Wembley in August and we went to see them. We discuss the sho...

Depending on where you read it, there could be 13 million or 16 million disabled people in the UK. Some statistics suggest 1 in 4 of us, while others indicate 1 in 5. Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch recently suggested the term ‘disabled’ is in danger of losing all meaning. Is she on to something? What is the point of a definition, and what measure do we use?  Some who are disabled under th...

As a disabled person, when you first start talking to a non-disabled person about the barriers to your participation, you can be met with the response, ‘I thought that’s all sorted now. ’ If you suggest they take a look at 20 shops locally, chances are they’ll find many are not physically accessible. And that’s just a high street.  Euan’s Guide carry out a survey asking disabled people in the UK a...

Isn’t it great when you speak with someone and they are on your wavelength, but are also so wise that they make you think a little harder? Our guest this month is one of these people. Celia Chartes-Aris is all about policy, research and law. Her impressive impact led to her being crowned No. 1 on the Disability Power 100 list in 2025. However, her real power lies behind the scenes, being well-conn...

The second part of this month’s show is all about Phil’s recent trip to Malaga. After meticulous planning, Phil and Sue, his wife, set off for some winter sunshine. On landing, a broken powered wheelchair meant limitation, frustration, moments of kindness and a lot of stress and cost. How did Phil and Sue manage? So, will they ever fly again? Let's just say the train to Spain is suddenly look...

Global Disability Summit 2025, Berlin This month, we’re splitting the show into two parts. First up, Simon recently attended the 3rd Global Disability Summit in Berlin. Simon found himself out of the loop, having not attended an event like this for a decade. As is often the case with huge multi-national conferences, they are overwhelming at times, brilliant for meeting people, and have fantastic s...

Somewhere near the Blue Mountains, just outside Sydney, Australia, something special is happening in production. Our guest, Henry Smith, shares insights about it and the organisation he has co-founded, Inclusively Made.  Henry and his partner, Genevieve Clay-Smith, have been creating human-centred films for many years. Henry explains how Genevieve initially stumbled upon working with talented disa...

It is often said that politicians only think short-term. However, twenty years ago, the Labour government released a report titled “Improving the Life Chances of Disabled People.” This cross-government strategy outlined a programme to enhance the opportunities and life chances for disabled individuals by 2025. The aim was that this year, disabled people in Britain would have full opportunities and...

On Friday, 29th November, Members of Parliament voted in favour of a bill to legalise assisted dying in England and Wales. Phil, who is part of Not Dead Yet, an organisation that opposed the bill, gives us an update. He was also at the demonstration outside Westminster Palace.  On our last podcast, our guest Peter Torres Fremlin said that sometimes, as disabled advocates, we need to mature and acc...

This month, to coincide with the International Day of Persons with a Disability 2024, we will explore the international progress of disability inclusion with our two guests. Susan Scott Parker is a renowned global expert and an authoritative voice on disability and its effects on global business. Peter Torres Fremlin is the editor of Disability Debrief, a newsletter that reports on disability news...

We were very sorry to hear of the recent passing of Euan MacDonald MBE. Among Euan’s many achievements was the creation of Euan’s Guide, the award-winning disabled access charity. Perhaps best known for the disabled access review website EuansGuide.com, they also make accessible toilets safer and carry out a huge Access Survey. We remember Euan and talk about his impact. We’re delighted to welcome...

Since its launch in 2019, the Valuable 500 has signed up more than five hundred senior executives from worldwide companies and organisations to put disability on the board agenda. So far, so pretty good. But as the Valuable 500 matures, it is now asking more of its members and wants them to report back on progress. It is holding a meeting in Tokyo in December 2025. At the centre of this is our gue...

Our guests this month are Alice Maynard and Richard Hawkes, formerly of Scope, a leading disability charity in the UK. In 2010, Alice became Chair, and shortly after, Richard joined as Chief Executive Officer.  During their time leading Scope, it went through a significant transformation and a turbulent time. Significant changes included closing services used by disabled people, which attracted pr...

Phil speaks of his disheartening recent experiences at A&E at his local NHS hospital. We grapple with the oh-so-simple task of trying to make the NHS better, as it feels like it’s broken, and how that can break us.  A previous guest and friend of the pod, Abbi Brown, was recently trapped in her flat for days. The lift in her block was broken, and although there was another lift, it was beyond...

If we’re lucky in life, we might find a role that makes sense to us and makes a difference to others. Our guest this month has achieved that and more.  A huge music fan, especially of live music, and a disabled person who’d experienced barriers accessing gigs, Suzanne Bull MBE founded Attitude it Everything in 2000. It a charitable organisation which connects disabled people with music and live ev...