Access All: Disability News and Mental Health

By BBC Sounds

What's Access All: Disability News and Mental Health about?

Weekly podcast about mental health, wellbeing and disabled people.

Life stories and solutions with a friendly touch – for listeners around the world.

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Access All: Disability News and Mental Health episodes:

04.24.2024
Life in a mental health unit when you shouldn't be there
Emma Tracey speaks to the mother of a 35 year old woman with learning disabilities who she says has been living “unnecessarily” in a mental health facility for 10 years. She says there is no reason for her to be...
04.17.2024
Access All’s 100th episode
It's Access All's 100th edition! To mark the occasion we’ve provided a bumper episode – including an interview with Rose Ayling-Ellis talking about how she is changing the conversation around British Sign Language. Also on the show: A glimpse...
04.11.2024
Outrage at ableist ‘prejudice’
Disability activist and commentator Samantha Renke says the law on disability hate speech needs to be strengthened after a podcast discussion about dating someone in a wheelchair goes viral. Also on the show: Actress and comedian Ashley Storrie talks about...
04.03.2024
Disability academic Tom Shakespeare: Why I've started writing novels with a disabled hero
Tom Shakespeare is Access All presenter Emma Tracey's special guest for an Easter spectacular edition of the podcast. He talks about becoming a novelist for the first time in his 50s, and why he created a disabled character to be...
03.27.2024
Bradley Riches: autism, Celebrity Big Brother and me
Heartstopper star Bradley Riches lifts the lid on how he coped with having autism as a contestant on Celebrity Big Brother. Also on the show: the inventor of a new dating app which he says is fully neuro-diverse friendly....
03.20.2024
UK government questioned on commitment to disabled people’s rights
The UN in Geneva questions the UK government on its commitment to disabled people. We speak to two people who followed the proceedings - disability reporter Rachel Charlton-Dailey and Rensa Gaunt from Inclusion London, which campaigns for equality for deaf...
03.13.2024
What was in the budget for disabled people?
In this episode, Emma Tracey gets reaction to Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s spending plans from Fazilet Hadi of Disability Rights UK. Plus Stephen Kingdom from the Disabled Children’s Partnership on the Budget announcement that £105 million is to be spent on...
03.06.2024
I can’t work without my ADHD meds
The ADHD medication shortage is still not over – and promises made by the main manufacturer and the government to fix the problem by April are being questioned. Drugs prescribed to help manage the condition – and one in particular,...
02.26.2024
I’m a disabled student about to leave college, what next?
Emma Tracey speaks with 20-year-old disabled student Laith , who fought for a good accessible education at the National Star specialist college in Gloucestershire. He feels he's got education under his belt but for what? After college, will he be...
02.19.2024
Bryony Gordon and the conjoined twin ‘warriors’
Journalist and mental health advocate, Bryony Gordon, joins Emma Tracey in the studio to talk about her new book, Mad Woman. It’s all about her OCD, alcohol addiction, binge eating, recoveries and relapses. Bryony dives deep into what she calls...
02.12.2024
To holiday or not: Can Direct Payments be used for short breaks?
Nathan Lee Davies had spent years carefully managing his Direct Payments to save up for a six-day short break to Florida. But when Nathan, who has a life-limiting condition, excitedly told Wrexham Borough County Council about his plans it decided...
02.06.2024
The Disability Action Plan Explained
After being consulted on, the government's long-awaited Disability Action Plan is now out there. New Disability Minister Mims Davies says that it's one pillar of the government's overall work for disabled peple, and it'll transform lives. But with the level...
01.29.2024
Mollie from The Traitors
Mollie Pearce joins us to talk in-depth about those final moments in BBC One's hugely successful reality show, The Traitors. She was one of three disabled people in the cast of 22 who started but was the last disabled woman...
01.24.2024
Michael Owen: “I'd swap eyes with my son if I could”
We've got an extra Access All podcast this week. Former England striker Michael Owen and his son James came into the Access All studio in London to talk about how James is losing his sight, their attitude towards it, and...
01.22.2024
Drugs Shortage: Why Can’t I Get My Tablets?
Certain medications remain in short supply or out of stock across the UK, which pharmacists have described as a “life threatening” situation, but why is it happening? Community pharmacist and chair of the National Pharmacy Association, Nick Kaye, explains the...
01.15.2024
What’s the BSL sign for ‘Throuple’?
Language about sexuality has exploded and, as a result, the LGBT sign language community has found themselves needing new signs to describe the ideas British people are talking about. We talk to Dr Patrick Rosenburg who helped come up with new...
01.08.2024
'I've lost thousands because of my ADHD'
Impulse spending, losing glasses and misinterpreting conditions on credit cards can mean a great deal of unnecessary expense for people with ADHD. Within the community some refer to it as the "ADHD Tax". Rach Idowu from the Adulting with ADHD newsletter...
12.27.2023
Best of Access All 2023
Nikki Fox and Emma Tracey present some of our favourite interviews from 2023. From celebs through to people with amazing stories that we've helped bring to the public's attention. At 41, Melanie, a disabled Australian woman, had never had sex...
12.18.2023
The Minister Before Christmas
Mims Davies is the new disability minister but she's in a lower ranked role than her predecessor with other duties to attend to. We speak to James Taylor, Scope's Director of Strategy, plus Caroline Nokes, MP, and Vicky Foxcroft, Labour’s...
12.12.2023
Climate Change: As seen by disabled people in peril
From fresh-water wells flooded by salty sea water, to avoiding inaccessible emergency shelters, we hear from Ari in Samoa and Melvina in the Solomon Islands about the impact climate change is having on their very exposed corner of the world. It...
12.04.2023
The musical instrument you can play with your fingers, legs or eyes
Access All collaborates with BBC Radio 3 on an item about the Clarion, a musical instrument which can be played by anyone by anything - from fingers to Eyegaze technology. Our guests are Barry Farrimond-Chuong, the CEO of Open Up...
11.27.2023
My first year as a disabled astronaut
We head to Cologne, Germany, where we catch-up with the man they dubbed the parastronaut - former Paralympian and surgeon John McFall. He was recruited by the European Space Agency one year ago to work out how space travel might...
11.20.2023
Who in the Whoniverse is Ruth Madeley?
Actor Ruth Madeley plays wheelchair-using Shirley Anne Bingham in the first of three Doctor Who anniversary specials, with the first one kicking off on Saturday 25 November. Joining her is super-fan Tom Harries, known as Tharries on his YouTube channel. The...
11.13.2023
The Harry Potter stuntman on his life-changing accident
Harry Potter stuntman, David Holmes, opens up about his life-changing accident when he dislocated his spinal cord on the set of The Deathly Hallows Part 1, leading to paralysis. He also talks about his firm friendship with Harry Potter himself,...
11.06.2023
Power to the (Disabled) People
This week we look at the challenges and financial risks of using the Equality Act when it comes to transport services. Anna Lawson, professor of law at University of Leeds, and Tim McSharry who volunteers with Access Use-Ability Group give us...
10.27.2023
Why vision impaired people struggle to pay by touchscreens
Paying by card is simple for most of us, but for some visually impaired people, newer, touch screen card readers can be a problem. RNIB’s Dave Williams tells us about the challenges as well as the workarounds. And lawyer Chris...
10.19.2023
Disability Hate Crime: What’s really going on?
We meet actor Eloise Pennycott from BBC Three's Phoenix Rise. She lost her hearing four years ago and now, at 18, is one of the sparkiest deaf/disabled people we've come across for a while. She talks about her character Daisy...
10.12.2023
Minister for Disabled People talks to Access All
Minister for Disabled People, Tom Pursglove, joins Nikki Fox In the studio to talk about what he’s been up to since taking over the role in 2022. They go deep into topics including work, benefits and his love of cricket… ...
10.05.2023
How do wheelchair users weigh themselves?
When Lizzie posted on Facebook that she hasn’t been able to weigh herself for 22 years, including through three pregnancies, it sparked our interest about access to scales. Gillian also told us she’s been trying to keep check of her weight...
10.03.2023
Are disabled people forgotten in climate disaster plans?
Access All joins forces with The Climate Question this week to explore an important global issue. About 16 percent of the world’s population is thought to be disabled, but they are still 2 to 4 times more likely to be...
09.28.2023
Disability charity takes 'murderous' swipe at government
This week the government launched Ask, Don’t Assume, a campaign to encourage the public to ask before trying to assist disabled people. However, Disability Rights UK accused them of “purple washing” and called the government “murderous” in a post on...
09.21.2023
‘My worry is my care will be cut and I will end up in a care home’
Budgets are tight at local authorities across the country and this week, Bristol City Council launched a consultation on what it calls its ‘Fair and Affordable Care Policy’. Some residents fear the policy, if implemented, could see them relocated to care...
09.14.2023
Robot guide dogs to help blind people
Email [email protected] with stories that you want Access All to cover. Our hosts, Nikki Fox and Emma Tracy really want to hear your ideas. In this episode, we’re checking out access in Japan. How does it compare to the UK?...
09.07.2023
Disability benefits: How they could change
This week, out-of-the-blue, the government released a consultation on changes to the Work Capability Assessment, which it had previously announced it would scrap. Nikki Fox and Emma Tracey unravel what it could mean for you with James Taylor, executive director...
08.31.2023
Gail Porter: 'Has anyone here been sectioned?'
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...
08.23.2023
‘I know what madness is, and this is the good kind’
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...
08.17.2023
Interview Special: Victoria Canal and Tommy Jessop
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...
08.10.2023
After the honeymoon
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...
08.03.2023
‘You’ve been ablesplained!’
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...
07.27.2023
One disabled air passenger, two tickets
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...
07.20.2023
The sea shanty star and anxiety attacks
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....
07.13.2023
‘I’m just a nerd living in a care home in North Yorkshire’
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...
07.06.2023
Ellie Simmonds: 'Who actually am I?'
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...
06.29.2023
‘Lewis Capaldi has done so much for the Tourette’s community’
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,...
06.22.2023
Rose Ayling-Ellis: ‘We all need the feeling of belonging somewhere’
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...
06.16.2023
Festivals: 'It was just a complete nightmare from start to finish"
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...
06.08.2023
It’s in your Best Interests to listen to this
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...
06.01.2023
‘It was petrifying’: The family left on the side of the M1
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...
05.25.2023
Life's an accessible beach
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...
05.18.2023
‘I hit the fire alarm and evacuated the airport’
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...

What's Access All: Disability News and Mental Health about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Access All: Disability News and Mental Health episodes:

Life in a mental health unit when you shouldn't be there

Access All’s 100th episode

Outrage at ableist ‘prejudice’

Disability academic Tom Shakespeare: Why I've started writing novels with a disabled hero

Bradley Riches: autism, Celebrity Big Brother and me

UK government questioned on commitment to disabled people’s rights

What was in the budget for disabled people?

I can’t work without my ADHD meds

I’m a disabled student about to leave college, what next?

Bryony Gordon and the conjoined twin ‘warriors’

To holiday or not: Can Direct Payments be used for short breaks?

The Disability Action Plan Explained

Mollie from The Traitors

Michael Owen: “I'd swap eyes with my son if I could”

Drugs Shortage: Why Can’t I Get My Tablets?

What’s the BSL sign for ‘Throuple’?

'I've lost thousands because of my ADHD'

Best of Access All 2023

The Minister Before Christmas

Climate Change: As seen by disabled people in peril

The musical instrument you can play with your fingers, legs or eyes

My first year as a disabled astronaut

Who in the Whoniverse is Ruth Madeley?

The Harry Potter stuntman on his life-changing accident

Power to the (Disabled) People

Why vision impaired people struggle to pay by touchscreens

Disability Hate Crime: What’s really going on?

Minister for Disabled People talks to Access All

How do wheelchair users weigh themselves?

Are disabled people forgotten in climate disaster plans?

Disability charity takes 'murderous' swipe at government

‘My worry is my care will be cut and I will end up in a care home’

Robot guide dogs to help blind people

Disability benefits: How they could change

Gail Porter: 'Has anyone here been sectioned?'

‘I know what madness is, and this is the good kind’

Interview Special: Victoria Canal and Tommy Jessop

After the honeymoon

‘You’ve been ablesplained!’

One disabled air passenger, two tickets

The sea shanty star and anxiety attacks

‘I’m just a nerd living in a care home in North Yorkshire’

Ellie Simmonds: 'Who actually am I?'

‘Lewis Capaldi has done so much for the Tourette’s community’

Rose Ayling-Ellis: ‘We all need the feeling of belonging somewhere’

Festivals: 'It was just a complete nightmare from start to finish"

It’s in your Best Interests to listen to this

‘It was petrifying’: The family left on the side of the M1

Life's an accessible beach

‘I hit the fire alarm and evacuated the airport’