The Way We Roll

If disability and television are your thing, you will have noticed some significant improvements of late. On-screen, we know #RepresentationMatters but behind the camera is equally important.

Our guests this month are two of the people who are instrumental in changing the landscape of disability and television. Nichola Garde is the Project Manager of Elevate. This is the BBC’s mid-career-boosting scheme for behind screen talent who have a disability. Allan MacKillop is Disability Team Leader covering both creative and workforce strategy at the BBC. A massive brief with high expectations. 

We asked Allan and Nichola why so much change now? What do they think are the best methods for the improvement of disability and television? We talk pan-industry as Channel 4, ITV, Netflix, and others push this forward. Indeed, Netflix has a genre of disability-related programmes now.  We ask Allan and Nichola’s advice on getting in and getting ahead in the industry. Finally, we offer them a magic wand to see what else is on their wish list. Naturally, we ask how they got to where they are and what adjustments they need to be the best they can be. 

Links 

Twitter   @NicholaGarde   @AllanMacKill

BBC Elevate 

BBC Extend

ITV Disability 

Channel 4 Disability

Netflix and BBC

Netflix Disability shows 

It’s a fantastic show this month - insight, depth, nostalgia, vulnerability, power and the future.  

The BBC recently broadcast a docudrama telling the story of the disability rights campaigners of the early 1990s in the UK. Using the love story between two key protagonists, Then Barbara Met Allan is a landmark piece of television. Not only because of the story it told but the number of creative disabled people who made it. It allows Phil and Simon to take a joyful and triumphant walk and wheel down memory lane to talk about their memories of this time and the impact it had on the country as well as so many individuals. 

Slips trips and falls are a common occurrence for some with a disability. Unfortunately, Phil recently took a tumble. When you’re campaigning for social justice, you’re seemingly invincible but in reality, we can all experience moments when things don’t go as planned. What can you do, what can you change and does the fall or the shame hurt the most? 

We talk about what is happening to disabled people in Ukraine. We have a remarkable update from Sarah, one of our immunocompromised guests from the previous show and a lovely Listener's Corner on the impact it made. Geoff tells us all about Yellow Jackets and there’s a shout out for your help on a future show. 

Links

Then Barbara Met Alan 

Wikipedia 

BBC iPlayer 

Disabled people’s Direct Action Network 

Disability Rights, a history as a wallchart

BBC article When disabled people took to the streets to change the law

Barbara Lisicki aka Wanda Barbara

Johnny Crescendo aka Alan Holdsworth 

Disabled people in Ukraine 

Sophie Morgan book 

Yellow Jackets 

Coronavirus restrictions are easing here in the UK and around the world. We are said to be on the road to freedom; masks are dropping, hand sanitiser solidifying, and we're willing to take a chance again. 

For many, this is excellent news, but not for all. For those who are immunocompromised (500,000 people UK) or clinically extremely vulnerable (3.7m people UK), the road to freedom has many potholes. They have a greater risk of catching Covid, and they are more likely to go to a hospital, more likely to be admitted to ICU, and face an increased risk of dying. Life for this minority is still restricted. As the majority move on, is there a risk of people being left behind?

We reached out to some affected listeners and spoke with them about the impact and their current lives. Sarah Baxter, who works for a UK bank and Gareth Berliner, is an actor and comedian. Both are immunocompromised. They tell us about asking a fellow train passenger to put on their mask, of donating work clothes to charity in March 20202, realising future office visits will be few. There's even a fortuitous career change as the new workplace adheres to strict Covid protocols. As well as Sarah and Gareth, we hear from Christina Clegg in the UK and Denise Rei and Jen Risser in the USA. All five of our guests talk of the early days of the pandemic, when for a few months, we were unified when we all faced a significant health risk.  

The stats might not lead the news bulletin, but Covid-19 is still here. What can society and individuals do to avoid a twin-track society? How do we consider the needs of the few whilst allowing the many to continue?

Links

Join Zoe Covid info, trackers and stats

Guardian Jan 2022 first article "More people will die fears."

Guardian Jan 2022 second article "Disabled people Plan B restrictions."

Colin Angus on Twitter Sheffield University | Health inequalities | COVID-19 | Data visualisation 

Selected info 

• Those with underlying health conditions are not also at death's door. 
• One-third of the UK adult population have hypertension (high blood pressure)
• Just under a third are obese.
• Once you get past your mid-50s, chances are you have a long-term health condition. By the time you reach your 70s, you have to be extremely lucky not to.

ICNARC Statistics and research Intensive Care National Audit and Research Centre. Levels of dependency prior to admission to acute care (Dec 2021) report shows 89.5% lived without assistance, 10.4% had some assistance, 0.4% had total assistance. 

Sarah Baxter on Twitter

Gareth Berliner on Twitter

We had a chat with regular guest Joanna Wootten and cultural critic Geoff Spink to ask them their disability or Deaf stand out moment from 2021 and what they’re excited about in 2022. We added our highlights in there too.

The stand out moments for us is very broad and includes Strictly Come Dancing, Abnormally Funny People comedy at the Royal Festival Hall, the next Lewis Hamilton racing in Bahrain, a William Boyd book, ’ Any Human Heart’ and the film Cyrano with Peter Dinklage. In addition, the UK Government’s Disability Strategy and the second reading of the British Sign Language Bill in the House of Commons make the list.

Let us know what are your favourite moments. Enjoy the show.

Links

Abnormally Funny People 

Abnormally Funny People sing ‘Stand By Me’ Lockdown version 2021

Any Human Heart print

Any Human Heart audio

British Sign Language Bill

Cyrano film IMDB

Cyrano film website

National Disability Strategy

Rotax MAX Challenge Grand Finals 2021 Kart Racing in Bahrain  Albert Friend 45:33 in

Strictly Come Dancing Rose and Giovanni YouTube

Succession season 4 Digitial Spy

Bristol recently advertised for a Commissioner for their Disability Equality Commission. You need skills and experience and be expected to be a spokesperson. Time commitment is up to seven working weeks a year. Salary, zero. How much do we value equalities work? What value do we give to different contributions? When should we get paid, and when is it voluntary? How do we value those who help achieve it?

There has been all-party support for some new play parks for disabled adults in Bristol again, coincidentally. So good news? Well, it might be, but why has this cropped up? A mum of a disabled adult said they were 'met with verbal abuse and complaints when using play areas in Bristol's parks. They want to create a safe, fun, accessible and life-changing disabled adult play park". Phil and Simon grapple with the conflict of why can't disabled adults play where everyone else does; why are those who are the abusers not being moved or educated? Is this a pragmatic and beneficial solution?

Geoff rocks up with his cultural pics: a book called Moving by Jenny Eclair and TV show Baron Noir, on Prime.

A bumper Listeners Corner with your brilliant emails and messages. We finish with a heartfelt Christmas message. See you next year and thank you for listening.

Links

Bristol Disability Equality Commission

Playing Parks in Bristol 

Moving by Jenny Eclair book

Moving by Jenny Eclair audiobook

Baron Noir IMDB

Two topics feature in this months podcast.  Gardners might use the term perennials to describe them. Others might say weeds that never quite go away. Two topics we discuss and we disagree on, but we have an enjoyable and explorative discussion getting there. 

Assisted suicide, aka assisted dying, is back in the spotlight as Baroness Meacher’s Assisted Dying Bill passed through the House of Lords at the end of October. Whilst this won’t directly change the UK legislation (currently, assisted suicide is illegal), it shows the debate is very much alive. Phil is opposed to changing the law, and Simon asks him why. 

Do positive action schemes, disability training, and targets work? In his MacTaggart lecture, scriptwriter Jack Thorne suggested that to get more disabled people on TV. It’s time for quotas. Mind you, it feels like a golden period for disability appearing on television. After years of encouragement, are TV execs commissioning and casting more? Have the schemes finally paid off? Or has the murder of George Floyd and that which followed rippled across the pond and changed everything? Simon thinks yes, Phil asks him why. 

Geoff tells us his latest cultural recommendations, including the return of Succession and what he thinks of John le Carre’s final book, Silverview. There’s a great Listeners Corner to finish. 

Links

Assisted Suicide 

Baroness Meacher bill on Assisted Dying

Not Dead Yet UK

Baroness Jane Campbell article 

Colin Low, Tom Shakespeare and Christie Arnsten article

Disability and TV

Jack Thorne MacTaggart Lecture Aug 2021

Royal Television Society panel discussion on disability and television

Cultural corner 

Succession 

Silverview - John le Carre

Here’s where to start reading John le Carre blog

In the UK one of the first pieces of disability rights legislation was the 1970 Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act. Over the next three decades, disability rights campaigners made a distinction between illness and impairment, for understandable reasons but perhaps with hindsight, this has had unintended consequences. Language is returning to including both, so disabled people and people with long term health conditions is a common phrase. So if you created a Venn diagram of disability and of illness, how big would the intersection be?

To explore this we invited three people who have fine minds and long term health conditions. We speak with UK based Catherine Hale, Founder and Director: Chronic Illness Inclusion, to US-based Katie Elizabeth who is editor and author and a director of Stigma Fighters and David Ager, a Location Analytics Specialist who comes with his personal take.

We had a fantastic, personal and insightful conversation. We highlight why some people with non-visible conditions feel like imposters, or they are not always believed. Why identifying as disabled when you’re long term ill is positive. Where traditional models of disability like the social and medical models help and hinder. There’s some compare and contrasts with US and UK viewpoints and we finish by asking our guests, what would help most in the future?

LINKS

Twitter accounts for guests and their connected organisations

Catherine Hale
Katie Elizabeth
David Ager 

Links to further reading 

Chronic Illness and Inclusion Project (CIIP) – 

Mobilising a Collective Voice for Social Change

What are energy impairments?

Images from Rea, thank you, Rea. https://www.reastrawhill.com University of Leeds
Here's a link to Rea's blog https://www.reastrawhill.com/post/chronic-illness-and-disability-am-i-disabled

Delivering training on disability means you get some excellent questions on the subject. A colleague of ours was recently asked, ‘Is impotence a disability under the Equality Act?’ We try and work it out by exploring the impact and then ask, what sort of discrimination might arise to see a case?

After last month’s hugely popular show about the word Ableism we move to another relatively new term - microaggressions. Defined as ‘an indirect, subtle or unintentional form of discrimination, we ponder when to let it slide and when do you tackle it? We wonder what might be the impact on someone after a 1000 of these?

WeThe15 campaign launched recently. Their website states, ‘WeThe15 is sport’s biggest ever human rights movement to end discrimination…of the world’s 1.2 billion persons with disabilities who represent 15% of the global population.’ Phil has some doubts, what is different, what change will come about or is it another campaign that lights up the sky before fading? Or as Simon suggests, is this is what’s needed, constant wheel-reinvention to keep the agenda moving forward?

Geoff tells us about two of his current favourites - The White Lotus and Have You Heard George’s Podcast? We round off with a bumper Listeners Corner. Maybe we mention you? Take a listen via the link below. 

Links

Erectile dysfunction (impotence) defined

Micro-agressions Wiki

There are many blogs that explore this subject well. Have a search and read. Here’s one from the BBC on language.

WeThe15  

The White Lotus on Sky 

The White Lotus IMDB

Have You Heard George’s Podcast? George the Poet

Have you noticed a change in how disability is discussed? For example, words like ‘ableism’ and ‘internalised ableism’ are perhaps not mainstream but more commonplace, especially on social media. 

We were thrilled when Professor Fiona Kumari Campbell, Professor of Disability and Ableism Studies, University of Dundee, agreed to come on the show. In an authoritative and entertaining interview, Fiona explains the most dominant use of ‘ableism’ isn’t as intended. Fiona’s concerned it is being used as a sledgehammer, without explanation, and its hostile use creates them and us. Fiona reminds us social theories are explanatory narratives, making sense about the world and a watershed moment for some, but they are theories, the social model isn’t a fact. Fiona suggests being disabled can be a constant state of ambivalence with the negative reminders we frequently receive having a cumulative impact. Fiona encourages us to have dialogue, to listen and above all else, to read more. 

It’s a treat to listen, think and absorb Fiona’s thinking, her concerns about what is happening, what’s been lost along with what we can do and what we need to think about in the future. 

And some reading and watching recommendations for you, Geoff returns with his Cultural Corner. This month it’s Mare of Easttown and The Shipping News. 

Biography

Professor Fiona Kumari Campbell, is Professor of Disability and Ableism Studies in the School of Education & Social Work, University of Dundee, Fiona is an interdisciplinary scholar-activist and not a traditional academic, being biracial, disabled, LGBT and from a religious minority background. Fiona has written extensively on issues related to disability – a philosophy & sociology of ableism, disability in Sri Lanka, law, biotechnology and is recognised as a world leader in scholarship around studies in ableism.

Further information and links

Papers and publications on Academia Educ

Contours of Ableism - Professor Fiona Kumari Campbell, Palgrave Macmillan, 2009

Internalised Ableism: The Tyranny Within from Contours of Ableism (also Internalised Oppression)

United Nations Human Rights video - What is Ableism? 

People and topics Fiona makes reference to 

Sayonara CP / Goodbye CP 

Japanese film featuring people with Cerebral Palsy 1972

Theory as a Liberatory Practice “I saw in theory…a location for healing” 

bell hooks, Glorian Jean Watkins 

Articulating a sociology of desire exceeding the normative shadows 

by James Overboe

"I refuse to be an accountant of atrocity."  Randall Kennedy  

General 

BBC article on micro-agressions and ableist language

NCCJ Handy primer with disability essentials 

Thank you to <

A full show, we have several current topics and two brilliant guests. Author Victoria Scott has written a book that is, influenced by her relationship with her sister (who is disabled) and the family dynamics when deciding if medical intervention is the right path. Geoff Adams-Spink tells us about Netflix smash, Lupin plus a new Radio 4 show, The Confessional where celebrities admit to behaviour they are not always proud of. 

And of course, you have Phil and Simon rattling through topics that have got them thinking. Simon cites disabled lawyer, Gregory Mansfield, whose insightful tweets show disability and ability happily co-exist and blasts those who get stuck at the ‘dis’ part. Phil wonders if Ambassadors actually have power and influence. We also discuss the seemingly more easy question of compulsory vaccinations for people working in care or support roles. 

Links to everything are below. We hope you enjoy the show. 

 Gregory Mansfield on Twitter 

FT  Vaccine compulsory for some jobs   Paywall

BBC New disability Ambassador 

Netflix Lupin trailer on YouTube

BBC Radio 4 The Confessional 

Victoria Scott on Twitter 

Patience by Victoria Scott  Bookstore

Patience by Victoria Scott Goodreads