The Way We Roll

A tech journalist, by day, a musician by night Steve O'Hear is a quietly confident disabled person, all the time. Earlier this year, Steve released an album entitled, ‘Between Floors’. After a few listens, Simon and Phil decided that they needed to have a chat with the man in the hat.

Steve has a large presence in the niche field of tech finance journalism. He's been working from home (effectively shielding) way before it became commonplace. It means he's adept at networking and good at developing leads from afar, but he does wonder if he's missed opportunities by not actually being in the room.

What is striking is Steve's approach to disability, how he presents, and thinks, about himself. He cites a conundrum - those who get entirely involved in disability rights, well, that's a loss of their skills and talents in other areas, right? However, if you don't get involved, you don't step up, are you really making a difference? Is what you’re doing instead, truly worthwhile? Steve, Simon and Phil explore the pros and cons of being a ‘normal' and a ‘professional’ disabled person.

Steve explains music is his best friend. He was in a band at University and played the clubs. Years later, he got the band back together and they’ve made the album they didn't have the time, money or equipment to make whilst at University. Steve talks us through the process, his influences and the stories behind the songs from the reformed band, now called Otis Max Load and the Thirteen People.

Twitter Tech Crunch 

Twitter Personal
Steve’s Website   

Spotify In Between Floors 

Apple Music In Between Floors  

YouTube Trailer 

It’s the 1 to 1 show where Phil and Simon chat over the latest topics. 

If you’d like to hear two liberally minded, disabled men get themselves in an academic mess, this is the show for you. 

Simon mentions an academic article from the New Discourses website, that asks if radical disability studies support ‘transableism’. This is when someone who is not disabled feels that they are. They may seek surgery to get the impairment they feel they (should) have. This raises complex questions on the ethics of medicine, of identity and disability identity, of trans subjects more broadly. It gets tricky asking if impairment or disability is desirable and where does it fit if disability is a social construct? 

If you’re still listening, Phil steers us to safer activist ground by asking is the telethon making a comeback? It follows the return of the Muscular Dystrophy Association Telethon in the US, that used to be Jerry Lewis’ project and now Kevin Hart is the lead. 

Finally, we ask why some people can help us and we don’t mind, even welcome it? They help us with things that we can probably do perfectly well. Where’s our pride and independence? Do some have an aura? Is it based on our relationship with them that means it’s welcome and not intrusive?

A thank you to Susan Scott-Parker for sending us articles that helped with the topics of this show.

Links:-

New Discourses Disability Studies 

Need to register but free Telethon returns 

You can find us in Apple Podcasts or Spotify The Show is also available from BuzzSprout 

If you have any comments, feedback or suggestions, please email us at [email protected]  

We hope you enjoy it.

No messing, this month our show dives headfirst into seeing whether Simon’s stresses have lifted. As a result, we drift into how Phil is and why he hasn’t been out for a while. As if that weren’t enough, Simon expresses his very biased concerns about a drug under trial called Vosoritide. Why? In essence, it will make some people with dwarfism taller. Incidentally, in case you didn't know October was Dwarfism awareness month. 

Phil raises questions about the new pop up cycle lanes and pedestrian-only areas. In many respects, this is a positive but have differently disabled people’s needs been taken into consideration? What might be the impact, indeed, does anyone carry out the legal duty of Impact Assessments? Simon decides Whitstable high street could be remodelled, he is, after all, an out of towner who visited for a couple of days

Language - Is BAME (Black, Asian and minority Ethnic people) done? What’s the new phrasing? Is it best practice to use the phrase ‘Best Practice’? When was it last updated? Do the criteria need updating every few years so it becomes aspirational and not a reflection of what already happens today?

There are your emails in Listeners Corner. You can be in this section next time, just email us at [email protected] 

Links: -

Guardian article on Vosoritide 

Little People UK and Royal College of Midwives 

Wikipedia on Best Practice 

UK Music Industry ‘Drop BAME’ 

Civil Service blog ‘Don’t call me BAME’

Varsity Opinion ‘BAME is outdated and doesn’t represent experiences’

Being thrust into the limelight aged thirteen could mess with your head a little. Then staying at the top of your game for more than ten years, that’s a lot of pressure. Being seen as a figurehead for the Paralympic movement, a role model for youth, for young women, for people with dwarfism and with disabilities, the weight is immense. Somehow Ellie Simmonds remains the most likeable and unaffected person you would be lucky to meet. 

There have been bumps along the way, periods when she took some time out from swimming. However, the desire to compete and succeed remains strong. In a personal, thoughtful and fun conversation Phil and Simon talk about Ellie’s career, her thoughts on mental health, about having dwarfism. the support she has and her involvement with the Dwarf Sports Association. We also discuss the Tokyo Paralympics in 2021 and what life after she stops competitively swimming might look like.

Simon gets a little overwhelmed and frankly sometimes silly, Boccia and his medals get a mention!. Luckily Phil is on hand to steer us back to calmer waters.

Links 

British Swimming profile of Ellie

Twitter 

Paralympics London 2012 Ellie winning Gold Women’s 400m freestyle S6

Dwarf Sports Association UK

Ellie’s cookery books

This month the one to one show has depth, sadness, reflection and frivolity.

The World Health Organisation has eradicated polio in Africa. Phil got polio as a toddler. Simon asks him how does he feel about there being no more polio people? Phil talks about the impact, good and bad that it has had on the direction his life has taken.

Phil has had trouble in his own backyard: parakeets, rabbits and herons are playing havoc with his Hertfordshire estate and fish pond. Simon in his 4th floor London flat without outside space does his best to empathise with Phil’s struggles. 

Simon posits a theory - if you’re feeling overwhelmed, stressed or anxious, hang on, it will pass and it will get better. The enormous debilitating issue right now needs time and it will be gone. Does that work?

We start the show with a tribute to our dear friend and colleague Dr James Partridge OBE who died recently. We also have your emails and messages. 

BBC Africa free of polio 

Guardian James Partridge obituary

Dining with a Difference

Face Equality International 

The Way We Roll show with guest, James Partridge

Geoff Adams-Spink is a Thalidomide survivor, one of the children born in the late 1950s early 60s, with physical and sensory differences after their mother unwittingly took a drug during pregnancy that caused the impairments. 

Speaking to your mum about why this happened can’t be easy, but Geoff did have that conversation. His parents had great expectations of him, his mother had a mantra to support him but make sure he developed resilience. Learning how to be independent was a fiercely protected element for much of his professional life and then one day he realised he could be even more effective with appropriate help.

It’s his work and life that makes him particularly interesting. After university and a Journalism course, he went to the BBC as a producer and correspondent and stayed for more than twenty years. Different roles took Geoff Adams-Spink to different countries exposing him to different cultures and sadly, in Rwanda, atrocities. 

Geoff has a love of languages, particularly the romantic languages and recently studied Latin. He shares his passion for technology, both the regular kind and the assistive kit that makes his life easier. 

He is the current Chair of the Board of Trustees for The Thalidomide Society, a Trustee with the Research Institue for Disabled Consumers and he helped us with our weekly news round-up during our COVID 19 Lockdown shows this Spring.

Links:

Geoff’’s website 

Geoff on Twitter 

Thalidomide history 

Thalidomide society 

Just Mowing app store

Just Mowing play store

You can find us in Apple Podcasts or Spotify The Show is also available from BuzzSprout 

If you have any comments, feedback or suggestions, please email us at [email protected]  

We hope you enjoy it.

It’s the format you tell us you love. When Phil and Simon shoot the breeze and take potshots at one another with the occasional wisecrack. This month, disability ninjas, changing places, Zoom fatigue and social care: crisis and funding. 

Changing Places toilets are the larger loos in public places for those who might need more assistance, a hoist or changing station. After a consultation, the regulations have changed and we shall see more and see them more quickly. 

Phil has been reading how much Zoom (our word for all online / video) calls can exhaust us. Six months ago we stopped after three meetings with different clients in one day and we had to pause as we travelled between sites. Now, six meetings a day, short breaks. We discuss the pros and cons of virtual working, and there are benefits. Phil reminds us we should book appointments with ourselves to help.  

Simon’s posits a theory - are some people disability ninjas? You are chatting with them and then, from nowhere, they make your disability the focus! Is it limited to religious evangelists and OT’s? Does it vary on your condition? 

The UK has a social care system that by general agreement isn’t working. So what’s the solution? Phil reminds us when it was within the NHS and the failings, both in practical terms and how we viewed disability as a result. 

Links 

BBC Changing places loos 

Changing Places Org website

The outcome of Govt consultation on Changing Places toilets

BBC Zoom fatigue

Forbes Zoom fatigue 

Article from 2017, explaining Social Care and the National Health Service 

NHS social care and support guide 

Neil Crowther blog - Neil writes extensively on NHS and Social Care

Ninja images from Karstenakawheels 

From Jazz Trumpet to Inclusive Design - John Corcoran shares his journey on The Way We Roll.

John Corcoran is a man of many parts whos life and experiences have included being in a pop band, playing jazz trumpet and working as a jazz club impresario. (He once booked Ronnie Scott and Maya Angelou).

He has over thirty years of experience and expertise in design, technology, brand, communication, marketing and business management. He has a passion for people and an obsession for simplifying complexity.

During our conversation, John explains how he went about redesigning and repositioning the Phil & Simon Show. (Morecombe and Wise and Cannon and Ball get a mention).

He is passionate about social inclusion and discusses the importance of designing for everyone. The needs of older and disabled people are often overlooked by many; John examines why this is a mistake given the needs and commercial opportunities offered by these groups of consumers.
 
John is a real enthusiast, an expert in his field, warm, funny and entertaining, take a listen.

You can read more about him and his work at basil.org.uk

“…swimming pools were shut. Cinemas, too, and bars and bowling alleys. Church services were suspended. Cities doused their streets with DDT insecticide…they had to be seen to be doing something. Nothing seemed to work. As the summer wore on, the numbers of polio cases grew”

Did you think we were talking about Covid-19? Phil talks of the ‘last man who used the Iron Lung’, an early medical method to keep people who got polio alive. The Guardian ran an article on Paul Alexander and his life. 

Cancel Culture, is it real? Is it necessary? Do you think twice before you send a Tweet? Do you know the latest terminology for different identity groups? After well known people wrote an open letter in Harpers Magazine, Phil and Simon try and make their own sense of it. Concentrate as Simon has so many thoughts, they sometimes get muddled. 

What’s most important for disabled people to develop as a group? Is it pride or is it community? We reflect on a story about Stacey Park Milbern, a US disability rights activist who recently died. She said we need the support of community before we can take pride. 

Finally, Phil and Simon review the recent television documentary with Alex Brooker from The Last Leg. He explores how he feels about his impairment. Phil and Simon discuss the programme, Alex's relationship with his condition and specifically what do people mean when they say they don't want their disability to define them?

Links

Alex Brooker: Disability and Me BBC

BBC iPlayer - expires early August 2020 

Harpers Magazine Open Letter on Justice and Open Debate 

Stacey Park New York Times   Paywall

Stacey Park Legacy obituary     Free 

Joseph Stramondo on Twitter 

The Last Iron Lung - The Guardian, Free but can donate

Now in his mid-30s, Martyn Sibley suggests he prefers slippers and hot chocolate to hot air ballooning. However, he admits there are still a few adventures he would like to undertake. Martyn says he’s ‘a regular guy who happens to have a disability called 'Spinal Muscular Atrophy’ (SMA). 

He is driven by his mission. When he wakes up, he knows he’s going to be working on one of his several projects and businesses. His degree in economics, his Masters in Marketing and his love of entrepreneurship combined with his wish to help create a more inclusive world drives him.

We speak with Martyn about growing up and his travel exploits. Soon we move on to his projects such as Disability Horizons and the new Purple Goat agency. This is a vehicle to help organisations market to consumers as well as enable disabled people to earn a living. 

Martyn takes Phil and Simon deep into the world of social media and marketing and we just about keep up. We also ask Martyn what’s next for him and what are his hopes for wider society. 

http://martynsibley.com

http://purplegoatagency.com

https://disabilityhorizons.com