Bristol City Council recently reversed their planned cost-cutting strategy, which would have impacted independent living for disabled people. The UK government recently reversed the proposed closure of ticket offices at railway stations, which would have had an impact on disabled people. Sophie Morgan, the Rights on Flights campaigner, appears to b…

How would you feel if your local authority suggested you move from your home of 30 years to a residential care home because they need to save money? It's something Bristol City Council were proposing for disabled people as they try to reduce their deficit. Although this proposal has been shelved, it might not be the last time we see it. We explore …

‘Know your audience and communicate to as many people as you can, including disabled people’, says Sarah Brown Fraser on effective, accessible communication. That Sarah can whittle information down to valuable nuggets might be a consequence of her role as Head of Communications and Policy at the Activity Alliance. As our guest, Sarah is timely, wit…

Our guest is Andrew Miller, the Chief Executive Officer of Motability Operations (MO). Many of you will know of this unique organisation. Indeed, some of you will be customers. The Motability Scheme leases cars, powered wheelchairs and scooters to more than 700,000 disabled people in the UK. It is the largest car fleet in the UK. Andrew heads up th…

Simon was at the airport recently. He was on his mobility scooter, and his mum was using an airport wheelchair. Looking at the long line in the disabled passport queue, his walkie-talkie sister and cousin decided to move to the non-disabled line. We explore what happened and how it made Simon feel. The Business Disability Forum has produced a secon…

They say you shouldn’t kick a person when they’re down. It feels right now the UK Government are down. And unfortunately for them, Phil and Simon have found more reasons why they deserve maybe not a kick but a strong toe poke. Launched in late September 2023, Ask Don’t Assume is the government’s disability awareness-raising campaign. It asks everyo…

Forbes Online posted an article which showed the 7 things disabled people have to think about, which non-disabled types don’t have to. Simon thinks it’s informative and helpful, like an access rider. Phil bemoans why we still need to tell people the basics. There are big concerning issues relating to disability right now. Why isn’t the UK Governmen…

In an exceptional show, our guest is the remarkable human that is Sophie Morgan. Sophie often finds liberation on a motorbike. She pops up frequently on TV, presenting Crufts or the Paralympics as a guest on Loose Women or breakfast TV. This past year she’s been promoting her autobiography Driving Forwards: A Journey of Resilience and Empowerment A…

Can you fail upwards? Aarian Mehrabani from FlawBored Theatre says that is what they have done. With his theatre company co-founders Samuel Brewer and Chloe Palmer, they have created a play that pushes the boundaries of disability arts and arts more broadly. How has the audience reacted? Do those with a disability react differently to those who are…

A bumper show this month. There’s an underlying theme around the erosion or optionality of including disabled people. What do you do when you’re hotel room isn’t ready…especially when you return to the hotel after a night out at midnight and find out? Move to another room? Not so simple if you’re a wheelchair user. Kat Watkins had this happen to he…

Disability talk and debate: what might be the consequences of how we talked about being disabled, reducing benefit fraud, the impact of the digital divide and street harassment, all discussed by Phil and Simon? What are your thoughts on benefit fraud? How should it be tackled? Are the Tories being absurd or frightening? Simon recently saw a play, ‘…

Three disability classics in this months show. It’s Phil and Simon debating and exploring. Firstly an independent American short film highlights how to ask for help as a disabled person and how best other people can offer it. Called ‘Act of God’, the film explores different strategies and responses in a witty and thoughtful way. It gets us talking …

Peter Torres Fremlin joins us this month. He’s a prolific writer and journalist, specifically the Disability Debrief which is a newsletter reporting on disability news from around the world and the people that are making change happen. He has lived and worked in many countries, including Bangladesh and Egypt and worked for several large internation…

Dr Ruth Owen OBE started in the tech industry, then became CEO of Whizz-Kidz, a national children’s disability charity. Two years ago, Ruth accepted a demanding and, some consider, contentious role, becoming CEO of one of the big disability charities in the UK, Leonard Cheshire. Ruth is our guest this month. As we spoke with Ruth, we moved away fro…

Welcome to the first show of 2023, where Phil and Simon are ready to serve up the year's hot topics! In this episode, we'll discuss everything from the highs and lows of 2022 to the exciting things on the horizon for 2023. First up, we'll be talking about the joys of hitting the gym as a visibly disabled person. It's not always easy, but the gains …

Creating change in the world of disability takes many skills. One perhaps less recognised is finding the right word for the right moment. Our guest this month is adept at this and would give Gyles Brandreth a run for his money. Kate Nash is the founder and chief executive of Purple Space, a professional development membership hub for disability emp…

Phil and Simon are ripping it up, pushing the conversation, and exploring the boundaries of where we are today when it comes to disability. There’s fun, seriousness, thoughtfulness, respectful disagreement, celebration and controversy We ask why does the ‘life stops after becoming disabled’ idea remain so strong? Phil explores his concerns about El…

Professor David Turner is a social and cultural historian with expertise in disability, medicine, gender and the body. He is our guest this month. David’s current research explores the history of disabled people’s political activism in Britain since the eighteenth century. In an accessible and illuminating conversation, he tells us of the earliest …

Our guest is Gordon McCullough, the Chief Executive Officer of the Research Institute for Disabled Consumers (RIDC). If you’ve not come across the RIDC, they are a well-established research organisation with a panel of more than 3500 disabled people. As Gordon has said, "No business would actively exclude a fifth of its potential customer base, yet…

Some people fear disability and comedy. Not so our guest this month. Steven Verdile created the satirical website The Squeaky Wheel to create and publish funny stories with disability as a theme. Steven explains how the site came about, what inspired the name and how the growing team of writers write the material. An expanding and loyal readership …

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 …

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 o…

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.…

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 Festi…

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 …

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 Assiste…

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…

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…

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 a…

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 C…

In her recent Guardian article, Dr Frances Ryan raised concerns that ‘Remote working has been life-changing for disabled people, don’t take it away now‘ As we come out of lockdown, we know that some companies are expecting employees to be back in the office 9 to 5, seven days a week. Ryan also flags up concerns regarding cultural events. Is there a…

One person, many facets: disability, ethnicity, mental health, being a woman and youth. On this month's show, we are delighted to welcome Doaa Shayea. In her 22 years, she has packed in an extraordinary amount. Doaa talks frankly about her mental health challenges and what she's learned about herself and the world she lives in. Energetic, resilient…

If you use the word ‘disabled’ with something you’re promoting, do people switch off? If you create a product to assist a disabled person but ignore this, are you authentic? Are products created for disabled people only used by disabled people…except the telephone, electric can openers, electric windows, pre-cut fruit, voice dictation, automatic do…

Finally, Deaf people have to endure jury duty… ahem, can fulfil their civic duty like everyone else. After many years of campaigning Deaf people who use sign language, will be able to serve on juries. Common law rules ban the presence of a “stranger” in the jury deliberation room, but this will now be changed, allowing a BSL interpreter in. Wow, la…

This month we explore outer space or more specifically the opportunity that some disabled people might get to become an astronaut. Clearly, the European Space Agency see disability as a positive in their quest for new talent. However, when it comes to vaccines and ‘do not resuscitate’ notices and learning disabled people, there’s evidence that they…

A considered show this month with Phil and Simon. We review the deeply unsettling BBC documentary ‘Targeted - the truth about disability hate crime’. You can watch it on iPlayer. On YouTube, we've posted a video of us discussing the documentary. (links to both below) Simon recently attended some equality training called Beyond Bias, delivered by Gu…

Two jabs Phil has had both vaccinations to protect him from Covid-19. How has it changed him? Is he wild and free at last or staying in with the windows closed? Never one to miss a debate about one of the models of disability, Simon asks Phil what does he think of the ‘affirmative model’. Is this the answer to the charity/tragedy model of disabilit…

With skill, talent, and application Nikki Fox has become a regular face on British television. She might be presenting a piece on the nightly news bulletins as BBC News’ Disability Correspondent. Or she’s reporting on a consumer issue on BBC's Watchdog and increasingly, she randomly appears on The One Show. Last year she was named as the most power…

Welcome to our final show of 2020. Never missing a controversy, we start the show asking if Covid 19 and the move to home working, gave disabled employees an unfair advantage if employers prioritise and pay for their adjustments and not those of non-disabled colleagues. Ex-BBC TV maker, Emma West wrote an article asking “Where are we now in terms o…

TV presenter, Alex Brooker started his career as a sports journalist at the Liverpool Echo. In 2012 he became part of a brand new comedy show, The Last Leg on Channel 4, now in its 20th series. He recently made a documentary for the BBC entitled ‘Disability & Me’ which we reviewed, Alex heard that show and now he’s our guest. We cover disability an…

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 jo…

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 …

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 talle…

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 Elli…

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 tr…

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 expe…

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…

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 expertis…

“…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 w…

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 …