Ouch: Disability Talk

Learning disabled actress Donna Lavin has played the lead role in the hugely successful BBC Radio Four drama The Pursuits of Darleen Fyles for ten series. Each 15 minute episode follows her and husband Jamie, both with learning difficulties, as they navigate life together. The last decade has seen Darleen tackle everything from dating through to motherhood and in this series, her daughter Frankie starts school in a pandemic. Shielding since March, Donna told us how she adapted to recording from home without her usual support worker present. This involved lots of talking to walls and wrestling with technology.Presented by Emma Tracey Produced by Amy Elizabeth

Meet Mark and Seaneen, the duo who talk about the awkward stuff so you don’t have to. Seaneen Molloy lives in Belfast. She only really leaves the house for the weekly shop and antenatal checks at the moment. Mark lives alone in a WWII prefab with mice, mould and Zoom calls for company. With years of personal and professional experience of mental health difficulty, this month the friends come together to discuss loss, life and the pandemic with their trademark warmth and humour. You can hear them monthly on the Ouch podcast stream along with Ouch’s other programmes. Producer Emma Tracey Write to Mark and Seaneen at ouch@bbc.co.uk

This year’s Ouch Christmas quiz features some very topical dilemmas and questions based on the biggest disability news and events of 2020. Actor Mat Fraser, comedian Rosie Jones and Paralympian ‘Hurricane’ Hannah Cockcroft fight it out for no prizes whatsoever as they share their take on the last 12 months. You’re shielding but your flatmate brings a stranger home from their work Christmas party. Do you get angry, or get even? Why is Mat looking for his special bell? And which contestant isn’t wearing trousers? Presented by Kate Monaghan and Simon Minty. Produced by Keiligh Baker and edited by Drew Miller Hyndman. Say to your smart speaker "Ask the BBC for Ouch" to get the latest show, and subscribe via BBC Sounds. Picture: Ouch logo

The first week of November saw the clocks go back and the highest levels of loneliness since the coronavirus pandemic began, according to the Office for National Statistics. It said 4.2million people felt “always and often lonely” during that week, but previous studies have found disabled people are far more likely to feel lonely than non-disabled people. So, how do you battle feelings of isolation? BBC Ouch’s Emma Tracey spoke to award-winning bloggers, Elin Williams and Chloe Tear, and disability rights campaigner George Baker to find out their top-tips.Produced by Keiligh Baker and Drew Miller Hyndman.Say to your smart speaker "Ask the BBC for Ouch" to get the latest show, and subscribe via BBC Sounds.If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this podcast, BBC Action Line has a list of organisations and charities offering advice and support.

The 1800 Seconds on Autism podcast is back by popular demand. Here’s the first episode, which is based on listener emails. Presenter Jamie's assistant Oli gets some appreciation, Jamie describes his game-changing new truck and we talk about paintball - a sport which allows you to REALLY focus: "Whilst you're out on the field playing, nobody is going to come and ask whether you want a sandwich." With Jamie Knight and Robyn Steward - with support plushies Lion and Henry the Bat always present. Featuring producer Emma Tracey and other regulars. Say to your smart speaker "Ask the BBC for Ouch" to get the latest show, and subscribe via BBC Sounds.

On the 25th anniversary of the Disability Discrimination Act, BBC News Correspondent Nikki Fox asks three generations of disabled people about the impact it has had on their lives. Holly Scott-Gardner is a visually impaired student and campaigner who was a baby when the DDA came in. She has used disability rights law, now embodied in the Equality Act in most of the UK, and calls the process complicated. Mik Scarlet was a TV presenter in his mid-20s at the time and Phil Friend was 50 years old and working with businesses to improve accessibility. They were both campaigners for equality before there was any. They remember fighting to get the law passed, discuss the affect Coronavirus has had on disability rights and look forward to what the future might hold for disabled people.Presented by Nikki Fox. Produced by Emma Tracey and Keiligh Baker. Say to your smart speaker "Ask the BBC for Ouch" to get the latest show, and subscribe via BBC Sounds.

It's 1968 and Sue is in the toilet at a pop festival. Abortion, which has just been legalised, provides a moment of liberation. But for wheelchair user Sue, it also throws up difficult questions about her body and her beliefs. A whirlwind romance has left her pregnant. What should she do now?This story is part of CripTales, a series of fictional monologues, based on factual research and the lived experience of disabled people spanning British history since 1970.Funny, inventive, dramatic and sexy, each one places disabled voices centre stage.Originally recorded for television, BBC Ouch is sharing three of the monologues to mark 25 years since the Disability Discrimination Act was passed.Subscribe to this podcast on BBC Sounds or say "Ask the BBC for Ouch" to your smart speaker.

In this monologue starring Liz Carr, Meg thinks her neighbour is a benefits cheat. She is compiling details about him in order to shop him for fraud. But, unexpectedly, he forges a friendship with her and encourages her to claim more benefits for herself.The Real Deal is part of CripTales, a series of fictional monologues based on factual research and the lived experience of disabled people spanning British history since 1970. Funny, inventive, dramatic and sexy, each one places disabled voices centre stage.Originally recorded for television, BBC Ouch is sharing three of the monologues to mark 25 years since the Disability Discrimination Act was passed.Subscribe to this podcast on BBC Sounds or say "Ask the BBC for Ouch" to your smart speaker.

In this monologue from the series CripTales, disabled actor Mat Fraser sits in the waiting room before an audition, dreading how it will turn out. He relives some of his best and worst moments in auditions in the past, taking us back to his childhood, where he unlocks the reasons for his fears, before finding the way to triumph. Or does he?CripTales is a series of fictional monologues, based on factual research and the lived experience of disabled people spanning British history since 1970. Funny, inventive, dramatic and sexy, each one places disabled voices centre stage.Originally recorded for television, BBC Ouch is sharing three of the monologues to mark 25 years since the Disability Discrimination Act was passed.Subscribe to this podcast on BBC Sounds or say "Ask the BBC for Ouch" to your smart speaker.

In 2004 BBC journalist and author Frank Gardner was shot six times by Islamist extremists while on a reporting job in Saudi Arabia.Against all the odds, he survived. His cameraman, Simon Cumbers, was killed.Nearly two decades on Frank revisits this part of his life to explore what it's like to suddenly become disabled, the physical pain he still feels in his legs 16 years on and how he manages the psychological impact of the attack.He also chats about the years he lived in Cairo and Bahrain, his latest spy novel and his new BBC documentary, Being Frank. Presented by Beth RoseSubscribe to this podcast on BBC Sounds or say "Ask the BBC for Ouch" to your smart speaker.

A crash in Morgan Fox's final season as a cyclist left him with fractured ribs and a collapsed lung. Then, an overdose of antibiotics given during his treatment led to almost total hearing loss. Fox says his engineering background helped him cope with deafness, then with learning to hear with a cochlear implant. Now he runs Ireland's first professional cycling programme where reasonable adjustments are in place. Presented by Harry Low. Subscribe to this podcast on BBC Sounds or say "Ask the BBC for Ouch" to your smart speaker.

From online learning to entire halls of residences being placed in lockdown, students across the country have found themselves at university in extremely testing circumstances. Those with a disability could potentially find it extra tough. BBC Ouch’s Keiligh Baker speaks to students from the University of Aberdeen, where more than 100 people tested positive for Covid-19 at the start of October. Bea is a third year linguistics student who worries disabled students are being treated as an afterthought by universities. She became convener of the Disabled Students Forum to help change that. Meanwhile, 19-year-old Esme is a fresher and lives opposite the halls of residence where everyone is in quarantine … Produced by Kirstie Brewer. Subscribe to this podcast on BBC Sounds or ask 'Ask the BBC for Ouch' to your smart speaker.

Starting University can be incredibly exciting but also daunting – especially given the current Covid-19 restrictions. And what if you have a disability to manage too? Are you worried it might hold you back from enjoying the full experience? – Pippa and Matt don’t think it will! Taking soon-to-be fresher Tom* under their wings, Pippa Stacey - author of University and Chronic Illness: A Survival Guide - and recent Durham graduate Matthew Prudham share their experiences and top tips. Pippa became a pro at pacing herself to manage her M.E while studying and enjoying the student life at York and Matt, who has epilepsy, has some sound advice on tactfully asking housemates to keep the noise down (and keeping anxious parents off your back!). From Taylor Swift to Bradley Walsh we explore what really happens when you move away from home, and how, even with lockdown, you can still have loads of fun! Produced by Amy Elizabeth. Subscribe to this podcast on BBC Sounds or ask 'Ask the BBC for Ouch' to your smar

As working from home becomes the new normal, is it really all its cracked up to be? Or could it actually be making the situation worse for disabled staff?Simon Minty chats with Nana Marfo who lives with a permanent tracheostomy tube and has been working from home since March. He misses catching up with colleagues, but on the plus side; no commute means a lie-in!Lilu Wheeler has found working from home to be a mixed blessing – staying at home accommodates her auditory processing difficulties and ulcerative colitis – but she can feel out of the loop and misses those watercooler conversations.The government has said it will give financial support to disabled staff who want to work from home in the long term, by extending Access to Work. That's great for those who enjoy it, but could it also prompt some employers to be less accommodating and encourage their disabled staff to stay away from the office permanently? Produced by Kirstie Brewer. Subscribe to this podcast on BBC Sounds or ask 'Ask the BBC for Ouch' to

Kate Monaghan has been isolating with her wife Holly and daughter Scout since March.Kate has Ehlers Danlos Syndrome and endometriosis and Holly is the recipient of a kidney transplant and falls within the 'high risk' category. They shielded during lockdown and kept an audio diary for BBC Ouch.In this highlights episode, we hear why they suddenly disappeared from your podcast feeds, (Spoiler: It's good news!) and recall some of the best bits.And remember back in April when the supermarket shelves were empty and everyone was stockpiling toilet roll? Or the fear and confusion of that dreaded government text advising strict shielding for 12 weeks?Kate and Holly have been refreshingly honest throughout and many have found this podcast both comforting and laugh out loud funny.Produced and Presented by Amy Elizabeth.Subscribe to this podcast on BBC Sounds or ask 'Ask the BBC for Ouch' to your smart speaker.

Some people recovering from Covid-19 are experiencing chronic fatigue symptoms and struggling to manage their limited energy. Jade Gray-Christie tells her story and gets tips from two women who have lived with chronic conditions for years.Jade worked two jobs and attended the gym several times a week, yet after contracting coronavirus in March her life changed. The 32-year-old now sleeps up to 16 hours a day and is exhausted after doing one household task. Presenter Natasha Lipman, who has managed a variety of chronic illness symptoms throughout her adult life, introduces Jade to Jo Southall, an occupational therapist who has Hypermobile Ehlers Danlos Syndrome. From pacing yourself at work to hosting friends in your pyjamas, Jo and Natasha share the strategies which help them manage long-term pain, fatigue and poor mobility.Subscribe to this podcast on BBC Sounds or say "Ask the BBC for Ouch" to your smart speaker.

Nathalie McGloin is the world's only female tetraplegic racing driver.But as a teenager she had no interest in cars or racing and had plans to become a lawyer.Then, two weeks into her A levels, a car crash changed everything. She broke her neck and lost the full use of her arms and legs.Nathalie spent 11 months in hospital, which she describes as similar to 2020's lockdown. Although it was far from easy, she says the time enabled her to figure out her passions and what she really wanted to do which eventually led her to a professional racing career.If you, or someone you know, has received exam results or is about to make big life decisions, this is the perfect podcast to listen to with plenty of tips on managing a future when plans are turned upside down.Presented by Beth Rose.Subscribe to this podcast on BBC Sounds or say "Ask the BBC for Ouch" to your smart speaker.

Keiligh Baker was diagnosed with chronic leukaemia three years ago and became single just before the pandemic hit - now she's decided to give internet dating a go, but how does that work when cancer's involved? Emily Frost and Kirsty Hopgood join her from their childhood bedrooms to discuss the anxieties around treatment and how that has changed their appearance, the surprising messages they’ve received and whether to upload pictures to dating apps with or without hair.Neil MacVictor was diagnosed with a brain tumour at 25 and, after experiencing low confidence as a result, started taking dating classes with Shine Cancer Support. He found them so useful he now teaches the workshops himself.Produced by Amy Elizabeth. Subscribe to this podcast on BBC Sounds or say "Ask the BBC for Ouch" to your smart speaker.

Married couple Kiruna Stamell and Gareth Berliner haven’t been further than the local chemist since early March. That won’t change, they say, unless masks become mandatory in all public places or Gareth’s hospital deems it safe for him to attend appointments. Gareth’s nutrition has been delivered via a line in his chest for 20 years due to short gut syndrome. It keeps him alive but infections have led to numerous bouts of sepsis. Covid-19 would be more dangerous for him than most, so wife Kiruna also stays home to avoid coronavirus.Making Pirate and Parrot TV, a YouTube series for kids, has kept the comedian with Crohn’s and the actor with dwarfism busy during 18 weeks at home.Presented by Simon Minty. Produced by Emma TraceySubscribe to Ouch on BBC Sounds or say "Ask the BBC for Ouch" to your smart speaker.

Face coverings are compulsory in shops and on public transport at the moment (with a few exemptions) – but how will it impact your day-to-day lives? Maddie Molloy lip-reads so sometimes needs people to remove their mask while Drew Miller Hyndman is autistic and rule-breaking makes him anxious. He wants everyone to wear face coverings wherever possible. Emma Tracey is blind and has discovered that wearing a mask changes the way she perceives her surroundings. How are you finding it? You can share your experiences by emailing ouch@bbc.co.uk Subscribe to Ouch's podcast on BBC Sounds or say "Ask the BBC for Ouch" to your smart speaker.