Disabled people are up, carers are down

The Office for National Statistics have released some disability stats that some are finding a little surprising. The number of people who declared themselves disabled in the 2021 Census didn’t go up in the way people expected, while the number of unpaid carers, unexpectedly, also went down. Carer and founder of the We Care Campaign, Katy Styles, and academic Miro Griffiths, from the famous Centre for Disability Studies at Leeds University, try to work out why. Dr. Amit Patel's recent autobiography revealed how he scoured the world for a solution to his pending sight loss but eventually failed. Amit and guide dog, Kika, visit the studio to talk about how employers couldn't see past his disability when he was applying for jobs. He also chats about his recent CBeebies hit, Dog Squad. And Access All's presenters, Nikki Fox and Emma Tracey get caught up on suits – we’re talking exoskeletons and an electrical zapping suit which can help some people with cerebral palsy minimise their muscle spasms.

Produced by: Keiligh Baker and Emma Tracey Recorded and Mixed by: Dave O'Neill Series editor: Beth Rose Editors: Damon Rose, Sam Bonham