Access All: Disability News and Mental Health

Access All’s Emma Tracey chats to three comedians taking to the stage at Edinburgh Festival Fringe this summer. Joe Tracini has been battling with borderline personality disorder (BPD) his whole life but is in a good place and ready to wow the crowds in Scotland with his show, alongside the negative voice in his head, Mick. This year marks 20 years since comedy troupe Abnormally Funny People was formed, made up of a collection of comedians with disabilities or mental health conditions. Two of those performing this year include Juliette Burton and Harriet Dyer. Juliette talks about the A-Z of conditions she’s been diagnosed with since she was a teenager and how a recent diagnosis of autism and ADHD may have just made the previous 30 years of her life make sense. And Harriet Dyer, who lives with bi-polar disorder, reveals how she accidentally fell into comedy after telling the true story about how she died twice, to a classroom full of students. Presented by Emma Tracey Sound design: Dave O’Neill Producers: Ivana Davidovic and Emma Tracey Series producer: Beth Rose Editor: Damon Rose

Disability minister Sir Stephen Timms talks to Access All's Emma Tracey a month after the government climbdown on benefits changes. They discuss the Access To Work scheme which Sir Stephen says is no longer the government's "best kept secret" because more people are using it. Plus they talk about a newly announced set of five collaboration committees featuring people with lived experience of disability and other stakeholders on important areas like youth employment. PRODUCERS: Emma Tracey, Ivana Davidovic EDITOR: Damon Rose MIXED BY: Dave O'Neill Email accessall@bbc.co.uk or find us on social media.

It's 35 years this week since the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) came into being. In the UK we waited a further five years until we got an equivalent act, the DDA as it was then known. we take a look at how it came about with journalist Eric Garcia. Later we bring you top tips on how to be a total "gig pig" if you're a disabled person. The lowdown on Nimbus cards and booking accessible tickets to see your favourite band with a man who is going to 100 gigs in the next year using his wheelchair. No, it's true! And much more besides with Emma Tracey, featuring TV's Paul Carter. RECORDED AND MIXED BY: Dave O'Neill PRODUCERS: Ivana Davidovic, Emma Tracey EDITOR Damon Rose

Presenter and model, Christine McGuinness, has thrown herself into dating for the first time since discovering she is neurodivergent. She reveals to Access All some of her autistic dating tips and tricks and talks about her new BBC podcast, Situationships. She also chats about campaigning for more accessible playgrounds for disabled and neurodiverse kids. When he heard we were chatting about dating, BBC journalist, Alex Taylor, rolled by. He recently declared on his social media that he's re-launching on the apps. He thinks they can really help disabled people get out there but admits juggling dates and carers can result in some very awkward situations. Plus Emma Tracey and Paul Carter debunk the rumour going around that singer Stevie Wonder, who recently gigged in the UK, isn't really blind, and try to decide whether he's the most famous disabled person in the world right now. This is a fun episode, but if you're Alex's mum, this one is not for you! Sound recorded and mixed by: Dave O'Neill Produced by Ivana Davidovic Series producer: Beth Rose Editor: Damon Rose Email us: accessall@bbc.co.uk

Comedian Robin Ince speaks with Emma Tracey about his relatively new diagnosis of ADHD. He has written a book to try and help neurodivergent people "walk unafraid through the world" as he puts it. The Infinite Monkey Cage comedian speaks personally about distraction, creativity, intense interests and - perhaps the worst part of ADHD - RSD, Rejection Sensitivity Disorder. Recorded and mixed by: Dave O'Neill Producers: Emma Tracey, Damon Rose Series producer: Beth Rose Editor: Damon Rose

After weeks of debate and political rebellion, proposed changes to the health element of Universal Credit have cleared the House of Commons.The government's bill sets out that new claimants from April 2026, who have limited capacity to work and have been approved to receive the health top-up of the benefit, will receive £50 a week, compared to £97 for current claimants who will continue to receive that amount. The Universal Credit Bill is expected to be classed as a money bill, meaning it could become law after one month, with or without the approval of the House of Lords.Emma Tracey gets reaction and analysis from Big Issue reporter, Isabella McRae, Conservative counsellor Lana Hempsall and Jeremy Bernhaut from Rethink Mental Illness.Presented by Emma Tracey Sound mixed by Dave O'Neill Produced by Beth Rose and Adele Armstrong Editor: Damon Rose

This week, the programme is about cute disabled kids, how attitudes to disabled people are different in New York, kettles, faces, headlines, hackathons and a brilliant woman who's bringing education to kids spending time in a hospice in Wales. Paul Carter joins Emma Tracey in a show where we've deliberately edited out all the stuff about that welfare bill for the sake of all our sanities. It'll be back again soon enough though. It's disability like in real life, on a podcast, from the BBC. You're welcome. PRODUCERS: Adele Armstrong and Alex Collins RECORDING AND MIX: Dave O'Neill SERIES PRODUCER: Beth Rose EDITOR: Damon Rose

It's been a fast-moving day in the House of Commons as MPs voted to send the welfare bill on the next stage of its journey through parliament, but it's been far from clear-cut.Halfway through the impassioned debate from MPs on the effects of eligibility changes to benefits, the government offered up another concession - to delay any changes to one of them, Pip, until after a report involving disabled people is published in Autumn 2026.Many disabled campaigners are pleased with this change, but worried changes to the health element of Universal Credit for new claimants still currently stands. To explain the day's events and make sense of it all, we hear from Warren Kirwan from Scope, Fazilet Hadi from Disability Rights UK and Dan Bloom from Politico. Presented by Emma Tracey Sound mixed by Mike Regaard and Dave O'Neill Produced and edited by Damon Rose and Beth Rose (not related!)

Just after the clock struck midnight in Westminster all of the rumours and rumblings around the government's welfare reform plans to save £5bn came to a head as Work and Pensions Secretary, Liz Kendall, released a letter to MPs outlining a series of concessions to the plans. They include making no changes to existing deals people have and disability co-production, which means inviting disability organisations to the table to help shape some of the reforms, going forward. So, have the changes pleased everyone? Mikey Erhardt, from Disability Rights UK and Labour MP Ian Byrne give their take on what the concessions mean. And we hear from Minister for Work and Pensions, Liz Kendall. Presented by Emma Tracey Producer: Alex Collins Series producer: Beth Rose Editor: Damon Rose Sound design and mixed by Dave O'Neill

Financial journalist and author Jessie Hewitson was amused when her five-year-old came home from school and declared he has DHD. She thought he'd somewhat ironically missed out the 'A' in a hurry. But after thinking about it for a while, she thought he may well have succcessfullly diagnosed himself. A few years on and both of Jessie's sons have been diagnosed with ADHD, and she has received a diagnosis too. Having previously written about autism and how to ensure an autistic child is happy she's back with a new book - How To Raise a Happy ADHD Child - and offers listeners her thoughtful advice. Presenter Emma Tracey is joined by BBC journalist Hayley Clarke to talk through the latest headlines including the twists and turns of the government's welfare reform bill. And if you're gearing up for a trip to Glastonbury, or any other festival for that matter, Hayley, who's going for a sixth time, has a list of top tips on how to survive a festival if you're neurodivergent. Sound recording and mix: Dave O'Neill Producer: Emma Tracey and Alex Collins Series Producer: Beth Rose Editor: Damon Rose