Access All: Disability News and Mental Health

Remember the ridiculously popular Wellerman song? This week, the 28-year-old star behind the sea shanty, Nathan Evans, joins presenters Nikki Fox and Emma Tracey to talk about his mental health. Anger against the government and rail authorities is hotting up. Sarah Leadbetter is taking legal action over plans to close railway ticket offices across England which disabled people say will hit them the hardest. Sassy Wyatt from Blind Girl Adventures talks about how her independence and confidence will go if the ticket offices get shut down. Plus which airports provide the best assistance? The CAA has ranked them for this year, listen in and see if you agree which one is best and which is worst. Recorded, mixed and polished by Dave O'Neill, produced by Beth Rose, Keiligh Baker, Natasha Fernandes and Emma Tracey. The editor was Damon Rose. Also available as a transcript and on 5 Live on Monday mornings, bright and early. You can also say: "Alexa, ask the BBC for Access All" to your smart-speaker. Subscribe on BBC Sounds, or your favourite podcast service. Email accessall@bbc.co.uk to say hi, or find us on Twitter. If we're not where you are, tell us!

Getting tickets to see Taylor Swift’s Era’s Tour has been widely reported as difficult. But getting tickets for accessible seats at Wembley has proved even harder and has had to be done the old fashioned way - by phone. Music journalist, Faith Martin made over 2,000 calls to the line before getting through. With much relief, and tickets in hand, she recounts the frustration disabled Swifties have faced. We tell the story of an asylum centre in Essex which exclusively houses disabled people. It's got level floor access but it has no accessible fittings and fixtures, and no care staff which is causing real hardship. We speak to BBC journalist Simon Dedman, Maria Wilby from RAMA, the charity for asylum seekers, and two people living in the facility, to find out what's going on and who is taking responsibility. And Doug Paulley, a disability rights campaigner from Leeds, joins us to talk about his work. He was the man who famously took First Buses to court to ensure wheelchair spaces on buses were prioritised for…wheelchair users. He also took the government to court over it’s National Disability Strategy and had it ruled “unlawful” last year. But this week, the Court of Appeal overturned that decision and the strategy is set to get back on track. How does Doug feel about that? Thorn in the side to some, folk hero to others, you'll enjoy this interview. Presented by Nikki Fox and Emma Tracey. The sound mixer was Dave O'Neill, and the producers were Beth Rose, Natasha Fernandes and Emma Tracey. Damon Rose was the editor. We’re @bbcaccessall on Twitter, email accessall@bbc.co.uk – Google for our latest transcript and say “Alexa, ask the BBC for Access All”

Paralympian and former Strictly contestant Ellie Simmonds speaks to Emma Tracey about having been given up by her mother, in part, due to concern at her having achondroplasia - a condition which leads to dwarfism. A complicated situation, Ellie holds no anger towards her for the decision. She was soon adopted and it was through the people she thinks of as her parents that she got into swimming and the life she loves. Find out what she discovered about herself when she met her birth mum recently. And rolling round social media right now is a big debate about the title of comedian Rosie Jones new documentary. It's caused controversy because the title contains the R-word, a much disliked word amongst many disabled people. Rosie, however, argues that it helps people to understand what a gut-punch the word is by front-loading her programme it in this way. Debating it is Rachel Charlton-Dailey, Harry Roche and Mik Scarlet. Recorded and mixed by Dave O'Neill, produced by Emma Tracey, Natasha Fernandes and Beth Rose, editor is Damon Rose, exec'ed by Jonathan Aspinwall. The presenter was Emma Tracey.

Singer Lewis Capaldi’s Glastonbury performance went down in history after the crowd stepped in when his voice cut-out. He’s announced he won’t be touring for the foreseeable as he adjusts to a recent Tourette’s syndrome diagnosis. Friend of the show, and TV personality, Aidy Smith gives us his hot take on why this moment was so important to the Tourette’s community.Think tank, The Work Foundation at Lancaster University reveals to Access All that disabled workers are 1.5 times more likely to be in “severely insecure employment,” compared to non-disabled workers. We hear from Pippa, who went freelance because of the challenges she faced in the office, and Angela from the Business Disability Forum, who gives some top tips on navigating the workplace.And visually impaired writer and disability commentator, Selina Mills, chats to Emma Tracey about her new book, Lives Unseen, a history of blindness through the ages including the moment she discovered there was a blind Neanderthal 50,000 years ago and the time she removed her false eye to prove she wasn’t faking being blind… Recorded and mixed by Dave O'Neill. Produced by Beth Rose, Keiligh Baker and Emma Tracey. The editor was Jonathan Aspinwall.

In her new documentary, Signs For Change, Rose Ayling-Ellis goes on a personal journey into the deaf experience to ask if attitudes are changing towards deaf people. The actor and Strictly winner pops by to talk about how emotional it was to look back on her childhood and describes her work to make life on set better for deaf people. Presenter Nikki Fox gets excited about a recent visit to a specialist disability-friendly gym, (spoiler alert, she forgot to wear a bra) and co-presenter Emma Tracey explores why blue badge theft is up 41% and what can be done to stop the rise. Recorded and mixed by Dave O'Neill. Produced by Keiligh Baker, Emma Tracey and Sophie Wallace. The editor was Jonathan Aspinwall.

This year's Download music festival in Leicestershire has received lots of negative feedback on social media from disabled people. From unstable wheelchair stands to tents being pitched too close together and people getting run over. Festival-goers tell us accessibility has taken a nosedive in the year Download marked its 20th anniversary. To get to the bottom of what happened, we hear from three people who were at the festival and the founder of Festability. Nikki Fox returns to the subject of Child Trust Funds set up during the noughties under Labour, and discovers that if you have over £6,000 in savings at 18, and can't spend it due to incapacity rules, your Universal Credit entitlement shrinks. Was that really the plan? And we speak to the founder of Wheely Haunted, Jayne Mortimore, who has not only seen and heard ghosts but has also created a website where you can find that most elusive of things ... an accessible old building that everyone can visit to find paranormal happening. Presented by Nikki Fox and Emma Tracey. Recorded and Mixed by Dave O'Neill, produced by Keiligh Baker, Emma Tracey, Damon Rose and Beth Rose. Edited by Damon Rose. email accessall@bbc.co.uk if you want to chat to the team.

Best Interests is the new BBC One drama about teenager Marnie, who has a life-limiting condition and whose doctors have recommended her treatment should be stopped. Bafta-winning writer Jack Thorne - well known for being a disability advocate - drops in to talk about writing it, making it and also about his recent autism diagnosis. The Cost of Living Crisis rumbles on affecting many disabled people. This week we focus on people with cystic fibrosis and how this makes life more expensive after a report reveals 7% of those with the condition are now getting groceries from food banks - a figure that is twice the national average. We speak to Holly, mum to two-year-old Amelia who has cystic fibrosis, and Ben Kind from the CF Trust. And presenters Nikki Fox and Emma Tracey read out your messages about delays to roadside assistance for disabled people. Recorded and mixed by Dave O'Neill, produced by Keiligh Baker, Emma Tracey, and Beth Rose, series producer. The editor was Damon Rose.

Sophie Smart was travelling back from a birthday outing with her eight-year-old son Karson, who has cerebral palsy and epilepsy, when the car’s clutch failed on the M1.As members of Motability and on a priority-list they expected the RAC to be with them in under an hour - but after repeated calls and further communication with National Highways and the Police over a seven-hour period, no-one ever turned up. Sophie tells Nikki and Emma how the situation became a four-day ordeal and Graham Footer, from Disabled Motoring UK, offers advice on what disabled drivers and passengers should do if they find themselves in a similar situation.Author Lizzie Huxley-Jones visits the studio to discuss their debut novel, Vivi Conway and the Sword of Legend, and we get an update on Daisy Simpson, who has been stuck in an inaccessible flat for more than two years while she waits for an adapted home.Plus listener Rikki sent in a very special message – if you’d like to do the same, email accessall@bbc.co.uk, tweet us @BBCAccessAll or send us a WhatsApp message or voicenote to 0330 123 9480!Sound recording and design was by Ben Anderson and Phil Bull The production team were: Beth Rose, Keiligh Baker and Emma Tracey The editor was Jonathan Aspinwall

Which would you prefer, sand in your swimsuit or sand in your wheelchair? Nikki Fox and Emma Tracey discuss the 300 beaches that have been made accessible for disabled people in Greece. Little AI robots have started using pavements to deliver shopping to homes in Wakefield, one of a handful of towns in the UK where such services have popped-up. We talk to Lisa Johnson from Starship Technologies, the company behind it, which reaches out to disabled people before these robots arrive in new areas. And Steve Tyler, from the charity Leonard Cheshire, talks about his experience of being on the advisory panel. Musician and author, Eliza Hull, talks about parenting as a disabled person and how seeing ramps at music award ceremonies help budding disabled artists "see it to be it", as the phrase goes. Sound recording and design was by Dave O'Neill. The production team were: Beth Rose, Keiligh Baker, Emma Tracey and Rebecca Grisedale-Sherry. Editor was Damon Rose.

It's Mental Health Awareness Week. Nikki and Emma take a deep-dive into the topic of anxiety and find out when feeling anxious can be positive and when it turns detrimental. Faris Khalifa talks about his experience and Stephen Buckley from Mind gives some suggestions on how to find your calm. Model Rosie Viva talks about the year she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder after "hallucinating her way around London" and causing Stansted Airport to be evacuated. PRESENTERS: Nikki Fox, Emma Tracey RECORDED AND MIXED BY: Dave O'Neill PRODUCERS: Keiligh Baker, Emma Tracey, Damon Rose ASSISTANT EDITOR: Beth Rose EDITOR: Damon Rose Email the podcast accessall@bbc.co.uk and don't forget you can listen to us on BBC Sounds on Alexa and a transcript is also available.