Access All: Disability News and Mental Health

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.

This week, Noah Matthews Matofsky, reportedly the first actor with Down's syndrome to land a major role in a Disney movie, takes time out to speak with Nikki and Emma about his time on the set of Peter Pan and Wendy. He reveals what Captain Hook (Jude Law) got up to between takes and how he kept up with his schooling while on location in Canada. With Eurovision just moments away (that could be the name of our entry for 2024, right?), we look at the always diverse contest to see which disability inclusive acts you should look out for this weekend. And, a real eye-opener, we find out what your local council wants you to prove before you are considered disabled and homeless … clue, getting a blue badge seems candy-stealingly simple in comparison. We hear from Dr Beth Stone from the centre of Disability Studies at the University of Bristol, she's one of the authors of a new report on the situation, and Charlston a disabled man who has twice been homeless. PRESENTERS: Nikki Fox and Emma Tracey RECORDED AND MIXED BY: Dave O'Neill PRODUCERS: Damon Rose, Keiligh Baker and Emma Tracey ASSISTANT EDITOR: Beth Rose EDITOR: Damon Rose Ask for "Access All from the BBC" on your smart speaker and email us accessall@bbc.co.uk - Search your favourite search engine for a transcript of this show.

TV presenters JJ Chalmers and Ade Adepitan join Nikki and Emma to chat about their roles in the Coronation. From disabled veterans to wellbeing, we unpick the weekend and also take a look at the most accessible ways to enjoy the pageantry. Emma worries that too many stories about disabled people having bad plane experiences will give people compassion fatigue, rather than fix the problem, while Nikki has some exciting intel on the new series of Gladiator. And British-Chinese dancer, Si Rawlinson talks about his new theatre show, Saving Face, based on his experience of serious and numerous food allergies and how he endured pain to cover up who he really was. PRESENTERS: Nikki Fox, Emma Tracey SOUND MIXING: Dave O'Neill PRODUCERS: Rebecca Grisedale-Sherry, Emma Tracey ASSISTANT EDITOR: Beth Rose EDITOR: Damon Rose Say "Alexa, ask the BBC to play Access All" and she will. Search the web if you want a transcript of the podcast, we do one every week. And subscribe to us on BBC Sounds or wherever you get your podcasts.

Aged 43, Melanie had never had sex. After a suggestion from her support worker, all this changed. She went online and found Chayse, a sex worker who was able to sensitively meet her needs. In an extended interview, Melanie and Chayse reveal how they went from spending an hour together to overnight stays. He's now helping her to find love through dating which she's relieved about because the escort business is expensive! Disability minister and all-action-hero Tom Pursglove ruffled the feathers of disabled Twitter-users this week after being filmed on a dawn raid of alleged benefit fraudsters. Nikki and Emma discuss. And when we say film, we mean Hollywood, baby. PRESENTERS: Nikki Fox and Emma Tracey SOUND MIXING: Dave O'Neill PRODUCERS: Rebecca Grisedale-Sherry, Emma Tracey ASSISTANT EDITOR: Beth Rose EDITOR: Damon Rose (no relation) Subscribe now, Google to read the transcript, say "Alexa, ask the BBC for Access All" and look out for our articles on the BBC News website too. See how we look after you x

This week Nikki and Emma are joined by British Vogue cover star, Sinéad Burke, who has been assisting its editor-in-chief to embrace disability inclusion. She has the look, she has the words...and she can also make pasta. Hear our extended interview with the Irish activist. And as 30,000 people head to London for Extinction Rebellion’s pro-environment event, we hear from Dan White who will be at the heart of it. He’ll be delivering a speech on the importance of disabled people being at the table when it comes to planning a green and accessible future. Plus, Sam Little gives us her tips on how you can live a climate-friendly life - which can be a bit tricky for some of us, right? PRESENTERS: Nikki Fox, Emma Tracey SOUND AND MIXING: Dave O'Neill PRODUCERS: Becky Grisedale, Emma Tracey and Beth Rose ASSISTANT EDITOR: Beth Rose EDITOR: Damon Rose (no relation) Email Nikki and Emma on accessall@bbc.co.uk or send a voice note on Whatsapp to 0330 1239480. Oh and "Alexa, ask the BBC for Access All" - a nice and accessible way to listen in seconds. Plus, there's a transcript of every single show we've ever done.

BAFTA award winning magician Fergus Flanagan talks to Nikki Fox and Emma Tracey about OCD and how his intrusive thoughts disappear when he performs. And is he able to guess what word Nikki is thinking of? Listen to find out... Covid hastened the dash towards a cashless society after we were told to use contactless cards to stop germs circulating. It might be a bonus for businesses who no longer have to cash up, but, for some of us, cash and coins make far more sense. We speak to Myf who has learning disabilities, Mencap Cymru director Wayne Crocker, and Natalie Seeney who chaired the Access to Cash Review. Plus, the city of York is still in the firing line with disabled campaigners and Channel 4 throws a bunch of celebrities into a darkened warehouse to see how they cope blind (Chris McCausland is in there too). PRODUCERS: George Dabby, Emma Tracey ASSISTANT EDITOR: Keiligh Baker EDITOR: Damon Rose Install the BBC Sounds skill and then say "Alexa, ask the BBC for Access All" Or use your phone to subscribe to us on BBC Sounds or wherever you get your podcasts. Email accessall@bbc.co.uk to get in touch with Nikki and Emma. A transcript is available for every edition we publish.