Access All: Disability News and Mental Health

The day has finally arrived!After many months of lockdown we’re all finally allowed to meet friends and family – outside and in groups of six or as two households. For Kate, the relaxation means she can see her family, but will her mobility issues get in the way and prove problematic? And for transplant recipient wife Holly, who has been strictly shielding for most of the year, after so long apart will it all feel a bit overwhelming and too awkward to see Kate’s family?Will there be tears? And how tough will it be to not hug each other? Produced by Amy Elizabeth.Subscribe to Ouch's podcast on BBC Sounds or say "Ask the BBC for Ouch" to your smart speaker.

The UK has just marked one year since it officially went into its first Covid-19 lockdown. It’s the anniversary no one wanted.On this episode we discuss the highs and lows of those 365 days for disabled people across the country.Nikki Fox, the BBC’s disability correspondent, has spent the past year finding out how disabled people are managing in the pandemic and practicing her ukulele. She’s joined by Jonny Benjamin MBE, an author, vlogger and mental health campaigner who talks about the rollercoaster of emotions the pandemic brought up for him, and how he ended up in a psychiatric hospital in the middle of it. BBC Ouch producer and mum Emma Tracey chats about doing the online shop and what lockdown’s been like for blind and visually impaired people, while writer and campaigner Ciara Lawrence reveals what the pandemic has been like for people with learning disabilities - and why she wrote to Boris Johnson.Presented by Nikki Fox.Produced by Keiligh Baker.If you’d like to get in contact with the team, email ouch@bbc.co.uk.You can hear our latest podcast by saying “Ask the BBC for Ouch” to your smart speaker, plus you can listen and subscribe on the BBC Sounds app.

Kate Monahan has Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and her wife Holly is a transplant recipient. Filling out the Census form should take 10 minutes they say but it prompted a big debate for this couple. Kate also provides some hot advice for teenage girls who have the same condition as her or who live with pain. If you have any questions you'd like to put to Kate or Holly please email the producer amy.elizabeth@bbc.co.uk Maybe you want to know more about adopting a disabled child? Or perhaps you have advice to pass on about how to entertain children that requires minimal physical energy from parents (yes please) or on navigating lockdown life. Drop us a mail. Produced by Amy Elizabeth. Subscribe to Ouch's podcast on BBC Sounds or say "Ask the BBC for Ouch" to your smart speaker.

Kate Monaghan has Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, her wife Holly is on immunosuppressants, their newly adopted daughter Gracie has dwarfism and four-year-old Scout is returning to school. Want to know what it's really like navigating the pandemic as a disabled family? Kate and Holly deliver the brutal honesty of parenting in a pandemic… Produced by Amy Elizabeth. Subscribe to Ouch's podcast on BBC Sounds or say "Ask the BBC for Ouch" to your smart speaker.

Recently journalist Lucy Webster wanted to join a matchmaking website but, before the company took her subscription fee, they warned she might find it difficult. Lucy was upset by the response and shared their email on social media. On this week's podcast we hear stories from disabled people who have used online dating agencies, as well as speaking to a representative from the industry. What should disabled people expect? Presented by Keiligh Baker. Produced by Drew Miller-Hyndman. Subscribe to the podcast on BBC Sounds or wherever you get your podcasts. And say “Ask the BBC for Ouch” to your smart speaker to hear our latest programme. Email ouch@bbc.co.uk if you have a story to tell us about online dating or anything else.

Kate Monahan shares personal moments in this virtual audio diary documenting a family of four in lockdown as a Mum with chronic pain and mobility issues. Four-year-old Scout returns to school after lockdown and mums Kate and Holly experience a range of emotions - especially when the school ring with some bad news which takes Holly off to the hospital - a place she's been avoiding for a year. Not just one but two! Holly has a second trip to hospital but this time she has to travel by train because it's all the way down in London. She received a kidney transplant 11 years ago, but will forever be on immunocompromising medication - a constant source of anxiety during this pandemic though she has now had the vaccine. Produced by Amy Elizabeth. Subscribe to Ouch's podcast on BBC Sounds or say "Ask the BBC for Ouch" to your smart speaker.

Mark's sister Alison died of covid-19 on 14 January 2021. She was 39. On this episode of Mentally Interesting, He and Seaneen explore grief and how it affects your mental health. Seaneen gently guides Mark through the story, while he paints a detailed and moving picture of the loss and devastation of losing his beloved sister. Specialist psychotherapist Julia Samuel brings a professional perspective to the table and suggests how Seaneen might tackle her own debilitating death anxiety. With Seaneen Molloy and Mark Brown. Produced by Emma Tracey. Subscribe with BBC Sounds and say to your smart speaker "Ask the BBC for Ouch" Reach our presenters by email: ouch@bbc.co.uk

Kate Monaghan has Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome and her wife Holly is immunocompromised, meaning a year of shielding with two young children has been anything but easy! But recent government announcements mean it's all about to change again for this family – one-year-old Gracie is starting nursery and four-year-old Scout is going back to school. And it's a bag of mixed emotions for these two Mummas - relief at the idea of normality and an end to home-schooling (yay!) but also fears about sending their babies into the big wide world alone....Produced by Amy Elizabeth Subscribe to the podcast on BBC Sounds or say "Ask the BBC for Ouch" to your smart speaker. If you want to message Kate or ask her a question, email amy.elizabth@bbc.co.uk

With an end now possibly in sight, Kate feels she's letting Holly down. Her painful mobility issues are causing real problems for her this week - she desperately wants to play with the kids but having Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome means that even cuddles are a bit too much sometimes. Home-schooling a four-year-old and entertaining a one-year-old leaves Kate physically and emotionally exhausted, but doesn't her wife deserve some attention too? Produced by Amy Elizabeth. Subscribe to the podcast on BBC Sounds or say "Ask the BBC for Ouch" to your smart speaker. If you want to message Kate or ask her a question, email amy.elizabeth@bbc.co.uk

Dating can be tricky at the best of times, but it can come with a unique set of challenges if you have a learning disability and are LGBT.Ben Hunte, the BBC's LGBT correspondent, speaks to three people with learning disabilities and explores the social care barriers faced by the community. Shaun describes how a lack of sex education at special school meant it took him a decade to come out as bisexual. Now he teaches the subject to other people with learning disabilities. Ray talks about awkward encounters on dating apps and the challenges of navigating trans healthcare with a learning disability. And Scott tells Ben about the prejudice he faces as a gay man with learning disabilities and why he joined an organisation called Meet and Match. Producer Ammar Ebrahim Studio Manager Robbie Hayward Subscribe to the podcast on BBC Sounds or say “Ask the BBC for Ouch” to your smart speaker.