Access All: Disability News and Mental Health

London poet Raymond Antrobus was thought to be dyslexic with severe learning disabilities, until his deafness was discovered at the age of six. (for a transcript, scroll down this page and find it in Related Links)At school, the hearing kids taunted him because he had to sit at the front to hear the teacher, and deaf kids called him a "baby signer" because he came to British Sign Language late and wasn't as proficient as the rest of them. Later, Raymond became a teacher himself and now also writes poetry about speech therapy and other experiences deaf people have. Here, he talks eloquently about his life and reads two new poems for us.With Emma Tracey, Beth Rose and Damon Rose. Please share this programme on social media, plus rate it and leave comments on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts from. If you want to get in touch, email ouch@bbc.co.uk, tweet @bbcouch or find us on Facebook.WHAT IS OUCH ALL ABOUT?We think it's an intelligent and funny insight into being disabled, made by people who know. The Radio Festival think it's an "authentic" disability voice. Social workers call it a "resource". And The Telegraph said it's the best thing about the BBC's website and it's "not too patronising" - which was nice of them really. At the beginning of each month you'll find a new hour-long roundtable talk show from Ouch. And every Friday for the rest of the month we do shorter 15 minute interviews or team chats usually about topical stuff, but sometimes we do random chats if something has caught our attention or made us laugh.

Why office treats and commenting on people’s lunch choices can be unhelpful(Scroll down to the Related links section to find a transcript of this podcast)Eleanor Bowes struggled with bulimia at university but now works in an office and, perhaps due to her food related difficulties, has noticed a rise in “cake culture” – where people bring treats in to share. Because she has found this difficult, and knows others do too, she has put together some tips for supporting people with eating problems at work. Suggestions include not pressurising colleagues to take part in food, alcohol or sports related activities, keeping treats in the kitchen, and not commenting on the lunch choices of co-workers.With Emma Tracey, Beth Rose and Damon Rose. Please share this programme on social media, plus rate it and leave comments on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts from. If you want to get in touch, email ouch@bbc.co.uk, tweet @bbcouch or find us on Facebook.

Dave Mercer had been married for three years when he had encephalitis, an inflammation of the brain, which changed his personality and relationship forever. He says the illness turned him into a "moody teenager" with behavioural problems. His wife says if she met him now, she would never marry him.(scroll down to the Related links section to find a transcript of this podcast)During rehabilitation Dave started going to Headway East London, a brain injury charity, and discovered a passion for art that hadn't existed before his illness. BBC Ouch's Beth Rose and Helen Weaver met Dave at the pop-up Submit To Love Gallery in Hoxton where brain injury survivors have been selling their art. Please share this programme on social media, plus rate it and leave comments on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts from. If you want to get in touch, email ouch@bbc.co.uk, tweet @bbcouch or find us on Facebook.

The snap general election is on the horizon so it would be remiss of a disability podcast if we didn't look at the accessibility of voting. It may be 2017, many might assume we've solved these issues by now, but it is still a work in progress. Meet Jordan Smith who has mild learning difficulties and Tracey Garcia from charity Dimensions who tell us more (A transcript can be found in the related links section of this page)In our look at social media this month, the creator of hashtag #disabledandcute, Keah Brown, goes for Netflix's teen suicide drama 13 Reasons Why, and she explains #cripthevoteuk. Then we meet Claire Connon and vlogger Carrie Beckwith-Fellows - both of whom don't eat food. Instead they have nutrients intravenously fed to them, in one case, directly into the heart. How does it all work? Presenters Simon Minty and Kate Monaghan ask Claire and Carrie the top questions:Does it mean you no longer poo? And if you invite a date back to your bedroom... how do you casually introduce the fact you've got tubes hanging out of you? Email ouch@bbc.co.uk tweet @bbcouch or find us on Facebook. Tell us what you think, and tell us your story. Subscribe to Ouch as a weekly podcast. It's not about disability, it's just disability-ish. Please review us on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. If you do this then more people who'd like the show will get to hear about it. And you can help too by sharing it, and liking it on Twitter or Facebook. We're back next week.

Actor Mat Fraser speaks with Ouch's Emma Tracey about his role in Richard III at the Hull Truck theatre starting in May. (A transcript can be found in the related links section of this page) The outspoken and hilarious Fraser discusses everything from queuing for a plane through to kickboxing and acting in this wide-ranging conversation. A must listen. Please like, share and review this podcast on iTunes and wherever you are enjoying it or downloading your podcasts from. Contact us by emailing ouch@bbc.co.uk tweet @bbcouch or find us on Facebook. We want to hear from you. Email us and say hi, tell us what you'd like to hear on the podcast, and let us know how you think we're doing. Back next week with an hour-long monthly talk show with Simon Minty and Kate Monaghan.

In a bit of a first for us, interlopers Seaneen Molloy-Vaughan and Mark Brown takeover the Ouch podcast to discuss a matter they fully know the ins and outs of - mental health. And they bring a fascinating personal angle to it. Launched by the younger royals, the Heads Together campaign has been all over the newsmedia this week with great responses to their calls to smash the stigma and 'talk' about mental health. Amongst other things, our two podcast hijackers discuss how some mental health difficulties are less easily understood by the public and so harder to bring out into the open. And they wonder what the next step is after sharing the fact you are having difficulties. Please share this programme and rate and review it on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts. If you want to get in touch with us, email ouch@bbc.co.uk, tweet @bbcouch or find us on Facebook. Next week, on this very page, we'll be putting up some more info about this week's hosts Seaneen and Mark so you know where they're coming from and can share a tweet with them.

This is the final in a series of seven entertaining and enlightening stories from people who are disabled or have mental health difficulties on the subject of love and relationships.In this edition, Harriet Dyer's best friend and boyfriend blamed her "paranoia" on her mental health difficulties, but she soon found out they were having an affair, a discovery which landed her in a police cell.The stories were recorded in March 2017 at an event held by BBC Ouch at the Backyard Comedy Club in London.Share this page on social media and pop over to iTunes, or wherever you get your podcasts from, and be sure to rate and review the Ouch podcast. Tell us what you think by emailing ouch@bbc.co.uk tweet @bbcouch or find us on Facebook.

This is the sixth in a series of seven entertaining and enlightening stories from people who are disabled or have mental health difficulties on the subject of love and relationships.In this edition, Gianluca Trombetta, who is deaf, confesses he hated it when his girlfriend talked before he was ready to listen, so he decided to teach her a lesson.The stories were recorded in March 2017 at an event held by BBC Ouch at the Backyard Comedy Club in London.Share this page on social media and pop over to iTunes, or wherever you get your podcasts from, and be sure to rate and review the Ouch podcast. Tell us what you think by emailing ouch@bbc.co.uk tweet @bbcouch or find us on Facebook.

This is the fourth in a series of seven entertaining and enlightening stories from people who are disabled or have mental health difficulties on the subject of love and relationships.In this edition, Georgie Morrell speaks about the loss of her sight in her 20s and having to give up her "sexy London life", until her brother played a prank on her - and taught her how to laugh and live life again.The stories were recorded in March 2017 at an event held by BBC Ouch at the Backyard Comedy Club in London.Share this page on social media and pop over to iTunes, or wherever you get your podcasts from, and be sure to rate and review the Ouch podcast. Tell us what you think by emailing ouch@bbc.co.uk tweet @bbcouch or find us on Facebook.

This month's talk-show is all about the stage as playwright Nicola Werenowska reveals her new play is based on her late diagnosis of dyspraxia.Director Stephen Unwin talks about how his disabled son, Joey, inspired him to look through the history books and create a play about disabled children in Nazi Germany.And musician Ruth Patterson chats about her band Holy Moly and the Crackers. Presented by Simon Minty and Kate Monaghan, produced by Emma Tracey.If you want to contact us email ouch@bbc.co.uk, tweet @bbcouch or find us on Facebook.Rate and review us on iTunes, or wherever you get your podcasts from, it helps people to find the show. Also, please like us and share our programme on your social media.