Access All: Disability News and Mental Health

Emma Tracey speaks to the mother of a 35 year old woman with learning disabilities who has been living in a mental health facility “unnecessarily” for three years. She says there is no reason for her to be living there and that it's due to lack of appropriate housing and care in the community. We also hear from autistic author Alexis Quinn who feels let down by the system but is living in her own home now. Mencap's analysis shows over 2,000 learning disabled or autistic people are inappropriately leading restricted lives in hospital. Dan Scorer from the charity shines some light on the situation as the government again misses its own target to bring down the numbers. Last week prime minister Rishi Sunak outlined the Conservative's plans to change work and Personal Independent Payments (PIP) benefits if they win the pending general election. Talk of benefits change is always concerning and Drew Hyndman from the Access All team combs through what he said and puts it in perspective. Activist Shani Dhanda is presently the number one most influential disabled person in the UK according to Shaw Trust's Power 100 list. As the proud Brummy starts a new programme on the BBC's Asian Network, she talks to us about her journey to understanding what being disabled means. Access All was made by Niamh Hughes, Alex Collins, Drew Hyndman, and edited by Damon Rose and Alex Lewis. Recorded and mixed by Dave O'Neill. The Senior Editor is Sam Bonham. "Alexa, ask the BBC for Access All" to play the latest episode. Or subscribe on BBC Sounds app or website.

It's Access All's 100th edition! To mark the occasion we’ve provided a bumper episode – including an interview with Rose Ayling-Ellis talking about how she is changing the conversation around British Sign Language.Also on the show: A glimpse behind the scenes – what really goes on when making Access All. Plus celebs give their advice on how to live your best disabled life.Presenter Emma Tracey. The episode was made by Drew Hyndman, Niamh Hughes and Alex Collins Recorded and mixed by Dave O’Neill The editors were Damon Rose and Alex Lewis. To get in touch with the team email accessall@bbc.co.uk or find us on X, @bbcaccessall. Don’t forget to subscribe by finding us on BBC Sounds.

Disability activist and commentator Samantha Renke says the law on disability hate speech needs to be strengthened after a podcast discussion about dating someone in a wheelchair goes viral. Also on the show: Actress and comedian Ashley Storrie talks about the autistic character she plays in the new BBC Three comedy drama Dinosaur. The episode was made by Daniel Gordon with Drew Hyndman and Alexander Collins Recorded and mixed by Michael Regaard The editor is Alex Lewis

Tom Shakespeare is Access All presenter Emma Tracey's special guest for an Easter spectacular edition of the podcast.He talks about becoming a novelist for the first time in his 50s, and why he created a disabled character to be the hero of his first non-fiction book. He also discusses the work he is better known for - a lifetime of disability activism and research - and his profile as a commentator on issues that affect disabled people. The episode was made by Daniel Gordon, with Niamh Hughes and Emma Tracey. The editor is Alex Lewis. Recorded and mixed by Dave O'Neill.To get in touch with the team, email accessall@bbc.co.uk or find us on X, @bbcaccessall .

Heartstopper star Bradley Riches lifts the lid on how he coped with having autism as a contestant on Celebrity Big Brother. Also on the show: the inventor of a new dating app which he says is fully neuro-diverse friendly.The episode was made by Daniel Gordon with Niamh Hughes and Emma Tracey. Recorded and mixed by Dave O’Neill. The editor is Alex Lewis. To get in touch with the team email accessall@bbc.co..uk or find us on X, @bbcaccessall.

The UN in Geneva questions the UK government on its commitment to disabled people. We speak to two people who followed the proceedings - disability reporter Rachel Charlton-Dailey and Rensa Gaunt from Inclusion London, which campaigns for equality for deaf and disabled people.Actress and broadcaster Madison Tevlin on challenging assumptions about disabled people - and why having Down’s Syndrome is her least interesting trait.Plus Don Biswas talks neurodiverse comedy.The episode was made by Daniel Gordon with Niamh Hughes and Emma Tracey. The editor is Alex Lewis. Recorded and mixed by Dave O’Neill. To get in touch with the team email accessall@bbc.co..uk or find us on X, @bbcaccessall. Don’t forget to subscribe by finding us on BBC Sounds.

In this episode, Emma Tracey gets reaction to Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s spending plans from Fazilet Hadi of Disability Rights UK. Plus Stephen Kingdom from the Disabled Children’s Partnership on the Budget announcement that £105 million is to be spent on building schools for students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. There’s also an interview with Henry Fraser. Once an aspiring rugby player, he was paralysed from the neck down after an accident on holiday and has since become famous for painting using his mouth and a specially-adapted paint brush.The episode was made by Daniel Gordon with Niamh Hughes and Emma Tracey. The editor is Alex Lewis. Recorded by Hannah Montgomery. Sound design by Dave O’Neill. To get in touch with the team email accessall@bbc.co..uk or find us on X, @bbcaccessall. Don’t forget to subscribe by finding us on BBC Sounds.

The ADHD medication shortage is still not over – and promises made by the main manufacturer and the government to fix the problem by April are being questioned.Drugs prescribed to help manage the condition – and one in particular, called Elvanse – have been in short supply since last year. People who have ADHD – Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder – find it hard to focus on single tasks as a result.Access All hears from people who are struggling to carry on working without the drugs they rely on.The world’s shortest comedian – Tanyalee Davis – also drops in to talk about her new show.The episode was made by Daniel Gordon with Niamh Hughes and Emma Tracey. The news editor is Alex Lewis.Recorded by Dave O’Neill. Sound design by Dave O’Neill.To get in touch with the team email accessall@bbc.co..uk or find us n X, @bbcaccessall. Don’t forget to subscribe by finding us on BBC Sounds.

Emma Tracey speaks with 20-year-old disabled student Laith , who fought for a good accessible education at the National Star specialist college in Gloucestershire. He feels he's got education under his belt but for what? After college, will he be able to live with his disabled girlfriend who also needs 24-hour care? Will he have independence and be able to get a job? All these things are far from clear for a young man who now feels he has a fight on. Laith was guest editor of 5 Live's Drive programme last week and, when he told the nation about his EHCP difficulties and his frustrations, people contacted the show in their droves. We put the best bits together for you here, plus more. Access All was made by Beth Rose, Niamh Hughes and was recorded and mixed by Dave O'Neill. Editor was Beth Rose and Damon Rose, the senior editor is Sam Bonham. If you have a story to tell us about education now and after, email accessall@bbc.co.uk

Journalist and mental health advocate, Bryony Gordon, joins Emma Tracey in the studio to talk about her new book, Mad Woman. It’s all about her OCD, alcohol addiction, binge eating, recoveries and relapses. Bryony dives deep into what she calls her “chorizo blackouts”, why she’s named her OCD Jareth (from 80s film Labyrinth), and why she has increasingly started to think episodes of bad mental health could actually be an appropriate way for the brain to react in certain situations. And Cardiff-based conjoined twins, Marieme and Ndey, have just celebrated their seventh birthdays surpassing all medical expectations. Their proud dad, Ibrahima, and BBC reporter Lucy Owen talk about the forthcoming documentary all about their lives. The episode was made by Beth Rose with Niamh Hughes and Emma Tracey. The news editor is Damon Rose, the senior news editor Sam Bonham. Recorded by Mike Regaard and Dave O’Neill. Sound design by Dave O'Neill. To get in touch with the team email accessall@bbc.co.uk or reach out on X, @bbcaccessall. Don’t forget to subscribe by finding us on BBC Sounds.