Access All: Disability News and Mental Health

Bestselling author and TV presenter, Richard Osman, is visually impaired due to the eye condition, nystagmus, and, as a result he tells Access All, “the world is just blurred to me”.In this wide-ranging chat with Emma Tracey, Osman describes why his visual impairment sends him into panic mode at airports and why, when it comes to his TV career, he focuses on how people feel when watching a programme, not what they can see.He also talks about the hunch he has that disabled people could come into their own over the next decade as AI becomes more prominent, and when a premium will be put on people who think creatively when solving problems.And with his new book, We Chase Shadows, due to hit bookshelves around the world on 10 September he gives Emma a little preview of what it’s about, speaks about his writing process and explains why he doesn’t care what his characters look like.Presenter and producer: Emma Tracey Series producer: Beth Rose Studio Manager: Daffyd Jones Sound mix by: Mike Regaard Editor: Damon RoseSay to your smart speaker: “Play Access All on BBC Sounds” to get the latest edition. And email [email protected] with all your thoughts.

We pay tribute to US writer and community-builder Alice Wong who died this week at 51. Known for her Disability Visibility project and #CripTheVote, we hear from her friend Nichola Griffith who collaborated with her on a writing project called #CripLit. She never actualy met her offline yet they made a big connection. If you didn't know of her in life, here's your chance for her to inspire you with the spirit she created.Journalist Alex Taylor fell foul of a TikTok prank when someone stuck out their tongue at him to get a reaction. He then chased them in his powerchair to try and delete the video before it got online. He believes he was targeted because he was disabled.Also, presenter Emma Tracey shoots the breeze about gyms, exercise and talks to award-winning podcaster Grace Gigi Ogun, who makes the funny rich audio podcast Journeys With Grace about living with kidney cancer, and has a talent for football and music. Presenter/producer Emma Tracey, mixed by Dave O'Neill, produced by Kevin Satizabal Carrascal, Alex Collins, series producer Beth Rose, editor Damon Rose. Email: [email protected] with your thoughts and questions. And say "Ask the BBC for Access All" to your smart speaker and subscribe to us on BBC Sounds. We're here every week.

After a summer of discontent and rebellions around welfare reform, the government has announced how it will look into the future of Personal Independence Payments (Pip) with the Timms Review, named after the Government minister in charge. That Minister is Sir Stephen Timms and he joins Emma to reveal who will be working with him on the review and how you can get involved. He also admits delays with Access to Work are getting worse, not better. Natasha Bloor had no idea she would be making headlines when she decided to train as a hairdresser. But the deaf stylist who communicates in British Sign Language (BSL) has become quite the hit, with deaf people from around the world flying in and booking their appointments with her so they can relax and chat while in the salon. Disabled influencer Eliza Rain, aka Disabled Eliza, also joins Emma Tracey in the studio to chat about what she does, and rolling, not running, the London Marathon. Presented by Emma Tracey Sound mixed by Dave O'Neill Produced by Emma Tracey and Alex Collins Series producer is Beth Rose Editor is Damon Rose

The first driverless taxis are coming to London in 2026 courtesy of Google's sister company, Waymo. They'll be on trial in the capital, but will they become an access wonder or woe?Emma Tracey and Paul Carter quiz Amanda Ventura from Waymo on all the ins and outs on what the new vehicles could mean for disabled people. We also speak to American tech journalist, Steve Aquino, who as a man with anxiety and a visual impairment loves using them to get out and about. And we find out if Emma Vogelmann, the co-CEO of Transport for All, and a powerchair user, would take one for a spin.Plus, our very own producer Amy Elizabeth is in the studio because she has just won Carer of the Year! As well as juggling a career as a journalist, Amy decided to move in with her grandmother, Helen, who has been living with dementia for 10 years.Produced by Alex Collins, Kevin Satizabal Carrascal and Amy ElizabethSound mixed by Dave O'NeillSeries producer is Beth RoseEditor is Damon Rose

Black people are four more times likely to be sectioned compared to white people, according to the mental health charity, Mind. That number is rising, but why?As the new Mental Health Act 2025 rumbles through Parliament, hoping to address some of these inequalities, we meet Shocka, a former member of the grime collective, Marvell. He has been sectioned four times and tells us what time in a psychiatric unit can feel like. Kadra Abdinasir, Associate Director of Policy for the Centre for Mental Health, joins us too to talk about why a framework around racial inequalities is crucial to improved mental health outcomes for black people and other minority groups, and the worry she and others have that it won’t be included as a priority in the Act and legally binding.Actress and model Ellie Goldstein has made a strong start in this year’s Strictly Come Dancing competition with her professional partner, Vito Coppola. We go behind the fake tan and sequins with Sam, who has learning disabilities, and his dance teacher, Jo Banham from Sensational Care Provisions, to find out how the duo might be pacing themselves, the moves that might not work for them and how they are managing to learn a new dance every week.Presented by Emma Tracey with Kirsteen Knight Sound mixed by Dave O’Neill Produced by Emma Tracey and Kevin Satizabal Carrascal Series producer is Beth Rose Editor is Damon Rose

It's not often the BBC has to debunk announcements made by presidents for public health reasons - but that's the case this week after President Trump claimed that taking Paracetamol during pregnancy may cause autism. We speak with Eric Garcia, an autistic political journalist in the US, who tells us what the autism community is saying and why focusing on the mother as the catalyst for autism has unpleasant echoes from the past. How would you feel if a major European football club took a video of you and seemingly used it for fun in one of their social media videos? We speak to Welsh TikTok creator, Jessie Yendle, who had thought she was teaching the world about stammering but got a hurtful surprise. Plus comedian Juliette Burton joins Emma Tracey to shoot the breeze about some of the disability stories around including Blue Badge fraud and what the new DWP chief told BBC employment correspondent, Zoe Conway. Sound mixed by Dave O'Neill, producers were Beth Rose and Emma Tracey, the editor is Damon Rose. Email [email protected] and say to your smart speaker "Ask BBC Sounds for Access All"