The Disability Download (Leonard Cheshire )

For more information about Carina's business, Hands of Warriors, head to: www.handsofwarriors.co.uk 

You can also follow her business on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/handsofwarriors/about/

and Instagram:
@handsofwarriors 

For more information about Laura's business Careaux, head to: https://www.careaux.com/

You can also follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using the handle: @careauxofficial  

Want to know more about Jenny's business eScent? Head to https://www.escent.ai/

To follow her on social media go to:

Social media handles;

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennytillotson/  
Twitter: https://twitter.com/scentsory
Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/jenny_tillotson/

Interested in learning more about her work? You can read an article she wrote recently about eScent here: https://thriveglobal.com/stories/when-aromatherapy-meets-ai/
You can also check out here Churchill fellowship award here: https://www.wcmt.org.uk/sites/default/files/report-documents/Tillotson%20J%20Report%202013%20Final.pdf

Interested in learning more about the Stelios Awards?  Find out more here: https://www.leonardcheshire.org/what-we-do/working/employment-support-and-internships/awards-disabled-entrepreneurs

Don't forget to follow us: @LeonardCheshire 

 

You can follow Leonard Cheshire on Twitter or Instagram @LeonardCheshire. Find out more at leonardcheshire.org

Get in touch by emailing disabilitydownload@leonardcheshire.org 

Find Shehla at www.aboutme.group

What is Functional Neurological Disorder? 

You can follow Leonard Cheshire on Twitter or Instagram @LeonardCheshire. Find out more at leonardcheshire.org

Get in touch by emailing disabilitydownload@leonardcheshire.org 

Find Jax's Podcast/Broadcast Show "The One Take Live Cast" on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_one_take_live_cast/

You can follow Leonard Cheshire on Twitter or Instagram @LeonardCheshire. Find out more at leonardcheshire.org

Follow Cyber-Duck on Twitter: @cyberduck_uk or visit their website: cyber-duck.co.uk

Yahye's autobiography "Unshakeable Will" is available here.

Get in touch by emailing disabilitydownload@leonardcheshire.org 

You can read the 'Breaking Down Barriers to Travel' report on Leonard Cheshire's website. 

You can listen to Sophie Elwes' A Life Less Ordinary podcast on the Apple Store.

You can find out more about Makingtrax and Jezza Williams on their website.

You can read more about Expedia Group's diversity and inclusion initiatives on their website. 

Find out more about Leonard Cheshire on their website. 

Follow Sophie Elwes on Twitter @sophieelwes, or Instagram @sophieelwes

Follow Makingtrax on Instagram or Facebook using the handle @makingtrax.co.nz or on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/makingtrax/ 

Follow Expedia Group on Twitter at @ExpediaGroup

You can follow Leonard Cheshire on Facebook @LeonardCheshireOrg, on Twitter and Instagram at @Leonardcheshire, or on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/leonardcheshire/mycompany/. 

Crip Camp documentary and memoir (01.51 – 15.23)

International Women’s Day (15.26 – 22.52)

Leonard Cheshire and international work (22.55 – 24.03)

Crip Camp debuts on Netflix in the UK on Wednesday 25 March.

Check out the trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fs0VRfOg7Wo

For International Women’s Day, we’re challenging stereotypes of what disability looks like in our #DisabledLooksLikeMe t-shirt campaign. Find out more on our Everpress site.

Please give us a review, like, share and subscribe.  If you have any suggestions or topics you'd like to hear about, email us  at disabilitydownload@leonardcheshire.org 

This month we’re talking about the value of inclusive education, both in the UK and around the world.  

We hear from disability rights advocate Maria Njeri about the difference inclusive education would have made to her school experience. We also chat to Kyle Eldridge to get his views on integrated schools in the UK and catch up with Orpa Ogot who works on the Girls’ Education Challenge Transition programme in Kenya. She tells us how they’ve been keeping children learning throughout the pandemic.

Music: Sun Shine by Cymatix provided by Premiumbeat. 

Relevant links:

Read more from Maria: https://www.leonardcheshire.org/our-impact/stories/impact-uk-aid-inclusive-education

Learn about the Maria Njeri Foundation: https://www.facebook.com/The-Njeri-Maria-Foundation-184855241540744/

Find out more about inclusive education: https://www.leonardcheshire.org/sites/default/files/2019-10/Every-Learner-Matters.pdf

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram @LeonardCheshire 

Find out more about Chloe: Linktree shows her book, website, podcast and social media handles.

Follow Chloe on social media: Via @clotimms: Chloe on Twitter @clotimms,  Chloe on Facebook @clotimms,  Chloe on Instagram @clotimms.

Chloe’s podcast: Confessions of a Debut novelist – Acast. Also available on all good podcast platforms.

Find out more about Penny: Check out Penny’s website

Follow Penny on social media: Penny on Twitter - @penny_author, Penny on Facebook @pennybatchelorauthor, Penny on Instagram @pennybatchelorauthor. 

ADCI Literary Prize: The ADCI Literary Prize that Penny helped to create is now open for submissions until 31 Oct 2022 (ADCI = Authors with Disabilities and Chronic Illnesses. Penny and Chloe are both part of this group.)

Keep Festivals Hybrid: Penny helped set up the Keep Festivals Hybrid campaign, (encouraging festivals and especially book festivals) to continue to offer virtual alternatives. Chloe also supports this campaign. As well as the website, search for the hashtag #KeepFestivalsHybrid

Amazon – Disability Fiction: In Amazon’s fiction section (aimed at adults) there is now a subcategory for Disability Fiction, as Penny mentioned. Penny campaigned for this section alongside fellow author Victoria Scott.
 

Some of the links mentioned in this month's episode:

https://youthmusic.org.uk/ - Youth Music Website 

https://youthmusic.org.uk/reshape-music - Reshape Music Report

https://youthmusic.org.uk/thehigherfrequency - Higher Frequency Podcast

https://takeitaway.org.uk/news/adaptive-musical-instrument-guide/ - Adaptive Musical Instrument Guide

Follow Nick on Twitter: @Nick_Wilsdon

Follow Youth Music on Twitter: @youthmusic

www.carolhodge.co.uk/ - Carol's website

Follow Carol on Twitter and Instagram: @carolxhodge 

https://www.leonardcheshire.org/  - Leonard Cheshire website 

Follow Leonard Cheshire on Twitter and Instagram: @LeonardCheshire 

Get in touch with us: disabilitydownload@leonardcheshire.org 

Read more about the pilot here: https://www.leonardcheshire.org/about-us/press-and-media/press-releases/lego-foundation-are-pilot-braille-bricks

Watch a video about the bricks, featuring Steve Tyler, here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VW6xeiG8kIM

If you’d like to speak to us and tell us your story, email us at disabilitydownload@leonardcheshire.org  

 

Follow Leonard Cheshire 

You can follow Leonard Cheshire on Twitter or Instagram @LeonardCheshire. Find out more at leonardcheshire.org  

Follow Kerry Thompson and read more of her work

You can follow Kerry via @kerry_thompson on Instagram, @kerrymThompson on Twitter. You can follow her blog: My Life, Kerry’s Way.

You can also read her article for Leonard Cheshire on the cost of living crisis and energy. 

Like many disabled people, I lose sleep worrying about bills | Leonard Cheshire

Her points on the extra costs of disability and high energy usage are very relevant for disabled people in 2024 and beyond.

You can find out more about the programmes and organisations we discussed. Visit Get Yourself Active and follow them on Twitter @GetYrselfActive. Visit Disability Rights UK and follow them on Twitter @DisRightsUK. Visit Sport for Confidence and follow them on Twitter @SportforConf.

Also check out @LeonardCheshire for our forthcoming sport programmes in 2022. See Leonard Cheshire and Sport England All Active Together.

You can follow boccia coach Donna Robinson on Twitter via @donna_c1987

You can follow rower Scott Ballard-Ridley on Twitter via @ballardridley. Scott works as a Communication Engagement Manager at Bridges Self-Management and runs the podcast BridgesCast. 

Leonard Cheshire youth advocate Arthur Lawson has the excellent YouTube channel Arthur’s Rolling Vlog.

Follow Leonard Cheshire on Twitter/Instagram: @LeonardCheshire

Find out more about our own sports programmes:  https://leonardcheshire.org/about-us/our-news/press-releases/leonard-cheshire-and-sport-england-all-active-together 

Check our Arthur's YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/ArthursRollingVlog 

Follow Leonard Cheshire on social: @LeonardCheshire

Get in touch with your ideas: disabilitydownload@leonardcheshire.org

Find out more about Leonard Cheshire: https://leonardcheshire.org/

Sign Sarah's petition here: https://www.change.org/p/boris-johnson-we-want-free-lateral-flow-tests-available-to-those-who-are-clinically-extremely-vulnerable?recruiter=88671692&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=psf_combo_share_initial&utm_term=share_for_starters_page&recruited_by_id=7d3d9f85-1a0e-4f46-a04f-a6e821f4a689&utm_content=fht-32443340-en-gb

Follow us on social: @LeonardCheshire

Visit our website: https://leonardcheshire.org/

Email us at: disabilitydownload@leonardcheshire.org 

Find out more about Headways, the Brain Injury Association: https://www.headway.org.uk/

Find out more about The Prince's Trust: https://www.princes-trust.org.uk/

Visit the Leonard Cheshire website: https://www.leonardcheshire.org/

Follow Leonard Cheshire on Twitter and Instagram: @LeonardCheshire 

Follow our guests on Social media: 

Fats: @fatstimbo - Instagram, @fats_timbo on x.com

Cassandra: @soapsub - Instagram and x.com

You can check out Cassie’s work here: https://www.kcl.ac.uk/people/cassandra-lovelock

Visit Leonard Cheshire's website: https://leonardcheshire.org/

Follow Leonard Cheshire on social: @LeonardCheshire

Get in touch and let us know what you think of the episode: disabilitydownload@leonardcheshire.org

You can read more about 2030 and Counting here: https://www.leonardcheshire.org/our-impact/our-international-work/youth/2030-and-counting

Watch the rest of the Missing Voices videos here: https://www.leonardcheshire.org/our-impact/our-international-work/youth/2030-and-counting/missing-voices

Read Dr Mark Carew’s blog post on why quality disability data matters: https://www.leonardcheshire.org/our-impact/stories/inclusion-counts-why-quality-data-matters

Find out more about the Girls’ Education Challenge: https://www.leonardcheshire.org/sites/default/files/2019-10/closing-the-gap-education-report.pdf

Read all about Sophie’s trip to Kenya here: https://www.leonardcheshire.org/our-impact/stories/sophie-morgans-inclusive-journey-kenya

If you’d like to speak to us and tell us your story, email us at disabilitydownload@leonardcheshire.org

In this episode, Leonard Cheshire's Joshua Reeves speaks with Whizz-Kidz ambassador Arunima Misra about accessible travel and navigating holidays as a wheelchair user.

Find out more about Ruth: https://www.leonardcheshire.org/about-us/our-news/press-releases/ruth-owen-joins-leonard-cheshire-ceo

Our employment research: https://www.leonardcheshire.org/sites/default/files/2020-10/Locked-out-of-labour-market.pdf

Follow Ruth on Twitter: @Ruth_owenOBE

Follow Ruth on Instagram: @ruthowenobe

Follow us on Twitter/Instagram: @LeonardCheshire

Email us: disabilitydownload@leonardcheshire.org 

Link to Sport England's website: https://www.sportengland.org/our-work/disability/

To find your local active partnership: http://www.activepartnerships.org/

Follow Olivia and Chris on their journey to Tokyo on Twitter:

@ChristopherSke2

@BreenOlivia

Special thanks to Jonathan Drane.

For transcript requests, please email disabilitydownload@leonardcheshire.org

If you'd like to get in touch, please email disabilitydownload@leonardcheshire.org

 

 

Check out Rob and Rhys' website for tour dates: https://morganandwest.co.uk/

Follow Rob on Twitter: @WestMagic

Follow Morgan and West on Instagram: @morganandwest

Visit Leonard Cheshire's website: https://leonardcheshire.org/

Follow Leonard Cheshire on social: @LeonardCheshire

Get in touch and let us know what you think of the episode: disabilitydownload@leonardcheshire.org

 

 

 

In this inspiring episode, Beth chats with Sarah, who shares her remarkable journey with her assistance dogs, Kiki and Nellie. From everyday motivation to extraordinary moments—like attending a Buckingham Palace garden party and even detecting Sarah’s ovarian cancer—these incredible dogs have been so much more than companions. Sarah also opens up about how her dogs have given her independence, lifted her spirits, and connected her with a supportive community through her guide dogs’ fundraising group. This episode celebrates the unique and life-changing relationship between humans and assistance dogs.

The Disability Download Special episode – Frances Ryan 

 

[Music intro]

 

Cathy Lynch Hello and welcome to The Disability Download. The Disability Download is brought to you by disability charity Leonard Cheshire. I'm Cathy Lynch.

 

Erin O'Reilly And I'm Erin O'Reilly and on this podcast, we respond to current topics, share stories and open up conversations about disability. This month we're all about the Paralympics. 

 

This month we’re giving you a very special episode of The Disability Download, we actually recorded this last summer and what it is, is a very special interview with award-winning journalist Frances Ryan. Cathy actually caught up with her last year, right before her recent book was published. The book is called Crippled: austerity and the demonization of disabled people. We thought it was quite timely to share the interview with you especially given the recent news of the tragic story of Errol Graham who actually died of starvation after having his benefits cut by the DWP (Department for Work and Pensions) so that’s being investigated at the moment but Frances’ book really shows the impact of austerity over recent years and how it’s affecting disabled people. 

 

[Music fades]

 

Cathy Lynch Yeah was a really interesting conversation actually, I think as well from reading the book, it is quite a difficult read in the sense that it is very emotional in at points, you know, I think it’s really important to note that it could that having your benefits cut could happen to anyone. It makes the figures, a reality that you see in the news every day. So yeah, give it a listen. 

 

Cathy LynchFrancis. Could you explain to our listeners what the book is about and why you wrote it. 

 

Francis Ryan Yeah, absolutely, thank you for having me. So yeah really the book came about from the fact that I've been working on disability and really the impact of government cuts on disabled people support for the last sort of seven years now, and it just really struck me that this is an issue that has just been building and building, as we've seen billions of pounds pulled from support that disabled people rely on by the way of social care or housing or benefits, and they've actually been covered a little bit in some really great books on for example austerity and it's been absolutely covered to a certain extent in newspapers. It's never really been an issue that's I think really hit that sort of turning point, that critical moment where it's just really gained public attention, and I thought it was just a really crucial issue that needed to be looked at in detail, and that is really where I started, and quickly became sort of a, I think my aim was to make excellent conversation about Britain's relationship with disability; how we treat disabled people, what attitudes to disabled people are in modern Britain and how that translates to the sort of policies that governments are able to bring in. 

 

Cathy Lynch So in your book you focus on the austerity years and disability. You talk about the time before 2010; what was it like for you growing up, and what was it like pre-2010?

 

Francis Ryan Yeah, I think that was a really important part of what I was trying to get across, that sense that society is sort of dependent on what governments are in, and what point of progress you're in as a society treat certain groups differently. So disabled people have been, you know, obviously campaigning through the decades to win really basic fundamental rights; that's their right to live at home independently rather than being in a care home, or the right to be employed or get on public transport. When I was growing up in the 1990's, I thought that was really fortunate time to be born a disabled person because we've sort of had those key civil rights moments if you like, where disabled campaigners had been fighting for decades to get these basic rights and we had things like the Disability Discriminations Act come in, Disability Living Allowance benefit that helps pay for the extra costs of disability had been introduced. So it felt quite a positive time actually, to be a disabled person, and have opportunities that the previous generations hadn't, and I think that's why for a lot of people, the post-2010 era, so when these austerity steps first began to sort of dismantle this support, that was the really devastating part. It was the fact that people who fought these rights of people's equality, really it's not perfect but it got to a point where a lot of people felt actually we're the generation of disabled people that are able to enjoy much more opportunity and equality than we've ever had before. But now due to this cost cutting, we're seeing so many disabled people see these rights roll back in a way that we never really expected - I think that is the really crucial bit that those rights are not permanent. We're constantly having to fight for them if you like, and right now I think is a really crucial time for disabled people in Britain, because we're very much having these rights feel like they're underset again.

 

Cathy Lynch Something that struck me from reading the first pages of the book, you say that you've outlined this is a national scandal - do you think that when we look back at this point in history we're going to be ashamed; do you think the government should be held accountable? 

 

Francis Ryan I think there is a real problem when it comes to pointing out problems and then ministers being held accountable and changing them. I think that's one of the crucial issues of why things have been so incredibly difficult for disabled people, it's that the policies have been brought in, in the first place that are damaging. So for example it is quite predictable, but when you tighten eligibility for disability benefits for example that will result in a lot of people who desperately need these benefits no longer having it. If you bring in you know 6 billion pounds worth of cuts in social care that's going to quite obviously result in disabled people not being able to get dressed or washed in the morning. That was quite obvious, and yet the policies are brought in regardless. When we see, as we have done, MP enquiries, charities, disabled-led organizations doing this research which shows very clearly the devastating impact of these policies that still 99 times out of a hundred Ministers do absolutely nothing about it. I think that's the devastating bit for a lot of people that actually everyone is really aware increasingly of what's happening. I hope the book is a record of what's happening but we need to reach a point where it's not just about saying "this is happening", It's about saying actually we need to reach a point where Ministers are pressured to actually do something about it. 

 

Cathy Lynch Do you discuss in the book what we as a society can do to improve and how we can tackle these issues. 

 

Francis Ryan Yes, absolutely. It was really important to me with the book to have that sort of sense of what we can do, to make things better. I think disabled people and non-disabled people I think now in Britain with politics can feel quite intense and hopeless; there's so much going on, isn't there? Whether it's Brexit, austerity or the rise of the far right, there's so many issues that make you feel this is this is a really difficult time for lot of people and you need to not sanitize what's happening at the same time you need a sense of hope, and a sense that actually things don't have to be this way if you do things differently the lives of disabled people can be so much better than they are for a lot of people now. So like you say towards end of the book I talk about just sort of common sense things society can do to make to make life better for disabled people. So for example, I talk about the importance of representation - I really think that even though they seem not related, something like how many disabled people you have in positions of power like in Parliament, in the media, or just the people that you see whether or not you go to school with a disabled person, whether you see them in the workplace. That level of exclusion versus representation and inclusion I think is really important because if you live in a society where you don't really see disabled people in everyday life it becomes really easy to get these  cultural myths around us that we're not like normal people, that we don't have the same interests and needs and wants and dreams and those cultural attitudes make it really easy to bring in measures like cuts to social care that you just wouldn't do for other people. If you believe that a disabled person doesn't go to the pub, does not have relationships and doesn't want a career then it becomes really easy to cut that personal assistance, so they have to stay in the house 24/7. I think for me stuff like representation is really important. I think we really connect, I think that is a really big issue we need to talk about the fact that, for a lot of people, they still don't really come across disabled people in everyday life, or at least they don't think they have, they're not aware of it, there's still a real sort of awkwardness, a lack of interaction with disabled people in Britain I think all about really ties into the way that we see disabled people treated in everyday life.

 

Cathy Lynch Do you think the discussion of disability issues is shifting and changing in the media? 

 

Francis Ryan I think that we've had, over the last decade, we've had I think a lot of the same people that I speak to have become quite fearful actually of some of the coverage that they've received and there's been research that shows this - the negative portrayal of disabled people has increased in the press post-2010. You know things like referring to people who are too sick to work as 'work shy' or 'scroungers', and lots of research has shown that's increased, and research has shown that things like disability hate crime - people you are talking about in the public in the first place, it shouldn't be a case of non-disabled people talking about disabled people constantly. Disabled people should be the front and center of our own reporting. 

 

Cathy Lynch Reading the stories in the book, were there any stories that you were surprised by, or on a scale that you didn't imagine. 

 

Francis Ryan Yeah I think I think going into it I was aware of the scale of the issue because I've been reading the research for a good five years at that point, and I was just talking to people, the amount of emails and messages that I get from disabled people I think I got the impression that this was not a handful of cases. You know this is hundreds of thousands if not millions of people who are being affected by issues like disability benefit cuts and social care cuts. But at the same time, I think hopefully that's what the book gets across. Sometimes those sort of reports can seem quite cold and abstract. You know if you read Leonard Cheshire did research talking about there's one million disabled people without the social care they need in Britain. That figure sounds horrendous but actually when you talk to people who actually directly experience it that you that you really get an impression of just what that means to people on a day to day basis. I spoke to one woman called Rachel who is a wheelchair user. She was living independently in a bungalow in the New Forest and she was doing that with the help of a team of personal assistants. Over 2012 to 2016, she lost the person helped her get dressed in the morning, the person that help cook her meals, the person that cleaned her bungalow, the person that helped her get to bed at night. It was just cut cut cut, and in the end she has no social care at all, and that struck me despite knowing how great this is for a lot of people. The idea that a wheelchair user could be left as she was which was malnourished because she had no one to cook the meals anymore, and on her bad days she slept in her wheelchair, she told me because she did not the energy to lift yourself back into bed, and the person used to help her from the council has been cut and that, absolutely, those types of stories I think, are just absolutely devastating even if you know how bad it is. I think it's all just it makes me feel it's reached a point for a lot of people where things are happening that you don't think you ever imagine would actually happen in a well-funded, wealthy nation and I think you should be shocked by that - I should be shocked by that - the reader I hope in a positive way shocked by it, because unless we talk about it, unless we sort of say to each other this is completely inhumane what can we do about that, then these things don't change, do they? 

 

Cathy Lynch Another point that we found from the book was your take on the benevolent othering of disabled people and what you had to say about the phrase "most vulnerable people”; could you explain to our listeners what the issue is?

 

Francis Ryan, I think this was in a really interesting thing for me. I think you hear this idiom that we will always, as a country, protect the most vulnerable, and when you say vulnerable generally people mean disabled people is sort of the code word they're using. I think the sentiment behind it is is it positive isn't it? The idea that as a society we should take care of people we should support people who are most in need of support, who can't necessarily live their life safely and comfortably without support from other people. But I think actually when you break it down the idea of disabled people being inherently vulnerable is is part of the problem; I think for one it perpetuates the idea that disabled people are sort of inherently different - that we are fragile - that we are weak - that we are child like, when actually, absolutely, many of us need support in a way that other people don't. But I don't feel vulnerable on a day to day basis. I'm just a normal person who needs support to do things. The idea that we are vunerable I think perpetuates that sense as you say that 'othering', I think on a second level it suggests that disabled people are vulnerable because we're disabled but actually the only reason that we're vulnerable or we become vulnerable is when the support that we need to live a safe and dignified life is removed from us, to talk about Rachael with the social care - she is absolutely vulnerable now because she is malnourished because no one is helping her cook meals. She is vulnerable because she can't go to bed at night and sleep. She wasn't vulnerable before. She's not vulnerable because she's a wheelchair user. She's vulnerable because society has chosen to remove her social care from her. I think that's the really important bit for me to talk about, that disability is not inherently tragic and miserable and negative. We can live amazing lives but we need sometimes that support in order to do that, and that's the issue - if society gives us the adequate support our lives are nothing like a life of tregedy and vunerability. 

 

Cathy Lynch After writing this book and looking forward, where do you think we'll be in ten years time? 

 

Francis Ryan Well there's a question...! I think British politics is in a position, where we could make predictions but I think they would easily be completely transformed in a matter of months. I think this feels a bit for a lot of people whether you are disabled or not that Britain is in a bit of a turning point, I think. I say at the end of the book that it feels a bit like 'decision time' for society of what we want to do, what we want to be like, how we want to treat people like disabled people and other marginalized groups like migrants - are we going to be a society that turns in on ourselves and becomes mean spirited, are we going to be a society that actually funds our public services properly again. These sort of questions I think have never been more vital to address. I think we're at a point where we've had this decade of extreme cost cutting that has really gutted these services that a lot of us have relied on for years. Obviously the change of Brexit is going to be transformative for society again, for services disabled people rely on. I think it's very much a turning point of 'we can do better than this'. We can we can stop the roll back of disability rights, we can reinvigorate the welfare state, or we can continue down this path. There's only going to further reduce the rights and opportunities of disabled people. I think it's a turning point and I really hope these sort of conversations help us to transform this situation into something better - we have that potential, it does not to be like this. We just need to get there. 

 

Cathy Lynch What are the main things journalists and charities and other organizations in the disability sector do you think should do in the meantime? 

 

Francis Ryan I think that I think the number of disabled organizations and also charities are doing incredible work. I think it's easy when you look at the scale of these problems to fear as I say quite downhearted about it, and scared of what happening. I think it's really important to look at the incredible campaigns that were already happening, in the book I talk a lot about the things disabled campaigners are doing for example, organizations like disabled people against cuts, that they're working in protesting and highlighting the way that the closure of the Independent Living Fund and the impact that that had on and continues to have on disabled people. If we look at parents of disabled children who are currently campaigning to stop closures of respite centers that their children rely on and or specialist teacher assistance to help them and have their children in mainstream education - those campaigns and their battles are being fought and won in some cases all over the country as we speak. I think that's the really crucial bit isn't it - is to look in your local community to what the issues are and what we can do to try and help us maintain these little sides of support. I think that that there's some incredible work that we just need to highlight some more maybe - they don't necessarily didn't get the good stuff and the passion and their campaigns don't necessarily get the front pages like a devastating story would do, but social media for example I think it's a great way for a lot of disabled people to connect with one another who are not only going through these difficulties but also to look at these campaigns that you can get involved in whether it's education or social care or benefits or access to venues the same opportunity particularly online to get involved in your local networks on the national networks. It gives me hope, for sure, to see the way that disabled people can work together and get really a better result, it's a cliche but we do a lot better when we're all fighting together than just by ourselves, and I think that gives a sense of hope and solidarity for what can be stopped, and what can be changed, if you work together in that way.

 

Cathy Lynch So now your book is done. What's next for you? 

 

Francis Ryan A big sleep! I do love a nap! It's strange, it's about two years I think I've been working on that, so that's a long time. I think it's it's going to be a case of hoping that this these sort of stories that are covered in this book gets as much attention as we can, I really hope that the stories that people have so generously and really courageously told me in intimate detail in these books get the sort of reception that I hope these issues can finally get. To me going forward, continue to working with The Guardian and the great team there, people like Patrick Butler, who do incredible work in highlighting what is happening to disabled people, I think there are so many issues that you just can't not cover. I think issues like social care is going to be just an incredible issue over the next couple of years increasingly. Just today, I read an article that told me that people who are over the age of 65, the proposal was that they would get their personal care for free and not once in the news article did it mention that disabled people exist, that disabled people under the age of 65. For me personally just as social care continues to be debated and finally we get the the paper from the government hopefully to just continually bang the drum that social care actually is relied on by disabled people as well as older people and how we can make disabled people get the support we need as well as older people, that will be for me personally one really important issue over the next year. 

 

Cathy Lynch Fantastic. Thank you so much Francis. 

 

Erin O’Reilly So that was a really interesting chat there with Francis and covering obviously essential topics which are very timely in the current landscape, so Francis’ book is available to buy from all good bookshops and available on Amazon as well. As always, we’ll put relevant links in our show notes so check that out if you’re interested in giving it a read. 

 

Cathy Lynch And we’d love to know what you think of The Disability Download, email us at disabilitydownload@leonardcheshire.org and please remember to like, share and subscribe. 

 

Cathy Lynch I’m Cathy Lynch 

 

Erin O’Reilly and Erin O’Reilly

 

Both And this has been The Disability Download. 

 

Music plays 

You can follow Leonard Cheshire on Twitter or Instagram @LeonardCheshire. Find out more at leonardcheshire.org  

Find Zarifa on: 

www.itsanidealworld.com, or @ZarifaRoberson on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and Snapchat.

Or you can directly e-mail her on: zroberson@itsanidealworld.com

Find Paige and Taylor on: 

https://www.instagram.com/alifelookingup/

https://www.youtube.com/@ALifeLookingUp

You can follow Leonard Cheshire on Twitter or Instagram @LeonardCheshire. Find out more at leonardcheshire.org

Discover more about technology at Hill House

Find out more about the Leonard Cheshire assistive technology project at Hill House, which supported Jane with voice banking.

Get in touch by emailing disabilitydownload@leonardcheshire.org 

Find out more about Crohn's & Colitis UK's 'Not Every Disability is Visible' campaign: https://www.noteverydisabilityisvisible.org.uk/

Find out more about Leonard Cheshire: https://www.leonardcheshire.org/

Follow Leonard Cheshire: @LeonardCheshire 

Skye works at Dragon Indoor Market on Brackla Street Centre and loves all things spooky.

 

Our host is Joshua Reeves, Campaign Support Officer for Leonard Cheshire, a lover of Black Metal and anything spooky!

Follow Nathan on Twitter: @NathanMattick8

Follow Leonard Cheshire on Instagram/Twitter: @LeonardCheshire

Read more about Leonard Cheshire: https://www.leonardcheshire.org/

Find out about Can Do sport: https://www.leonardcheshire.org/get-support/learning/can-do

Email us: disabilitydownload@leonardcheshire.org 

Follow Jessica on X and Instagram using: @mrsjhatchett

Follow Leonard Cheshire 

You can follow Leonard Cheshire on Twitter or Instagram @LeonardCheshire. Find out more at leonardcheshire.org  

Check out Alice's website: https://alicechristina.wixsite.com/my-site 

Follow Alice on Instagram: @aliceccorrigan 

Follow Alice on Twitter: @aliceccorrigan

More about Alice's show Past Life: https://cptheatre.co.uk/artists/Alice-ChristinaCorrigan

More about Leonard Cheshire: https://www.leonardcheshire.org/ 

Follow Leonard Cheshire on social: @LeonardCheshire 

 

To find out more about our research into disability hate crime follow the link to our website.

If you’re experiencing hate crime or if you’ve seen an incident, report it to the police.

You can find out more about advocacy services on the links below.

Crown Prosecution Service website https://www.cps.gov.uk/hate-crime

Stop Hate UK website https://www.stophateuk.org/

Government website https://hatecrime.campaign.gov.uk/

Met Police https://www.met.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/hco/hate-crime/how-to-report-hate-crime/

If you’d like to speak to us and tell us your story, email us at disabilitydownload@leonardcheshire.org

Follow Martin on social media: @HywoodMartin 

Read Martin's blog: https://martinhywood.blogspot.com/ 

Follow Muscular Dystrophy UK: Twitter - @MDUK_News Instagram/Facebook/LinkedIn: musculardystrophyUK

Learn more about Muscular Dystrophy UK: https://www.musculardystrophyuk.org/

Follow Leonard Cheshire: @LeonardCheshire

Read more about Leonard Cheshire's work: https://www.leonardcheshire.org/ 

Know someone who would be a great guest? Emails us at disabilitydownload@leonardcheshire.org 

You can also view a full transcript over on the Leonard Cheshire website: https://www.leonardcheshire.org/our-impact/stories/podcast-fundraising-family-and-fighting-fairer-world

 

You can follow Leonard Cheshire on Twitter or Instagram @LeonardCheshire. Find out more at leonardcheshire.org

Get in touch by emailing disabilitydownload@leonardcheshire.org 

More information: 

Mili mentions DecodeME – a large scientific study of people with M.E. launched in September 2022. You can read media coverage from the launch.

 

Follow Cathy on Instagram: @thatsinglemum

Cathy's Patreon account: https://www.patreon.com/thatsinglemum

Follow Leonard Cheshire: @LeonardCheshire  

Visit our website: https://www.leonardcheshire.org/ 

Check out Beck's website: https://www.disabledinnovation.com/ 

Read Beck's blog about their experience as a disabled , non-binary person: https://www.leonardcheshire.org/our-impact/stories/my-autism-and-gender-identity 

Check out Kit's blog about the controversy around Sia's film 'Music': https://www.leonardcheshire.org/our-impact/stories/why-i-wont-be-watching-sias-music

Some resources recommended by Kit on 'spoon theory': https://www.autisticanimist.com/post/spoons-spoon-theory-autism-and-the-social-model-of-disability

https://spectra.blog/news-views/the-emotional-cutlery-drawer-of-spoons-and-the-social-hangover-autism/#:~:text=The%20spoon%20theory%20was%20developed%20by%20Christine%20Miserandino.,their%20family.%20Not%20heard%20of%20the%20spoon%20theory%3F

https://spectra.blog/news-views/autistic-superpower-days-why-autists-may-be-on-an-autistic-spectrum-within-a-spectrum-different-autistic-days-and-a-nod-to-polyvagal-theory/

Follow Leonard Cheshire on social: @LeonardCheshire

Contact us at disabilitydownload@leonardcheshire.org

Change Makers is  supported by the Act for Change Fund is a £3.6 million partnership between Paul Hamlyn Foundation and Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, for organisations supporting young people working for change. The Fund provides resources for young people to challenge social injustice, find ways of overcoming inequality and give voice to issues they are experiencing.

Act for Change Fund is a joint initiative between Paul Hamlyn Foundation and Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, working in partnership with the National Lottery Community Fund. Both foundations are acting as match funders and are awarding grants on behalf of the #iwill Fund.

The #iwill Fund is made possible thanks to £50 million joint investment from The National Lottery Community Fund and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) to support young people to access high quality social action opportunities. Paul Hamlyn Foundation and Esmée Fairbairn Foundation are acting as a match funder and awarding grants on behalf of the #iwill Fund.

Find out more about the Change Makers: https://leonardcheshire.org/get-involved/campaign-us/change-makers

Find out more about 2030 and Counting: https://leonardcheshire.org/our-impact/our-international-work/youth/2030-and-counting

Follow Leonard Cheshire on social media: @LeonardCheshire

Email us at disabilitydownload@leonardcheshire.org

 

 

 

 

 

 

What does the future hold for assistive technology?

We hear how it’s changing the way we live our lives. Nick Bishop chats to Leonard Cheshire Director of Assistive Technology Steve Tyler, who works with tech companies Google and Amazon to make their products accessible.

Find out more on our website: leonardcheshire.org/

 

Check out Caprice's website: https://www.capricekwai.com/about-me

Follow Caprice on Instagram: @capricekwai

Check out Caprice's business on Instagram: @bycapricekwai

Read Caprice's blog: Nine businesses owned by disabled people

Follow Leonard Cheshire: @LeonardCheshire 

Visit our website: https://leonardcheshire.org/ 

Read more about Zebedee Talent: https://www.zebedeetalent.com/ 

This month we're doing something new and exciting with our first ever 'takeover' episode. We're hearing from the Change Makers, a group of citizen youth reporters who have been investigating the main challenges facing young people with disabilities today. Mia Stevenson, Pasha  Richards and Arthur Lawson talk about their experiences as young reporters during the lockdown.  

Change Makers is supported by the Act for Change Fund, a £3.6million partnership between Paul Hamlyn Foundation and Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, for organisations supporting young people working for change. The Fund provides resources for young people to challenge social injustice, find ways of overcoming inequality and give voice to issues they are experiencing. 

Act for Change Fund is a joint initiative between Paul Hamlyn Foundation and Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, working in partnership with the National Lottery Community Fund. Both foundations are acting as match funders and are awarding grants on behalf of the #iwill Fund. 

The #iwill Fund is made possible thanks to £40million joint investment from the National Lottery Community Fund, and the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport to support young people to access high quality social action opportunities. For more information, visit www.iwill.org.uk   

Music: Sun Shine by Cymatix provided by Premiumbeat. 

To find out more about the Change Makers project, visit: https://www.leonardcheshire.org/get-involved/join-our-campaigns/change-makers

Read more from Arthur:  https://www.leonardcheshire.org/our-impact/stories/why-we-need-listen-young-disabled-people 

Find out more about iwill week: https://www.iwill.org.uk/iwill-week-2020

Find out more about On Our Radar: https://onourradar.org/ 

Find out more about Act for Change: https://www.phf.org.uk/funds/act-change-fund/

To get in touch, email us at disabilitydownload@leonardcheshire.org or contact us on  Twitter/Instagram @LeonardCheshire. 

Photograph: Pasha

This episode explores the topic of disability hate crime – what it is and how people can be allies to disabled people. 

UK disability charities Leonard Cheshire and United Response are set to launch key research on disability hate crime with the latest figures in all four UK nations. 

You can get support from the organisations below.

 

Leonard Cheshire – We support disabled people across the UK. Check out the Leonard Cheshire disability hate crime page (latest updates will be live in October 2023).

 

United Response – UK charity supporting disabled people. Check out the United Response disability hate crime page.

 

Hate Crime Advocacy Service – Project supporting people in Northern Ireland who have experienced hate crime. This involves Leonard Cheshire, Victim Support, Migrant Centre NI and the Rainbow Trust)

 

External Organisations

 

Citizens Advice Bureau – an independent organisation that provides free and confidential information to people about different problems, including debt, housing, finance, and legal issues. 

Website: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/ law-and-courts/discrimination/hate-crime/ 

 

Crimestoppers – a national charity with a free helpline for reporting crime anonymously. 

Website: https://crimestoppers-uk.org/ 

Phone: 0800 555 111 

 

Equality Advisory Support Service (EASS) – a free Helpline to give information and guidance on discrimination and human rights for people living in England, Scotland, and Wales. 

Website: https://www.equalityadvisoryservice. com/ 

Email: adviceline@equalityadvisoryservice.com 

Phone: 0808 800 0082 

 

Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) – the independent non-departmental public body responsible for the promotion of equality and non-discrimination laws in England and Wales. 

Website: https://equalityhumanrights.com/en 

Email: correspondence@equalityhumanrights. com 

Phone: 020 7832 7800 (London) / 02920 447710 (Cardiff) 

 

GALOP – the UK’s largest anti-abuse charity for LGBTQ+ people, supporting LGBTQ+ victims and survivors of domestic violence and hate crime. 

Website: http://www.galop.org.uk/ 

Email: hatecrime@galop.org.uk 

Phone: 020 7704 2040 

 

Stop Hate UK – a charity that provides independent and confidential support to people affected by hate crime. 

Website: https://www.stophateuk.org/ 

Email: info@stophate.org 

Phone: 0113 293 5100 

 

Tell MAMA – national initiative that seeks to tackle anti-Muslim attitudes whilst supporting victims and survivors with confidential advice. 

Website: https://tellmamauk.org/ 

Email: info@tellmamauk.org 

Phone: 0800 456 1226 

True Vision – a national police scheme to help victims report hate crimes online. 

Website: https://www.report-it.org.uk/ 

Phone: 0208 016 5678 

Victim Support – an independent charity operating in England and Wales that provides advice, information, and support to victims of abuse, hate crime, and other traumatic incidents. 

Website: https://www.victimsupport.org.uk/ 

Email: https://www.victimsupport.org.uk/ help-and-support/get-help/supportline/email-supportline/

 

More info on Access to Work can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/access-to-work

If you’d like to speak to us and tell us your story, email us at disabilitydownload@leonardcheshire.org

Find out more about Stack Up: www.stackup.org.  

Follow Alex on Twitter: @WallsiesDGP

Follow Josh on Twitter: @JoshuaReevesDCMS

Please send  your questions, comments and podcasts ideas to disabilitydownload@leonardcheshire.org 

Follow Gary on Twitter: @BBCBlindGazza

Follow Jazz on Twitter: @JazzShaban

Follow Leonard Cheshire on social: @LeonardCheshire

Find out more about Leonard Cheshire: https://leonardcheshire.org/ 

Find out about Jazz's Small Voices Project: https://smallvoiceprojects.com/355-2/ 

 

Guests 

Josh Wintersgill @Able_MoveUK– 01:42 – 15:55

Jamie Woods @jamiewoods77 – 16:27 – 33:22

Sophia Kleanthous @soph_campaigner – 33:57 – 41:29

Chloe Timms @clotimms – 42:15 – 58:20

You can donate to our PPE appeal on our website: https://www.leonardcheshire.org/get-involved/our-fundraising-appeals/protect-our-carers

Check our website for more information around coronavirus: https://www.leonardcheshire.org/

Contact us at disabilitydownload@leonardcheshire.org

Follow Livvy on Twitter: @BreenOlivia 
And on Instagram: @livvy_breen

Follow Mo on Twitter: @MoatezJomni
And on Instagram: @mr_jomni

Follow Leonard Cheshire: @LeonardCheshire

Find out more about Leonard Cheshire: https://www.leonardcheshire.org/

Check out Livvy's 15 minute home work outs: https://www.leonardcheshire.org/get-support/learning/can-do/show-me-you-can

Find out more about the Paralympics: https://paralympics.org.uk/articles/games/tokyo-2021

 

 

You can follow Dr Hannah Barham-Brown on:

https://www.instagram.com/drhannahbarhambrown/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannahbarhambrown/

https://twitter.com/DrHannahBB

https://hannahbarhambrown.com/

You can follow Leonard Cheshire on Twitter or Instagram @LeonardCheshire. Find out more at leonardcheshire.org

Get in touch by emailing disabilitydownload@leonardcheshire.org 

Follow Kray-Z Legz on Instagram

Follow Kray-Z Legz on Facebook

Listen to Kray-Z Legz on Spotify

Read Kray-Z Legz blog on diversity within the industry 

Visit Leonard Cheshire's website

Follow Leonard Cheshire on social: @LeonardCheshire 

Find out more about Access Rating: https://www.accessrating.com/app/

Follow Access Rating on Twitter: @access_rating

Follow Leonard Cheshire on social: @LeonardCheshire  

Visit the Leonard Cheshire website: https://www.leonardcheshire.org/  

Email us: disabilitydownload@leonardcheshire.org 

For more information about Leonard Cheshire's 'Disabled Looks Like Me' t-shirt campaign head to: https://www.leonardcheshire.org/our-impact/stories/disabled-looks-me

Check them out on Everpress here: https://everpress.com/disabled-looks-like-me

Check out our guests:

Mimi Butlin - @cantgoout_imsick

Lucy Dawson - @luuudaw / @ludawinthesky

https://lucyintheskywithencephalitis.wordpress.com/about/

Sophia Kleanthous - @soph_campaigner

For enquiries, email disabilitydownload@leonardcheshire.org 

Follow Suruthi on Instagram - @fightrheumatoidarthritis

Read more from Suruthi: https://www.versusarthritis.org/news/2020/september/having-an-invisible-condition-can-make-things-that-bit-harder/ 

Learn more about Leonard Cheshire

Follow Leonard Cheshire on social: @LeonardCheshire  

Cassie Lovelock

Dr Cassandra Lovelock (she/they) is a Black mixed-race wheelchair user living with chronic illness and ADHD. She is a scholar activist whose work focuses on ethical, lived experience-led research, education, and policy making practice within the fields of mental health, neurodiversity, unpaid care, disability, poverty and worklessness.

Find Cassie on Social Media: @soapsub - Instagram and x.com

You can check out Cassie’s work here: https://www.kcl.ac.uk/people/cassandra-lovelock

Tilly Dowler

Tilly is a disabled business owner who runs pre-loved clothing boutique Wanted Wardrobe (Studios 5b, Castle wall buildings, Clapgun St, Castle Donington, Derby DE74 2LE). Her shop is open to customers from Tuesday to Saturday. Tilly has Stargardt’s Disease, a progressive condition affecting central vision.

You can find Wanted Wardrobe on:

Instagram: @wanted_wardrobe_

Facebook: @wantedwardrobe1

Vinted: @WantedWardrobe23

TikTok: @wantedwardrobetilly

Online: www.wantedwardrobe.co.uk

 

Visit Leonard Cheshire's website: https://leonardcheshire.org/

Follow Leonard Cheshire on social: @LeonardCheshire

Get in touch and let us know what you think of the episode: disabilitydownload@leonardcheshire.org

Check out Amrit's YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXg4dzkd45hY5PI0TShOsag 

Read Amrit's blog: https://leonardcheshire.org/our-impact/stories/we-need-debunk-myths-about-employing-disabled-people

Follow Huma on Twitter: @humashah

Follow Leonard Cheshire on social: @LeonardCheshire 

Find out more about Leonard Cheshire: https://leonardcheshire.org/ 

Follow Leonard Cheshire and the Trussell Trust 

You can follow Leonard Cheshire on Twitter or Instagram @LeonardCheshire. Find out more at leonardcheshire.org You can follow Trussell Trust on Twitter or Facebook @TrussellTrust or via trusselltrust.org

About the Trussell Trust

The Trussell Trust exists so we can all be free from hunger.

Together, the Trussell Trust has more than 1,300 local food bank centres across the UK, providing practical support for people facing hardship. But emergency food isn’t a long-term solution to hunger.

People need food banks when they don’t have enough money for essentials. It’s not right that anyone needs a food bank to get by. This can be changed this by ensuring everyone has enough income to eat, stay warm and stay dry. That's why the Trussell Trust also work with communities across the UK to change the things that push people to need a food bank

About fuel poverty

Martin refers to fuel poverty. According to the common understanding of fuel poverty, someone is in fuel poverty when they find it extremely difficult to find the money to heat their home.

According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), someone in fuel poverty finds themselves in the following situation: 

• when they spend the required amount to heat their home, they are left with a residual income below the official poverty line
  and
• they are living in a property with a fuel poverty energy efficiency rating of band D or below

 

In this episode, we feature:

• Steve Tyler, Director of Assistive Technology and Transformation at Leonard Cheshire 
• Jane, Priest, Poet, and creative artist
• Alice Christina-Corrigan, actor and theatre maker
• Sapphire Beamish, United Response
• Fats Timbo, creator, comedian, author and educator 
• Dr. Hannah Barham-Brown, GP and activist

Find out more about Grinning Dog Records, the label Grace runs with her husband, at https://nickcapaldi.com/, or by following  Grinning Dog Records on Facebook, @_GDRecords on Twitter, and @grinningdogrecords on Instagram. 

Sound design and editing by Sally Raper: https://sallyar.wixsite.com/sallyraper

Find out more about Leonard Cheshire's employment campaign: https://www.leonardcheshire.org/get-involved/campaign-us/employment

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @LeonardCheshire

Email: disabilitydownload@leonardcheshire.org

Find out more about Leonard Cheshire's employment campaign: https://www.leonardcheshire.org/get-involved/campaign-us/employment

Follow us on Twitter and Instagram: @LeonardCheshire

Email: disabilitydownload@leonardcheshire.org

Follow Ennis on Twitter: @rookthebird or visit their website https://ennisrook.wordpress.com/

Check out Leonard Cheshire's 'At the Intersection' blog series: https://leonardcheshire.org/our-impact/stories/why-we-need-talk-about-intersectionality

Follow Leonard Cheshire on Twitter and Instagram: @LeonardCheshire

Email us at disabilitydownload@leonardcheshire.org

Follow Leonard Cheshire  

You can follow Leonard Cheshire on Twitter or Instagram @LeonardCheshire. Find out more at leonardcheshire.org  

Follow Olivia and find out more about Paris 2024  

You can follow Olivia via @livvy_breen on Instagram and @BreenOlivia on Twitter.  

There’s an easy way to find out more about Olivia, her fellow athletes and her journey to the Paralympic Games in 2024. Check out Olivia Breen’s Paris Diaries on BBC Sounds.

We reached out to London School of Economics and Durham University for their response to some of the topics raised in this episode.

A Durham University spokesperson said:

“During her time at Durham University we worked with Amelia, both as a student, and in her role as a Sabbatical Officer for Durham Students’ Union, to understand and seek to address concerns that she raised. 

Whilst respecting the experiences that Amelia has discussed, we are resolute that inclusivity is at the heart of our University and we are proud of the progress we have made. 

We are deeply committed to ensuring that all our students have the best possible experience during their time at Durham and believe our high student retention rate, including those with disabilities, demonstrates this.

Nearly 20 per cent of our student body disclose a disability and staff across the University work hard to help ensure that adjustments are put in place to facilitate their engagement with academic studies and the wider student experience. 

We have made, and continue to make, significant investments in our estate to improve access for all students, adopting high accessibility standards when designing both new buildings and the refurbishment of existing buildings. 

We established an Access Review Team which incorporates students, disability support staff and estates staff who review and identify local infrastructure projects that make our campus more accessible for disabled students, staff and visitors. 

Our dedicated Disability Support service provides information, advice and guidance to support prospective and current students with a wide range of disabilities, and to staff working with disabled students.

Most recently they have launched an interactive toolkit to help those with autism make a confident start at University and joined forces with a range of partners to establish a number of fully funded internships, with tailored support, for students and graduates with autism. 

We have also made funding available to help students secure full diagnostic assessments for Dyslexia or Dyspraxia.”

More information on Durham University’s Disability Support service can be found at www.dur.ac.uk/disability.support

An LSE spokesperson said:

“We are grateful to Cassie for sharing her experiences. Clearly there is more for the School to do in terms of accessibility and support for our disabled students, which we will raise with our colleagues. We are heartened to hear what has worked well over the past year and will seek to build on this as we learn from our handling of the pandemic.” 

Follow Disabled Students UK on Twitter: @ChangeDisabled

Visit Disabled Students UK's website: https://disabledstudents.co.uk/

Read the Disabled Students UK Covid-19 report: https://disabledstudents.co.uk/DSUK_Report_Update.pdf

Follow Cassie on Twitter and Instagram: @soapsub

Visit the Leonard Cheshire website: https://www.leonardcheshire.org/ 

Follow Leonard Cheshire on Twitter and Instagram: @LeonardCheshire 

Get in touch with us: disabilitydownload@leonardcheshire.org

 

You can follow Leonard Cheshire on Twitter or Instagram @LeonardCheshire. Find out more at leonardcheshire.org  

Follow Wrexham

You can find out more about accessibility at Wrexham and follow Kerry’s work.
on Twitter via @OfficalDLOWAFC.

Follow Wrexham AFC: @Wrexham_AFC (Twitter) and  @wrexham_AFC (Instagram) 

Follow Welcome to Wrexham: @WrexhamFX (Twitter) and @wrexhamfx