Access All: Disability News and Mental Health BBC Sounds

Emma Tracey speaks to the mother of a 35 year old woman with learning disabilities who she says has been living “unnecessarily” in a mental health facility for 10 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 also feels let down by the system but is living in her own home now.
Dan Scorer from Mencap shines some light on the situation as the government misses its own target to bring down the numbers. Mencap analysis shows almost 1500 learning disabled or autistic people are inappropriately leading restricted lives in hospital.

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.