Features
Comment and analysis from the most recent issues of Disability Now
Nic's formula for success
As the brother of motor racing star Lewis, Nic finds that having the name Hamilton has both an up and a down side. But as he doesn’t put his talent on show on the Formula 1 circuit, he’s happy to take the rough with the smooth
Meet the future: Young campaigners on show
In the 1990s disabled people, largely organised by Direct Action Network (DAN), hit the headlines as they chained themselves to buses and buildings to highlight the inequality disabled people faced. These protests influenced the Disability Discrimination Act, which in turn has led to improvements in equality, access and attitudes. But the fight for equality is far from over and whilst DAN no longer exists on the scale it did in the 1990s the spirit of fighting for your rights goes on in a new generation of young campaigners. The five young people profiled here by Emma Bowler have an impressive tally of campaigning achievements and their message is loud and clear – they are not giving up the fight for equality until it is won.
The unrepentant Pragmatist
Since his first Parliamentary demo, he’s been at the heart of the battle for disability rights. Yet there’s always been a tension between Sir Bert Massie and some other activists. Looking back, he remains unapologetic in standing by his approach
When a house is not a home
Chancellor George Osborne recently announced the revitalisation of the Tories’ holy grail of housing, the Right to Buy scheme. But, as Ruth Patrick reports, this is unlikely to bring much benefit to those disabled people for whom an existing dearth of social housing is just one of the barriers to finding a suitable place to live
Poetry politics pride
He’s the new professor of Poetry and Creative Writing at Brunel University. But he graduated from a very different type of university. Benjamin Zephaniah talks to Ian Macrae about his poetic and political awakenings
Bionics: Wrong answer to the wrong questions
It has been hailed as the first real alternative to the wheelchair in over 500 years. Its developers at California-based Berkeley Bionics say it enables those with spinal cord injuries to stand for the first time since their injury. But, asks Annie Makoff, is the world’s first bionic exoskeleton really the life-changing technological development its creators would have us believe?
What's the story Kim Tserkezie?
It might seem a long way for a disabled woman from the streets of Gateshead to the idyllic and idealistic world of children’s TV’s Balamory. But it’s a journey, says Ian Macrae, on which Kim Tserkezie seems to have remained constantly cheery
Double time: stories from behind bars
A disabled person guilty of committing a crime should be subject to the same degree of retribution as anyone else. But, as Annie Makoff discovers, some disabled prisoners may be getting twice the punishment
Looking back, looking forward
As Disability Now goes to press, England’s progress at the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand is uncertain. But as they talk ahead of the tournament, Sunil Peck discovers that Matt Hampson is as optimistic about this as about everything
Come in... if you can get in
Members of Parliament are disproportionately likely to be white, male, middle-class and privately educated. In particular, there is a notable absence of disabled parliamentarians. Ruth Patrick looks at some of the reasons why and what might be done to bring about change
Gerard: A voice of his own
Current work includes one TV and one radio soap – both institutions – a serialisation of a gothic classic and what is probably the biggest radio drama project of this century so far. Gerard McDermott talks to us about why he’s happier being someone else
Sex: Talking for ourselves
A recent newspaper survey found that 70 per cent of respondents would not have a sexual relationship with a disabled person. And this would seem to confirm the generally held pessimistic view that most disabled people stand little chance of “getting it”. But Annie Makoff has been speaking to people who dispute that view and these findings: they say success in sex and relationships is all down to confidence
Public person private mum
On camera and in public, Cerrie Burnell is a bringer of songs and stories to pre-school children. She is also known as a holder of strong views on women’s and disabled people’s rights.
Fitness: getting right to the core
A whopping 78% of disabled people in this country remain inactive compared to 50% of non-disabled people. But, asks Emma Bowler, just how easy is it to get fit, find accessible fitness centres or use what’s available in the home?
Andy Walker talking up life
As Emmerdale’s controversial storyline on assisted suicide ramps up the negatives on disability, the show’s other wheelchair-user, Andy Walker tells Annie Makoff he’s doing all he can to bring his positive life view to the screen
Harry Potter and the world of difference
With the final film based on J K Rowling’s massively successful series of children’s books about to hit cinema screens, writer and children’s book expert, Penelope Friday looks at attitudes towards difference and those who don’t fit in this most different of worlds
Governing in prose
Ahead of publication of the third volume of his uncut Downing Street Diaries, Alastair Campbell, the man dubbed Tony Blair’s king of spin talks to Ian Macrae about the privilege and pressures of being inside Number 10
Public image: Disability on show
Could you make money from your disability? That is exactly what some disabled people did several hundred years ago. Their stories, told for the first time in a groundbreaking exhibition shown at the Royal College of Physicians until July, juxtaposes their histories with the opinions of contemporary disabled people and explores how attitudes towards disability have changed, if at all. Annie Makoff reports
Donna's radio days
For many actors, a return booking to play a part they’ve made their own would look like they’d made it. But Sunil Peck discovers that Donna Lavin hopes it’s only just the first step on the road to stardom
Organised chaos: Cuts leave lives in crisis
It's s a tale of hidden and not-so-secret closures, jobs axed or not filled and service users left without the support they rely on. Annie Makoff investigates the hidden agenda behind the Government’s mental health strategy
Peter's Hollyoaks High
When a car crash ended what promised to be a successful football career, Peter Mitchell could be forgiven for thinking his shot at stardom had gone off target. But as one door closed, another flew wide open
Questions of Identity - Coming out as disabled
Having to "come out". Being called "abnormal". Or described as "queer". All of these phrases are regularly used as descriptions of non-straight sexualities, yet they work equally well as definitions of disability. But, asks Penelope Friday, what is it like "coming out" in two different ways - being disabled and gay/lesbian/ bi/pansexual? And which is the most difficult for others to acknowledge?
Rathband's unfinished business
PC David Rathband of Northumbria police was left blind after being shot by a fugitive gunman. Nigel Green meets the man who reveals his fears and frustrations, as well as his hopes of returning to the police
The unkindest cut... Homing in on res care
The announcement by Minister for Disabled People Maria Miller that the Government was to cut the mobility component from the Disability Living allowance paid to people in residential care has been seen by many as not only heartless but fundamentally misguided. Paul Carter and Sunil Peck assess its impact and reaction to it
Hard choices - birth and termination
It may be the hardest choice of all. The 20 week scan indicates your baby is disabled. One thing’s for certain. No one else can or should tell you what to do. Three women tell Annie Makoff about how they made and lived with their choices
Extreme force
In an uncompromising and unflinching interview, Jody McIntyre gives Paul Carter his views on the incident that made him the overnight face of resistance, and how he feels disabled people should come together to fight the Government’s cuts agenda
PIP replacement
Following the Government's announcement of a consultation on reform and replacement of Disability Living Allowance, Paul Carter and Sunil Peck analyse the extent of reform and gauge the fears and concerns it's prompted
Young Nelson sailing to screen success
Sex and drugs and rock 'n' roll may not always be the best route to success, but for Wesley Nelson, playing the young Ian Dury in the recent bio-pic was just one more twinkle in an already sparkling career.
The great government take-away
With the coalition Government's spending cuts being branded an attack on disabled people, Paul Carter looks at the implications and reactions to two of the Government's major decisions
Scouse in the house
He's officially the funniest blind man out of Liverpool; he's just won a prestigious Channel 4 talent trawl but, as he tells Sunil Peck, Chris McCausland is the same "mummy's boy" off-stage as on
Direct action! Life on the streets
Are people once more about to break out the handcuffs, the chains, the padlocks, the cans of red paint? With spending cuts apparently putting disabled people and government once more on a collision course, Sunil Peck asks what did the direct actions of the 1990s achieve and should we expect a return to those times of militancy
Trisha talking the talk
Trisha Goddard has proved herself to be the talk show host who's not afraid to speak out. As Kelly Mullan discovers, she's also a veteran mental health campaigner with almost 25 years of awareness-raising under her designer belt
Not so happy hour: ups and downs on the town
They may be young, they may be single, but are they free to go out and have a good time on equal terms? As Cathy Reay discovers, many disabled young adults still have to work harder than most to be where it's all happening
The face of 2012
Paralympian, TV presenter, actor; Ade Adepitan is one of the country's most recognisable disabled people. He talks to Paul Carter about his life, from his early days growing up, to being the figurehead of Channel 4's groundbreaking coverage of the Paralympics in 2012
Breaking the circle: racism and mental health
Following five years of delivery of a race equality initiative in the mental health system, do black service-users feel any more confident in the system? Kelly Mullan investigates
Shannon Murray: model and more
Actress, model, rights activist, would-be legal eagle and the face of Debenhams' fashion. Shannon Murray shares her ambition and enthusiasm with Cathy Reay
Osborne: opening Pandora's box
"Afraid." "Anxious." "Frightened." "Scared." These are just some of the words used by readers of Disability Now to describe their feelings over the proposed reform of Disability Living Allowance. Paul Carter reports
Baroness Campbell: your disabled legend
We asked you to vote for Disability Now's Disabled Legend in our readers' poll. The 50 candidates, all disabled, were drawn from people from past and present. Now we publish the result of your vote
On the buses
After a surprisingly affirmative experience boarding a bus on her scooter, Emma Bowler asks whether we're headed towards more accessible public transport. It's a journey on which she also encounters something of a paradox
Friend of the earth
From childhood birdwatcher to global eco-campaigner, Dr Stuart Butchart has been on quite a journey. He talks to Sunil Peck about his battle to keep the planet and things which live on it alive
Questions of Balance: Work and mental health
As the charity Mind launches “Taking Care of Business” a new campaign promoting mental health in the workplace, Kelly Mullan ponders some of the issues involved in finding ways forward for people who juggle their job and a mental health condition
Warwick: I'm calling the shots
At 40 years of age, Warwick Davis already has a CV that would make most British actors green with envy. Now, having just completed his autobiography, he tells Paul Carter that the pace of his career shows no sign of abating
Screening out prejudice
There’s been a concerted campaign in recent months – including on the pages of Disability Now – to get more disabled people onto the small screen. But how has that pressure translated into increasing numbers in off-screen production roles? Paul Carter reports
Genevieve raises the Barr
Despite landing her first big part purely by chance, at 23 years of age Genevieve Barr is already hurtling towards the career as an actress she’s always dreamed of. Cathy Reay tears the Yorkshire lass momentarily away from her new whirlwind life to see if she’s enjoying the ride
It's time to choose! Who is your Disabled Legend?
Who’s the person who’s done most as a disabled thinker, performer, activist, entertainer or sports star who you think deserves the status of LEGEND? Which of our 50 contenders, historical and contemporary, has done most to shape the way disabled people are viewed and treated? Which of them has done most to raise the profile or improve the standing of our community? YOU TELL US!
Taking back our lives
Attacked, afraid, abused but not alone: twice as many disabled women in the UK experience domestic abuse compared to non-disabled women. It’s time to start talking about it. Cathy Reay meets four women that never imagined they would be made to be afraid to stay at home
Getting voting rights
People have fought and died for it. Governments constantly tell us it’s a right we should exercise. So why is voting so difficult for so many disabled people. Paul Carter investigates
Mali's musical marriage
They’ve been championed by luminaries, but their own brand of exuberant African pop remains outside mainstream radio playlists. Sunil Peck talks to Amadou et Mariam, the Blind Couple from Mali about life and music
Virgin voters: who has the X factor?
With the country already in pre-election fever, Sunil Peck talks to eight disabled first-time voters to find out what issues will influence their choice at the ballot and which party ticks their boxes
Kiruna: hitting the big time
From playing feisty Carrie in Cast Offs, to breaking boundaries by being cast in a non-disabled soap role, Kiruna Stamell has packed more flavours into her CV than there are in a bag of Skittles. But, she tells Cathy Reay, she’s only just begun to taste the rainbow
Loan danger - students on the breadline
Re-organisation of the system which processes additional funding vital to study appears to have left it, and the disabled students who rely on it, close to crisis. Cathy Reay reports
Getting into a whole new fight
Inspiration may not be every disabled person’s favourite word, but Major Phil Packer doesn’t shrink from it. He tells Sunil Peck about how he’s channelling his new-found positive energy into finding ways to empower and inspire young disabled people
Rapid recovery
Paul Carter hears the story of a disabled Cockermouth resident who explains that despite the sheer physical scale of the flooding, the community spirit of the town provided all the support she and her husband needed.
You're having a laugh!
Laugh and the world laughs with you, they say. But if you’re disabled, it’s more likely to be laughing at you. So, what’s so funny about us? And who’s allowed to make or laugh at jokes? And, asks Ian Macrae, is there such a thing as disability comedy
What Katie did next
Recognised first for her beauty, second for her brains, Katie Piper thought she had everything going for her. But when, late last year, her boyfriend raped her and then hired a hitman to pour acid on the model’s face, Katie lost the world she knew.
Liz Jackson: going great guns
She’s recently been one of Channel 4’s Secret Millionaires, she’s ambitious, successful and fulfilled as a mother. And, she tells Sunil Peck, she’s as comfortable in Basingstoke as she is with herself and her blindness
Missing - disabled characters in children's fiction
“Alas for Tiny Tim, he bore a little crutch, and had his limbs supported by an iron frame!” For more than one and a half centuries, poor crippled Tiny Tim has had to stand – or rather sit – as a lonely and tragic symbol of disability in fiction. Cathy Reay discovers that when it comes to children’s books, there's still plenty to be grumpy about
In it to win it
Disabled people with political aspirations are as likely as anyone else to have their eye on the main prize, a seat in Parliament. But what barriers, physical and attitudinal, do they face in getting there? Sunil Peck investigates
Jamie's game
As a child, Jamie Beddard imagined running his team from a soccer pitch touchline. Now, as Cathy Reay discovers, he’s deploying his own talents in a whole other theatre of dreams
Lodging protests
As Kelly Mullan finds out, while author David Lodge is not deaf to the arguments and knows much about disability from his own and his son’s experience, he stops short of fully embracing the politics
The naked truth
Naturism and its devotees have been the butt of many a Carry-On gag, saucy seaside postcard, and sniggering tabloid headline. But as Emma Bowler finds out, there’s not a single nudge or wink as she asks what life in the raw has to offer for disabled people
Football results - disabled fans on how grounds match up
With less than a month to go until the start of the new football season, chicken balti pies, flasks of Bovril and cold Tuesday nights in the snow will all soon be back on the agenda. However, as Paul Carter discovers, many disabled supporters still face problems in watching the beautiful game
Pride of the Square
It doesn’t get much bigger than this in soapland. A new regular character on London’s most famous square. And he’s disabled. Cathy Reay meets David Proud between scenes
Running man – Pistorius is back!
Following a brush with near death in a boating accident, Oscar Pistorius talks to Paul Carter about getting his life and career back on track
Open to abuse
The publication of a report on abuse of people with dementia has raised questions about levels of abuse affecting disabled people, across the impairment spectrum, living in the social care system. Cathy Reay investigates
T4: Hitler's holocaust rehearsal
As Resistance, a new touring installation, prepares to hit the road, its creators and performers, along with historians and activists, look back with Kelly Mullan at T4, the Nazi killing programme on which it reflects, and asks what lessons can be learned today
Fernandez: In and out of The Office
Having twice flirted with TV stardom, Sunil Peck finds Julie Fernandez wondering why she’s recognised in the street but not as a campaigner by disabled people in her own community
Automatic for the people
Robots are used to rescue people from earthquakes, the military use them to bomb targets. They have appeared on the catwalk as fashion models and a robot scientist has made a discovery which could pave the way for the eradication of some diseases. But could this robot power be harnessed to bring about more independence for disabled people asks Sunil Peck and will robots ever be sophisticated enough to guide blind people or lift people in and out of a wheelchair?
Cohen: Breaking not making news
When Benjamin Cohen was appointed to the business and technology desk at Channel 4 News, he became the youngest correspondent in the programme’s history at just 23 years old.
Opening up the asylum
When Sectioned by John O’Donoghue landed in the Disability Now office the Editor scratched his chin and thought: “Who do I know who’s mental and Irish?” Kelly Mullan had a jar with the author and discussed labels
The gender agenda
Disabled women tell Disability Now about sexual threats and abuse while in mixed-sex wards in mental health facilities. Cathy Reay asks, is the Government’s thinking and policy muddled on questions of patient safety
Big in the movies
Verne Troyer was the bookies’ favourite on Celebrity Big Brother and is hailed by fellow Hollywood stars as a “great comic actor”. But, he tells Cathy Reay, he’s immune to allegations of cuteness
Doing it for ourselves
With everything from big banks to much-loved high street stores feeling the pinch, Sunil Peck has been taking the economic temperatures of businesses run by disabled entrepreneurs
Dropping off the social radar
The numbers of disabled people seeking asylum in the UK is not known. But, as Sunil Peck reports, what is clear is that those who are here all too often fall between the two stools of social care and asylum support provision
One bubbly soap star
Channel 4’s teen soap Hollyoaks welcomes the latest addition to its roster of characters. Kelly-Marie Stewart is blonde, bubbly and beautiful. And, as she tells Cathy Reay, she’s about to make the most of her break to sell disability into the mainstream
Holding the line
Jonathan Shaw, the new minister for disabled people, says he wants to be judged on what he does, not on what he’s done in the past. Sunil Peck starts the judging
Fervour education
The schools that activists now condemn may have been the very places that gave birth to the disability movement they now belong to. Paul Carter asks three leading activists about the role of special schools
Strictly sign dancing
Deaf performer David Bower played Hugh Grant’s brother in Four Weddings and a Funeral but Kelly Mullan finds he’d rather talk about his dance company and the disability arts movement than gossip about the celebrity connections
Outsiders inside
The prison system is creaking under the unmet needs of thousands of disabled prisoners. Katharine Quarmby investigates
Basket cases
As Christmas looms, have our favourite stores made any strides towards better access? Cathy Reay investigates and talks to three disabled shoppers, while Emma Ryan describes her own experiences of supermarket shopping
The tragedy of Naomi Hill
How should society react to Joanne Hill, who is thought to have been experiencing mental health problems at the time when she took the life of her disabled daughter, Naomi? Katharine Quarmby reports on the case, asks a number of prominent disabled women to comment and includes a harrowing first-person account from a woman who killed her own child when she was experiencing mental health problems
Trescothick's greatest test
Although he faced down hostile fast bowlers and crowds alike, it was anxiety and depression which ultimately forced Marcus Trescothick from the international arena. But, he tells Sunil Peck, he has no regrets
In the firing line
Deaf people are becoming increasingly concerned that they could become victims of the increased use of armed police officers. Paul Carter reports
Commission's birthday blues
It is a year since the Equality and Human Rights Commission took over the fight for rights from the Disability Rights Commission. But all is not well at the new equality watchdog. John Pring investigates
Mikey: I'm a national hero
Big Brother contestant Mikey Hughes tells Kelly Mullan that he’s unashamed about using his blindness to promote the interests of blind people in general – and his own career in particular
Behind closed doors
Disabled women are twice as likely as non-disabled women to experience domestic violence, are less likely to report it and are more likely to experience it for longer before attempting to escape, ground-breaking new research finds. Katharine Quarmby asks what can be done to change this bleak picture
Question time
When politicians such as David Blunkett have proved themselves at the highest levels of political life, why are there still so few disabled people in the Houses of Parliament? Sunil Peck investigates
Opening the inclusion Flood gates
Tara Flood is both a Paralympic champion and an award-winning, 24-7 campaigner. She tells Sunil Peck that her ambition is to lead the fight for a truly inclusive education system
Games without frontiers
With more disabled athletes than ever before competing in this summer’s Olympic Games, Paul Carter investigates the potential impact on the Paralympic movement
Hounded
Disability Now has assembled evidence that Britain’s best-known animal charity, the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), often prosecutes disabled people for alleged animal welfare offences. Katharine Quarmby reports
A little bit of Stephen Fry
The much-loved writer, actor and TV presenter Stephen Fry helped many other people with bipolar disorder ‘come out’ with a documentary about his condition. He tells Sunil Peck why he believes people with mental health problems should develop a sense of pride
Fighting for a life
Disabled people are finding it harder and harder to secure the support they need to live independent lives. Most campaigners believe the system is in crisis. John Pring investigates
Playing apart
In the 1980s and 90s, actor, playwright and filmmaker Nabil Shaban was in demand in film, TV and theatre. Ten years on, the offers and commissions have dried up. In an outspoken interview with Kelly Mullan, he claims that creeping Nazi attitudes to disability are squeezing disabled people out of mainstream entertainment
Are you sitting comfortably...
Sunil Peck investigates the chequered history of the accessible toilet
Licensed to abuse: a question of dishonour
Disabled Asian young people are increasingly being forced to marry against their will. Katharine Quarmby investigates
Force of nature
Lawyer, author and campaigner Harriet McBryde Johnson has taken on the notorious bio-ethicist Peter Singer. She tells Sunil Peck why she believes equality is an unrealistic goal
London calling
This month, London Mayoral election has sparked huge public and media interest. John Pring interviewed all three leading candidates to ask them what they would do for disabled people
Still loud, still proud
The actor and writer Mat Fraser talks to Paul Carter about freak shows, performing in the nude and the 50th anniversary of the drug Thalidomide that caused his impairment
Doing it the Hardway
Three years after landing a role in a high-profile TV drama, Sasha Hardway’s career is finally taking off, she tells Sunil Peck
Unequal before the law
Disability hate crimes mostly attract lighter sentences than others. Katharine Quarmby asks why


