Welcome to this new pop-up podcast to see you through the days of Covid-19. Let's get started. We've all heard the information that coronavirus can be easily managed unless "you are vulnerable and have an underlying health condition" - but what if you ARE one of those people? Among the doom and gloom of the pandemic is BBC Ouch! A bunch of journalists who will keep it real. Turns out you may have one-up on the general population if you're disabled - you might be used to self-isolating, cutting back on social occasions and working from home. Maybe this is really your time to show the world the way. Emma Tracy is in Scotland and has blind-person concerns about relying on touch so much to get around, Octavia Woodward has SMA with only 25% lung capacity and is about to flee to Somerset because her care-package has gone haywire, and fresh from receiving a food delivery is Natasha Lipman who's a-ok and totally used to working from home 99% of the time. Oh and there's Beth Rose, our token non-disabled. The least we can do is humour her worries about a touch of isolation and bring her around to our way of thinking. Subscribe to 'Ouch - The Cabin Fever Podcast' on BBC Sounds or say to your smart speaker "Ask the BBC for Ouch".

Ouch: Disability Talk

Welcome to The Cabin Fever Podcast

Londoner Jite Ugono never expected to find himself playing blackjack in a North Korean casino having run out of cash, but a few life-changing moments had led him there. In his 30s he was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS), then 10 years later in 2019 he was offered rare stem cell therapy, involving chemotherapy, on the NHS to help stall the progress of the condition. It was “hopeful”, but he didn’t want this complex treatment to become the main topic of conversation for friends and family so he decided to "do something equally rare, but opposite" and booked his trip to North Korea. But would the country be ready to accept a traveller in a wheelchair and would his guides even turn up? Presented by Beth Rose. Subscribe to Ouch Disability Talk podcast on BBC Sounds or say "Ask the BBC for Ouch" to your smart speaker.

Disabled and out of money in North Korea

When Ellen and Beth posted a TikTok video before they went out for the night, little did they know it would go viral by morning. The students from Northern Ireland happened to leave the blood sugar monitors in shot. They are are fixed to their arms and help them manage their type one diabetes, and the world wanted to know more. Now the two women from Belfast create TikTok videos as the Diabetic Duo - often just a few seconds long - to show what life with type one diabetes is really like, but in a light-hearted and sometime frivolous way - like the weirdest places they’ve injected insulin into themselves (think a cheerleading human pyramid) and what to do if your blood sugar levels drop at exactly the same time. The Diabetic Duo reveal what its like to become social media stars overnight and how unusual it is that two best friends would both be diagnosed as type one diabetics, a predisposed condition not affected by lifestyle, which only affects 8% of all diabetics. If you have diabetes, please consult a health care professional before drinking alcohol. Presented by Kate Monaghan and Simon Minty. Subscribe to Ouch as a podcast on BBC Sounds or ask your smart speaker for BBC Ouch.

‘We accidentally posted a video about diabetes, and it went viral’

Actor George Robinson reveals what it's like to play Isaac, the first disabled character in Netflix's Sex Education. George became tetraplegic just a few years ago when he broke his neck in a school rugby tackle gone-wrong. The question is, did he watch the show - full of teenage sex, angst and mishaps - with his parents? Professional magician Fergus Flanagan first got into tricks when he was 10-years-old - about the same time he realised he was different to everyone else. He'd started to experience intrusive thoughts relating to hitting or kicking disabled people - something he never acted on and has since gone away. But it would be another 10 years before he told anyone about it and it was given a name - Obsessive Compulsive Disorder - something he's now created a magic show around. Presented by Kate Monaghan and Simon Minty. A full transcript will be available here soon. Subscribe to Ouch on BBC Sounds or say "Ask the BBC for Ouch" to your smart speaker.

The new boy on Sex Education and the magician with OCD

Liz Carr has just left BBC drama Silent Witness on a high, after eight years playing forensic examiner Clarissa Mullery - So what's next for the disabled actor and activist? Hollywood is the answer. Liz will be hitting the silver screen alongside A-listers including Mark Wahlberg in big budget film, Infinite, set for release this summer. We like to think it was her seven-year stint on the Ouch podcast which set Liz up for the big time, but 80 hours on BBC primetime television might also have given her the necessary experience. During that time, Liz explored storylines close to her heart including caring for, and losing, a terminally ill parent, something she personally went through a year ago with the death of her father. This topic, and the way Liz portrayed it, received a big response from the audience, some of whom said it helped them grieve their own parents. The wheelchair-user also reveals how hard she worked to ensure Clarissa was true to disabled life, "refusing to say lines that were problematic" and making sure the character got decent storylines. Presented by Emma Tracey - once she wins the battle for the microphone. Subscribe to Ouch on BBC Sounds or say "Ask the BBC for Ouch" to your smart speaker.

Liz Carr: Silent Witness star reveals film role

Sky Sports presenter Dave Clark says he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in the most "horrible" way. The journalist, now synonymous with darts, says his doctor had a "God-like complex" and first asked how big his mortgage was and whether he had children before delivering the diagnosis. But it was not Clark's first experience of Parkinson's. His father was also diagnosed with the neurological condition at the same age, 44, but chose not to tell anyone about it for years. He later took his own life. The broadcaster, who's now 53 and twice met Muhammad Ali tells BBC Ouch's Harry Low why he's doing everything differently to his father, when it comes to the condition, and why he's planning to climb to the base camp of Mount Everest in November. Read the full transcript. Listen to Ouch regularly on BBC Sounds or tell your smart speaker: "Ask the BBC for Ouch".

How not to tell someone they have Parkinson's

Tom Oakley's dreams came true when he got through to the second round of BBC One talent show The Greatest Dancer after judge Oti Mabuse, who also stars in Strictly Come Dancing, called him a "phenomenal dancer". As well as spending more than 20 hours a week at dance college, the 16-year-old has to manage the chronic illness cystic fibrosis which affects his ability to breathe and digest food. When he first started to dance "my lungs used to burn," he says, but now it's made him healthier than ever. Tom chats to BBC Ouch's Beth Rose after a day in the dance studio. Subscribe to the podcast on BBC Sounds or say to your smart speaker "ask the BBC for Ouch" to play the latest edition.

Tom, The Greatest Dancer and cystic fibrosis

What happens when you take a forthright disabled American comedian and a sublime disabled folk singer and put them in a studio together? The answer is a lively session of Politics 101 – we promise it’s more fun than it sounds. Hear Tilly Moses's song Social Model played live – an unlikely name, but a beautiful song with lyrics for disabled people everywhere. And she gets quite the shock when we surprise her with one of her heroes. Comedian Maysoon Zayid has cerebral palsy and also now has a Her Abilities award. Find out what that is, plus Maysoon's strong take on why non-disabled people should never play disabled acting roles. With Simon Minty and Kate Monaghan. And just a nudge-warning, Maysoon goes into the Father Christmas question, so if you've got kids about, maybe save this for another time. Subscribe to Ouch on BBC Sounds or say "Ask the BBC for Ouch" to your smart speaker.

"I was expecting mediocrity ... you blew me away"

Caitlin Leigh and Brinston Tchana were both young adults when they became disabled and started using wheelchairs. Caitlin loved experimenting with her hair before developing alopecia, at which point she shaved it all off. She started using a wheelchair to remain safe when she has a seizure. Brinston was about to sign as a professional footballer when he was paralysed in a car crash. Both felt their identities had been stripped away when they became disabled and were fed up of people looking at them, so they decided to get into fashion and really give people something to stare at. It’s lead to top modelling jobs for them. This podcast might be about fashion but it's the deepest disability dive you'll hear before 2020 arrives. Enjoy. Presented by Natasha Lipman.

Getting a fashion fix as a disabled model

Sinead Burke is all about fashion and equality and in September appeared on the front cover of British Vogue. At three and a half feet tall, she is a fair few notches below average height and describes herself as a "little person". Find out what happens when you are too short to be able to reach up and lock the toilet door behind you? Or what if the most fashionable choice of clothes you have are in the children's department and have "Daddy's Little Princess" written on them? In this month's Ouch podcast from the BBC, Sinead explains how she has used people's interest in fashion to shine a light on inclusive design in public spaces and equality generally and how it has led to other opportunities and the launch of her own podcast. Inspiration is a hideously over-used word when talking about disabled people but I think we can safely say this is a genuinely uplifting listen which gives plenty of great ideas, different ways of looking at life and, if you are disabled, it may well stoke your self esteem a little. One of the hosts of our programme, Simon Minty, is also a little person which lets us dive deep into areas most interviewers wouldnt' think to ask which also brings plenty of wicked humour. With Kate Monaghan and Simon Minty Ouch is on BBC Sounds and available on your smart speaker by yelling "ask the BBC for Ouch".

Adult women don't want 'Daddy's little princess' written on their T-shirts

Migraines are so much more than a headache according to Rachel Creeger. In a fascinating discussion with the comedian, we hear how her various identities impact on her – that’s being disabled, Jewish and a woman. But also, that the disabling form of migraine she has is also linked to her senses, speech and her ability to play musical instruments among other things. Our reporter Emma Tracey caught up with Creeger back in the summer after her run at the Edinburgh Fringe. Photo credit: Ruth Bloch Email: ouch@bbc.co.uk or find us on Twitter @bbcouch Rachel’s condition feels like one of those things which people probably sit at home frantically Googling about so here are some keywords from the podcast audio to help search engines find out more about this unusual collection of symptoms. atypical hemiplegic migraine with prolonged aura, plucking hair, shot in head, stabbing pain, synesthesia, migraine, headache, words, trigger, sounds, smells, Myelin sheaths, genetic disorder, neurological, inherited migraine, MS, onomatopoeia.

'I have exploding head syndrome'

Souleyman Bah was the first disabled contestant on BBC One's The Apprentice. But just three weeks into the season he was fired by Lord Sugar and told he was “brave” for being there - how did he feel when he was served up with that cliche from the famous businessman? And what was it like behind the scenes?(*) The Vacuum Cleaner, aka James Leadbitter, has run his mental health project Madlove for five years. It’s all about giving people a say in what their care should look and feel like. He tells Ouch about his new project where he has taken over a former branch of Argos in St Helens, Merseyside, and turned it into a mental health sanctuary, complete with its own blend of tea. How hard is it to be green when you’re disabled and have to use more taxis and avoid the easy to use products with throwaway packaging, for instance. Sam Little gives us some tips and tricks on being environmentally friendly. And we take a wry look at the newly published power list of disabled people from Shaw Trust. Presented by Kate Monaghan and Simon Minty. Spread the word, subscribe to us on your BBC Sounds app and say "Ask the BBC for Ouch" to your smart speaker to play the latest episode. (*) On the podcast, Souleyman said his top moments hadn't made the final edit on The Apprentice. It was also suggested he needed more support. In a statement from The Apprentice, a spokesman says: “The team worked hard to ensure that appropriate measures were taken throughout the production process and one-to-one support was given to Souleyman during tasks to enable him to participate in the process fairly alongside the other candidates. Production continually worked with Souleyman to decide upon and ensure the appropriate adjustments were made at every stage, both in the house and whilst on task.”

How brave and powerful are you?

Bella Parkhouse is a typical teenager. She spends her time juggling college, a part-time job and seeing friends. But she's also among the 10% of people who live with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) under the age of 18. Bella tells us how she navigates treatments and medication as well as managing her social life and chronic fatigue. She's also had to confront a few bullies along the way but remains determined not to let MS dictate her life... especially when, she admits, she experiences FOMO - a Fear Of Missing Out. Bella's mum, Sarah, also gives a few top tips for parents on how to support your child with a chronic illness. Presented by Niamh Hughes and Emma Tracey. A full transcript will appear here soon. Listen to Ouch regularly on BBC Sounds or tell your smart speaker: "Ask the BBC for Ouch".

The secret life of a teenager with MS

When Damon's guide dog DeeBee visits the vet for a check-up there is some unexpected news. He is weighed and found to be 5kg overweight - that's slightly more than your average cat. Damon must get DeeBee back to a healthy weight or risk having him temporarily taken away while he is slimmed down. So what can you do when your guide dog gets out of shape? Find out in the latest edition of Ouch - the irreverent disability talk podcast from BBC News. With Damon Rose, Niamh Hughes and Beth Rose. Listen to Ouch regularly on BBC Sounds or tell your smart speaker: "Ask the BBC for Ouch".

Why fat guide dogs can be taken away

Comedian Joe Wells talks about the one time in his life that making eye contact with another human being wasn't uncomfortable. Recently diagnosed as autistic, he also explains why he has to block out men's voices by playing loud music in his headphones. Also on the podcast: Sarah Collins tells the story of the OCD moment where she strongly believes she's swallowed an entire packet of paracetamol. And Tom Leeds on how an accident obliterated all of his childhood memories until hearing an '80s song brought some of them back. To hear our podcast regularly, tell your smart speaker: "Ask the BBC for Ouch" or find it on your BBC Sounds app. Produced by Ed Morrish and the Ouch team.

Jellyballs (Storytelling live part 2)

Interviews and discussion with a personal and often humorous touch. With guest presenters plus Kate Monaghan and the Ouch blog team. Ouch is available exclusively online.

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Ouch: Disability Talk

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