Accessibility Isn’t Just Ramps: The Barriers We Still Face

In this special half term episode, we’re diving into some big topics and plenty of laughs. First up, we’re talking accessibility—everything from getting into buildings to accessing meaningful work, and why these things matter.

Then, Richard wows us with his amazing party trick—you won’t want to miss it! We also chat about our hobbies, share a few laughs over our favourite TV comedies, and swap some feel-good recommendations.

Project Managers: Andrea Rai & Phil Powell.

Editor: Phil Powell

Huge thanks to the National Lottery Reaching Communities Fund for supporting our Dis-labled podcast. Learn more about their amazing work: https://www.tnlcommunityfund.org.uk

All enquiries: podcast@communityfocus.co.uk
Website: https://www.communityfocus.co.uk/

Theme Music: Rastko Rasic & the students of Community FocusOther Music: Jazzy Frenchy by ⁠⁠⁠Benjamin Tissot

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:07

Community focused. Community focused. We're here for you. With me and you.

SPEAKER_00 0:16

Oscar hour.

SPEAKER_11 0:19

Our one for you. At five o'clock. You're done with the podcast for.

SPEAKER_02 0:29

A weekend with you. We're here for you. Yes. Hooray! Hooray!

Gila 0:47

Community Focus is an art centre for children and adults with disabilities. We are based in Faboura Farnett, North London and offers selection of creative and well-being activities for all ages.

SPEAKER_10 1:04

In the room we have Remy, my name is Remy Sosta. If I were to go on to a desert island, the first thing I would take, the only thing I would take is my microphone setup. Because I love singing.

SPEAKER_05 1:20

My name is Boopy, or I take a desert island, I take my friend.

Phillip R 1:27

Because I like like my name is Maria, and if I went on a desert island, I would take my friend. To have company and to stop from to stop myself from getting bored.

Richard 1:42

My name is Richard, and if I went to desert island, I'd take my puzzle books. Crossword, word search, arrow words.

Amy 2:04

Because it would keep me hydrated.

SPEAKER_10 2:14

Why would you take breaker?

Richard 2:20

In this episode we're talking about accessibility both getting into building and accessibility into work. I do my amazing party trick. We talk about our hobbies and discuss our favourite TV comedies and much much more.

SPEAKER_10 2:46

Accessibility in a wheelchair is basically a pain in the backside. Where it is, it's very frustrating because before my accident in 1992, I was able-bodied and then I had a car accident, made me paralyzed from my chest down and a metal plate in my left arm. And I get very frustrated because I can't do the things I used to do. Especially when I used to be a dancer, I used to be a cross-country runner. So I get very frustrated when I see things on TV, what I used to do. So but then I have to devise a way in um adapting it for me, like boxing. I've got a boxing thing at home where I adapt it so I box at home. So I mean it's not the same, but I've adapted a sport at home to be doing boxing, or adapted yoga and then wheeling around like what I still get frustrated, I must admit, but you just have to get on with it, isn't it? The library had a disabled toilet, but he had stairs to get up into the building, so that's ridiculous. They've done it backwards, really, and I thought, what what's that about? That's craziness. They're not they need to really, really uh work on accessibility. Even like trains now, you have to plan your train journey because not all the train stations are wheelchair accessible, which I think is ridiculous, really. Like sometimes I go to East London, but I can't go to my lens station because it's not wheelchair accessible. So I have to work out in going to Whitechapel, then get a bus to my lane, which is a nuisance as well. So you have to not all the train stations are wheelchair accessible, which I find very frustrating in this day and age, it should be all accessible and it's not.

Amy 4:39

I've had problems in uh past it all wasn't bad to start with, but um like I could run and take whatever. Then at some point something changed me and I had to have walking stuff. I have epilepsy in my head. Um my legs can play up sometimes. Um which makes me unstable and um I can have shaky hands as well. I don't find it difficult to go to places because my parents take me to places and pick me up. It's just a lot of time my legs are a pain.

SPEAKER_10 5:37

Do you get frustrated though because you can't do what you used to do before?

Amy 5:42

Um not frustrated, but I'm missed not having to walk and runway without a walk instead.

SPEAKER_10 5:53

That's understandable.

Phillip R 5:56

Most of the people here, though they're disabled, they uh they are independent, which I am not, so it can get really frustrating. My mum has to take me because of my eyesight problems, and I do get a bit frustrated.

SPEAKER_10 6:14

Uh Maria, when you mean frustrating, do you mean you can't because you have to rely on people basically to take you places, innit? And you want to go on your own.

Phillip R 6:24

Yeah, yeah. But basically I'm not allowed to go anywhere on my own. If I've got appointments and stuff like dentists, war fields, my mum has to take me. Oh my god, it just gets so frustrating.

Amy 6:40

I find steps difficult, but I try my best if the step isn't too steep or whatever because I get furted going and which makes me feel horrible.

SPEAKER_10 7:01

Accessibility is not just about getting into buildings, about getting into work as well and the barriers you face, basically, when getting to to um it's harder for disabled to get into work because of their disability and their accessibility as well. If I had to get a job, um it has to be uh um the building has to be adapted for my disability. And I did actually, what was it? I did have go to uh I did have one embarrassing moment where um I went to this function and the the disabled toilets didn't have a sink. And I complained about this building and it was supposed to be adapted for disabled people, so I made it uh complaint and they haven't done anything about it, which is very annoying. Really, because they should really think about um making places a bit more accessible with disabled toilets because I know that's there's always gonna be the disability that comes that comes to um is gonna be an issue basically. They're gonna look at that first, they always do anyway.

Phillip R 8:12

Why can't the government pull their fingers out of there? I'm not gonna say and help people like Rain. No, they they're they're rubbish.

SPEAKER_10 8:19

They they they've got money for other rubbish. I'll tell you what as well. Do you get transport or you book transport to get pick you up and all that? Or did your mum do?

Phillip R 8:27

When I went to Moorfields, I got uh I got a bus pass, so um I I don't have to pay, so basically I get on the bus with my mum, go to Moorfields, they're good at Moorfields.

SPEAKER_10 8:40

Yeah, but do you know that you're entitled to get an ambulance to pick you up to take you to your appointments free of charge? As long as you book it.

Phillip R 8:49

But but what is it called that you can just get on? There's only a few people on. Yes, I've got it. Dylan ride.

SPEAKER_10 8:57

No, they're rubbish. Dylan ride or rubbish, they only take me local. But I'm talking about for your appointments, you can get patient transport free of charge, mate. Didn't you know that? You're entitled, you've got a disability, so you're entitled to get patient transport to pick you up, take you back, and take your thingy. Because I get it. You just have to book it three working days before your appointment. See, they don't tell you nobody tells you these things, you've got to find out yourself. It's so annoying. So annoying.

Richard 9:34

I've had a job once, but I was made redundant.

unknown 9:40

Oh no.

Richard 9:41

Worked in a firm that hires costumes for theatre, film and television. It was based in West Hendon from fifth of November nineteen eighty-four, day after my twentieth birthday and until twenty twenty.

Amy 10:02

I volunteer work uh uh uh charity short. Um there's a short small slope outside that um I can do uh with steps and slides uh right. I can take more time or I could pill I I'm not sure if I can do this uh it could go either way, but um I go up and down the slide into the shop where I've run into it with help from my parents. Um that's when once come in. I can sit down and when donation bag p bags come in, I can sort things, then then when my legs get a bit numb, I can have a walk around the shop and have a look at things on the rock and stuff like that.

Phillip R 11:06

I can't get a job. But I'm good at other things. I love making things on my art and my computers. If I could work, I would like to work on computers. If my eyesight wasn't bad, I would love to work on computers. I would do like graphic design you can make images move. I love graphic design, I love fonts, lettering, t-shirt designing.

SPEAKER_05 11:43

I like thinking a lot. I want to say um thinking uh type of job.

Richard 12:00

What is the fastest cake on scone?

SPEAKER_10 12:07

No, no, no, that's a good one.

Richard 12:16

Why did five eat six? Because seven eight nine.

SPEAKER_10 12:23

Oh, I get it.

Richard 12:27

Where do frogs hang their coats? In the croak room.

Phillip R 12:39

I only know this joke. How many times you gotta hear this? What do you call camel with three humps? Humphrey. I've heard that's the only one I know, that's the only one I know. You've got to go on the internet for jokes. There was one comedy with what's his name? Was it was it not not only for some of this half garnet when he can't open the tin opener and he wrecks the whole kitchen.

Richard 13:06

Was it till death used to do part or in sickness and both till death used to do part and in sickness and in health?

Phillip R 13:16

And he opens played by Warren Mitchell. And he wrecks the whole kitchen to look for the tin opener. Where's the butter? It's so funny. And then he wrecks the whole pigeon and everything and he popped.

SPEAKER_10 13:34

Mrs. Bouquet, the business of the spoken, innit, Mrs. Bouquet.

Richard 13:38

Written bucket button Bouquet.

Phillip R 13:41

Yeah, but what's the husband's name and the always?

Richard 13:45

Her name is Tyson's and her husband's name's Richard. And he always gets it with the wrong Richard. Richard? Richard? What are you doing at Richard? Bou K and T. And B C K T K T spells bucket. Bouquet is spelled B-O-U-K. Yeah, but why do they call her Mrs. Bouquet? Doesn't that doesn't that mean? She doesn't like being called bucket.

SPEAKER_10 14:10

She prefers to be called Bouquet. Lady of the house speaking, Mrs. Bouquet. The lady of the house speaking, can I help you?

Phillip R 14:19

Yeah, but doesn't Mrs. Bouquet mean you're calling her like flowers, isn't it? Bouquet's like flowers. It's a bunch of flowers. Aye. What bat falls on horses?

SPEAKER_10 14:32

That's funny. I watch that all the time. I'm the female version, man. I would be the female version, man. Lovely drinking. Delboy. In it, Delboy. Have you seen it? This time next year we'll be millionaires. Rodney. Millionaires, Rodney.

Phillip R 14:50

Have you seen the one with the chandeliers? Well, the chandeliers. He he untigens the wrong way. Come on, can't they treading on the broken glass and everything? You know, Stuart, this was a couple of days ago. He came in with the fallen horses t shirt.

SPEAKER_10 15:12

Really? Stuart. Yeah, yeah.

Phillip R 15:15

You know what he said on the falls and horse's top? Merry Christmas, you plonkers!

SPEAKER_10 15:26

Oh god. You plonker, Rodney. You plonker.

Phillip R 15:30

And he calls and and and um is it Delboy Rodney calls the old man you dipstick?

SPEAKER_10 15:37

Only falls on horses is my comedy, mate. So, Richard, what do you like doing for hobby?

Richard 15:51

Uh I like music, I like doing puzzle books, I like to go for a walk, go to the cinema, uh sometimes to the theatre.

SPEAKER_10 16:03

And what do you like watching at the theatre?

Richard 16:06

Well, I've I've seen musicals, I've seen tribute singers or groups. Where are you going in November? Well, going to see Adam Ant at the Watford Coliseum. Wow. Are you going with anyone, Richard? With Phil band Ian.

Phillip R 16:28

Wow. Oh, Adam Am was so good in the 80s. What was that song you sang in the 80s? Rock Me Amadeus.

Richard 16:37

No, that's Falco.

SPEAKER_10 16:38

That's who? Oh, Rock Me Amadeus is Falco. I've got it wrong then. I thought that was Adam Am.

Phillip R 16:46

Standard Deliver?

unknown 16:47

Standard.

Phillip R 16:48

Standard Deliver.

Richard 16:49

Your money all your life. Ruby, what are your hobbies?

SPEAKER_05 16:58

My hobbies are gymnastics, dancing, horse riding, and singing.

SPEAKER_10 17:06

Horse riding, how long you've been doing horse riding for?

SPEAKER_05 17:11

Um I done horse riding when I was young.

Phillip R 17:15

I went horse riding once with my school. This was a school for kids with disabilities. And the thing was when I got on that horse, it was such a bumpy experience. You're doing this. And I've done ah no what else I've done in school. I think this was my second school. I've done ice skating. And I got a certificate for ice skating backwards.

SPEAKER_10 17:41

So ice skating backwards. Yes. Wow, you got a certificate for ice skating backwards. I've never heard that one before.

Phillip R 17:47

Why is it when you're younger the world is fun and when you grow up? Oh god. What are your hobbies, Maria? Colouring in, drawing, watching funny films, YouTube. Um what are them my favourite hobbies? Oh, we can't say it because we're on radio. Swearing it's not good.

SPEAKER_10 18:11

I didn't know swearing was a hobby. That's a new one. I didn't know swear. Maria, you're funny. Swearing as a hobby. Really, I've heard it all now. I've heard it all now.

Phillip R 18:23

But when I don't get my way, oh my god.

Amy 18:28

Amy, what do you do for your hobbies? I listen to music, um but DVDs to colouring and um to sticker books. What's your favourite music, Amy? I like pop music but at home I listen to a lot of classical music.

Phillip R 18:53

You know, you know, there's this thing what they say about music. If you're feeling unwell, got a really bad headache, if you listen to classical it likes it makes you feel relaxed.

SPEAKER_10 19:06

I fall asleep with classical music because it's like it's like very slow pace. I like uh like garage music and stuff like that. I think because of the ADHD, so it needs to be hyper, hyper music, hyper music.

Phillip R 19:21

Yeah, there is a Oh my god, what about this song? Boom boom boom boom boom boom let me hear the same way!

Richard 19:30

The out here browns the out here brothers let me eat insane.

SPEAKER_10 19:38

Have you heard the ladies about Katie Price? No. She's uh made a dolly of her. A doll. Yeah, of her. Oh my god and some people are saying the doll looks better than her. Is it true? It looks a bit better than her, but I don't know. She's all plastic and she knows. She's all plastic and she's gonna be Katie Price, she's done so much. Oh, innit? Plastic, plastic, man. She goes one string to the other, one string to the other, plastic galore, plastic, plastic. I think nature should let nature be. Do you know what I mean?

Phillip R 20:08

Why don't these celebrities change themselves? Because they got so much money than sense. Madonna, she used to go. You can't if you go on the internet now and see Madonna and. Oh my god, you can't recognise her. Her face has gone from like her lips, the lips as well. She looks like a you know, like you get them things on the packet of crisps, like the what are they called? The aliens? What the hell? The aliens? Packet of crisps. Um the little aliens, what are they called again? Packet of crisps. Yeah, but the packet of crisps they've got like little aliens on them.

SPEAKER_10 20:39

So she looks like an alien, you say? She looks like an alien face. Well she's got an expression on her face. What it is, their face is like torn, no expression. Plastic surgery. Ruby.

SPEAKER_05 20:58

I don't know what plastic surgery is.

Phillip R 21:00

I don't I don't think you wanna know. It's a procedure that you change your face, you're not happy with it.

Amy 21:05

Yeah, you can get like um you can get like a implants your hobbies.

SPEAKER_10 21:20

Uh my hobbies are singing, uh wheeling, uh boxing, um what else? Looking around shops, uh, shopping cities, going around shopping cities, and what else? Um, watching horror movies. I love my horror movies. If there's anyone that's coming out, I think there's a new one that's supposed to be coming out called uh Megan 2. That's about a doll.

Phillip R 21:48

I've seen you saw the first one. I've seen that one. That doll is pure evil. Thank god I went to bed that night with the light on. I love them. There's another horror. There's another horror we watched. About the unit? No, no. It was a it was me, my niece, and mum. No, my niece was in um uni, it was my sister, my mum, and me. It was about this thing that lives down the well.

SPEAKER_10 22:14

Oh, yeah.

Phillip R 22:17

You wish it was a spider. It was this thing used to get people and just kill 'em and oh, it's just horrible.

SPEAKER_10 22:24

I love horrors. None of them no horror has scared me whatsoever. I could sit there and watch them all the time, man. And I love horrors. And none of my friends will come and watch the horrors because they're too scared to watch it. They're too scared to watch it with me. Doctor Who? Doctor Who? Oh, yeah.

Phillip R 22:41

Well, that Doctor Who and the Tardis.

SPEAKER_10 22:43

I prefer the original one. Yeah. And the curly hair. Yeah, the curly hair.

Phillip R 22:47

And the scarf. Tom Baker.

SPEAKER_10 22:49

That's it. That's it. That's the one Tom Baker.

Phillip R 22:52

Yeah, but you but you lot have forgotten one important thing in the dark. You lot have forgotten one important thing in the Doctor Who. Doctor Who wouldn't be Doctor Who without the Daleks. Oh yeah. Extra Medage. Extra Medage.

SPEAKER_10 23:07

Exterminate. Exterminate.

Phillip R 23:11

But what does a what does exterminate mean? Does it mean like Kill? Kill. But it's in Dalek language.

SPEAKER_10 23:20

Stuart, what do you like doing in your hobbies?

SPEAKER_06 23:24

Uh music, go out.

SPEAKER_10 23:31

What type of music do you like? Uh hot music, hot music. Yeah. What CDs do you collect?

Richard 23:38

No ones.

SPEAKER_10 23:39

Now. Oh now, those oh, you like those ones.

Phillip R 23:46

Yeah, yeah, it but it got you like those.

SPEAKER_10 23:49

CDs do you? Yeah, actually. Yeah. Oh, that goes those that goes back long, innit? Because are they from years ago?

SPEAKER_07 23:55

Yeah, well now either.

SPEAKER_10 23:57

Yeah. Well comes out in the lava.

SPEAKER_07 24:00

Yeah.

SPEAKER_10 24:01

What's your best now one though?

SPEAKER_07 24:03

Oh 39, 40, yeah, 39, now 40.

SPEAKER_10 24:09

Oh, 39 and 40.

SPEAKER_07 24:11

How many now CDs have you got? Oh god, we got 40 for.

SPEAKER_10 24:16

You got how many? 40. 40, that's a lot. How can't you got space to put them in your place though? Where'd you put them? Oh myself. Oh my god, so you got a connection.

Phillip R 24:37

Now we're gonna introduce Richard and his amazing talent.

SPEAKER_10 24:43

Alright then what about uh Madonna? Madonna Holiday Lucky Star Borderline Like a Virgin Material Girl Crazy for You Into the Groove Angel The Gambler Dress You Up Live To Tell Papa Don't Preach True Blue Open Your Heart La Isla Bonita Who's That Girl Causing A Commotion The Look of Love Like A Prayer Express Yourself Cherish Dear Jessie Vogue Hanky Panky Justify My Love Rescue Me This Used To Be My Playground Erotica Deeper and Deeper Fever Don't Cry For Me Argentina Frozen The Power of Goodbye Beautiful Stranger American Pie Music Don't Tell Me Die Another Day Wow And Three Minutes Well Done Richard Richard How'd Yeah How'd You No This I Remember Then You Don't You Don't Look It Up On the Internet You've got Photographic Memory Yeah I Suppose I Have You Have That's Amazing Yeah It's What Have We Lent Today What Have We Learn Today What Do We Let Today Today I've Learnt That Um You Got Lots or People's Got Lots of Different Views On Different Ty Safe Topics Like Accessibility And People Got Different Hobbies And That's It Really That's What I've Learned I Droyed Everything About It You You know What I've Learned About This To Sit Here In Love With Everyone and Have A Good T I Learn That Have To Be Kind and Respect What People Say And Any Tiny Sounds Get Caught On the Microphone I I G My Talents Are So Good It's Beat Day We All Have To Say Goodbye To Our Listeners Oh Hi Bright Nice You Lot Listening Subscribe To The Podcast Community Focused Podcast Go for It Guys You Don't What You're Missing Share with your Friends Share It Online Show It Share It To As Many People As possible Community Focus Community Focus We're Here For You With Me And You On T Our Our Dove The Podcast A Week In Here For You