What's on?

Awareness Days

August 06-12: International Assistance Dog Week

September 23: International Day of Sign Languages

September 25-October 1: National Inclusion Week

Events

Blue Badge Bunch: ReRamped

Edinburgh Fringe Festival

2nd-15th, 17th-28th August

An interactive game show where each round represents a different disability, giving kids and grown-ups the chance to learn about autism, cerebral palsy and more.

Hosted by disabled stand-up comedian Benny Shakes, the show has been praised for its innovation, educational value, and silliness!

Access Adventures Kids Activity Days

Dates throughout August / 10th, 19th, 30th August, 10am-3pm

Learn how to water ski, try paddle sports, and have fun on inflatable rides using adapted equipment. The activity days help to build confidence and offers the opportunity to meet similar kids and young people.

ArtWorks Together Exhibition

Wentworth Woodhouse, South Yorkshire

30th August – 3rd September

Admire multi-media artwork by artists with learning disabilities and autism from around the world at the ArtWorks Together Exhibition. Alongside the exhibition they are also running family activities and workshops by local artists to get your creative juices flowing.

Books

Why Johnny Doesn’t Flap

by Clay Morton

This picture book is told from the perspective of an autistic boy who can’t understand why his neurotypical friend Johnny is a bit, well, different! Johnny is never quite on time, he speaks in the strangest idioms, and he can’t possibly stick to a routine. The autistic narrator’s bafflement at his neurotypical friend’s quirks shows that ‘normal’ is simply a matter of perspective.

A Kind of Spark

by Elle McNicoll

Winner of the Blue Peter Prize for Best Story, this book tells the story of 11-year-old autistic girl Addie as she campaigns for a memorial of the witch trials that took place in her Scottish hometown. Addie knows there’s more to the story of these ‘witches’, just like there is more to hers. Can Addie challenge how the people in her town see her, and her autism, and make her voice heard?

The Silence Between Us

by Alison Gervais

Deaf teen Maya moves across the country and must attend a hearing school for the first time. As if that wasn’t hard enough, she also has to adjust to the hearing culture which she finds frustrating, but also surprising when some classmates take time to learn ASL. As Maya looks past graduation and focuses on her future dreams, nothing, not even an unexpected romance, will derail her pursuits.

Podcasts

Disability Visibility Project by Alice Wong

Ep 60 – Travel

Disability rights activist Alice Wong chats to Srin Madipalli, a Product Manager at Airbnb about how to make travel easier for people with disabilities and his own experiences as a disabled traveller. The podcast has 100 episodes with guests from the world of acting, fashion, politics and more.

Access All: Disability News and Mental Health

Ep 54 – Life’s an accessible beach

Nikki Fox and Emma Tracey discuss Greece’s plan to make nearly 300 of their beaches

accessible using a device called the Seatrac. This remote-operated ramp with a sliding chair can move disabled beachgoers into the water. Other episodes include interviews with Paralympian Ellie Simmonds and singer Lewis Capaldi.

You’re Dead to Me

Disability in the Ancient World Greg Jenner is joined by comedian Rosie Jones and historian Dr Jane Draycott to discuss stories of disability from over a thousand years of history, including people with disabilities excelling on the battlefield and others with very well-dressed guide dogs.

Theatre

Hey Duggee: The Live Theatre Show

Storyhouse Theatre, Chester

Friday 18 August, 1pm

Be part of the hit CBeebies show and join Duggee and the Squirrels in this new interactive production bursting with music and puppets. This relaxed performance will have lower sound levels, the house lights will be kept up, and everyone is welcome to walk around and come in and out.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child

Palace Theatre, London

Saturday 9 September, part one 2pm & part two 7pm

19 years after Harry, Ron, and Hermione saved the wizarding world, they’re back for an extraordinary new adventure. This performance includes advance audio notes, a ‘Touch Tour’, and audio descriptions delivered by VocalEyes.

Films

Then Barbara Met Alan - 15+

After meeting in 1989 at a gig, two cabaret performers Barbara and Alan fall in love. Fuelled by their passion and life experiences they help found DAN, the Disabled People’s Direct Action Network, and lead protests for disabled people’s rights. It stars Ruth Madeley who was born with spina bifida, and Arthur Hughes who has radial dysplasia affecting his right arm.

Watch on BBC iPlayer.

Barbie - PG 13

After showing characters with a prosthetic arm and a wheelchair in the trailer, we can’t wait to see the Barbie film when it’s in cinemas from 21st July.

Barbie released their first physically disabled Barbie in 1997. She was called Becky and used a bright pink wheelchair. Since then, they have created dolls with behind-the-ear hearing aids, prosthetic legs, and have introduced Barbie Dreamhouse.

They have also just revealed a Barbie with Down’s syndrome. Sofia Sanchez, an activist, model and actor living with Down’s syndrome rocked the red carpet at the film’s premiere wearing a dress inspired by the new doll!

Television

Biscuitland (Signed)

Jess Thom’s Tourettes Syndrome and her tics means her life is full of biscuits, cats and Alan Hansen. Worlds collide at home and work as a visit from a social worker threatens to ruin her day. Biscuitland is an authentic day in the life of someone whose unusual neurology has ideas of its own - funny, surprising, and unfiltered in every way.

Watch on Channel 4.

Rose Ayling-Ellis: Signs for Change

In this groundbreaking documentary, Rose Ayling-Ellis explores her deaf identity, attitudes towards the deaf community, and highlights the beauty of sign language. Filmed over a year, we see Rose performing on stage in Shakespeare’s As You Like It, acting in EastEnders, and winning Strictly Come

Watch on BBC iPlayer.

How Does a Blind Girl Go On Safari?

Social media star Lucy Edwards travels to Kenya to experience a safari as a blind person. Her guide, William Githieya, helps Lucy tune her senses into the African landscape and describes the sights, including two baby elephants eating.

Watch on BBC iPlayer.

Rosie Jones' Trip Hazard

Series 2 Episode 2

Rosie Jones, a comedian with cerebral palsy, takes celebrity friends on adventures around Britain, seeking excitement in unlikely places. Rosie takes Guz Khan to Blackpool where they visit a fortune teller and go waltzing at the legendary Tower Ballroom. But will the UK’s highest skydive be too terrifying for them?

Watch on Channel 4.

Sport

European Para Championships

Rotterdam, Netherlands

8th – 20th August

The very first edition of the European Para Championships will bring together 1,500 athletes from 45 countries. 10 European Championship sport events will take place, including Para taekwondo, Para judo, Wheelchair tennis, Boccia and more.

A day pass ticket is €7.50 and free for under 4s.

IBSA World Games

Birmingham

18th – 27th August

The International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA) World Games is the largest international event for athletes with visual impairment, with more than 1250 competitors from 70 nations. It hosts both paralympic and non-paralympic sports, including Chess, Cricket, Goalball and Bowling.

Tickets start from £5.50 with carers attending for free.

Invictus Games

Dusseldorf, Germany

9th – 16th September

Through the power of sport, the Invictus Games supports the recovery and rehabilitation of servicemen and women. This year sees Table Tennis join Athletics, Power lifting, Wheelchair rugby and more in a packed programme of adaptive sports.

Tickets to the sports events are free and you can book tickets for the opening and closing ceremonies.