Episode details

Sounds,03 Jun 2026,41 mins
"I had to give up my job": How accessible is the court system?
Access All: Disability News and Mental HealthAvailable for over a year
When Vikki Walton-Cole became a wheelchair-user she had to quit her job as a social worker because the courts she worked in were no longer accessible to her. Years later, she was excused from jury service, against her wishes, for the same reason. Journalist Kateryna Pavlyuk digs into the accessibility of courts across England, Scotland and Wales, and reports back on what she found. We also hear from juror Victoria who had to sit separately from her cohort, while London barrister Holly tells us she faces varying degrees of access in courts every day. Autistic actor Bradley Riches is known for Emmerdale and Heartstopper but he's just published his first book - Autistically Me - a toolkit to help people thrive in a neuro-typical world. He reveals to Emma Tracey some of the tips and tricks he used for his wedding day so he didn't burn out, and the Brit talks about how he had an American accent when he spoke for the first time at the age of 10. Plus, producer Beth Rose joins Emma to discuss the latest disability news, and they take an audio jaunt to a breakdancing convention in Glasgow to meet B-Boys Redo and Samuka from the internationally acclaimed Ill-Abilities crew. Produced by Emma Tracey and Kateryna Pavlyuk Series producer is Beth Rose Editor is Damon Rose
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