May 2023 has been dedicated to launching our new online magazine Crip Life™. In between working, I’ve had another pointless trip to the hospital, binge-watched telly and caught Covid for the first time.
Crip Life™
On 1st May 2023, my colleague Joanna and I launched our new online disability magazine Crip Life™.
We’ve had an amazing first month, publishing a wide range of content, getting engagements on social media and receiving interest in our unique advertising opportunities.
Here is a roundup of the articles we published this month:
- Welcome To Crip Life™
- Why (On Earth) Call It Crip Life™?
- Jack Carroll: Disabled Comedian Brings ‘Mobility’ To Life In New TV Show
- TV Presenter Sophie Morgan Launches Rights On Flights Campaign
- Disabled Actor Ruth Madeley Shares Her Accessible Journey To The Magic In Disney Podcast
- Every Body Moves: ParalympicsGB And Toyota Launches Initiative To Help Disabled People Access Sport
- How Accessible Are Sports Stadiums For Disabled Fans?
- Channel 4 And Prime Video Survey Shows 1 In 4 Offices In TV Are Physically Inaccessible To Disabled Talent
- Research Has Found More Than 50% Of Brits Have Never Heard Of The Condition Aphasia
- A China Cup: Describing The Mindset Of Someone With PTSD
- Diversity Designs: Empowering Disabled Women Through Positive Imagery
- Disability Attitudes We Face In Society
- Adam Lanecey: A Disabled Musician’s Journey Of Musical And Personal Discovery
- How Intensive Rehabilitation Can Support Those Living With A Neurological Condition
- How Yellow Dogs Can Help Their Owners With Disabilities
- Calling All Disabled Researchers!
- Autism, Sociality And Friendship | Dr Joanna Baker-Rogers
We’d appreciate you getting involved and supporting Crip Life™ in any way you can. This can be done by subscribing to our monthly newsletter, following us on social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & LinkedIn), advertising with us, publishing your research and/or donating to us.
Visit Crip Life™ and help us with dismantling disabling barriers one article at a time.
Health
In mid-May, I had another check-up at Southampton Hospital following my eye surgery last month. It was a ridiculously early appointment and I didn’t get to see my consultant (again).
I explained that I felt my eyesight had not improved as we hoped after the surgery. The doctor examined my eye and just simply said the eye has healed nicely and no longer need the prescribed drops.
That’s all good but I wanted to discuss why my sight hadn’t improved, how the surgery went from the consultants’ point of view and what the next steps might be. But as the doctor never knew me and English wasn’t his first language, I couldn’t face trying to ask. I hope at my next appointment I get to speak to my consultant.
Away from my eye care, my other health drama was that I got Covid for the first time ever. My parents went on holiday for ten days and the carer due to stay with me contracted Covid two days before arriving. I had no alternative arrangements so I had to risk it and hope the carer using PPE would protect me.
However, 24 hours after she started, I got symptoms and tested positive. Surprisingly I wasn’t that ill (I think I’ve had colds worse than that) and the symptoms were gone in a couple of days, But, unfortunately, I tested positive for 8 days and had to cancel plans.
I was hoping to meet up with an old school friend I’d not seen in a decade and my friend Kristy whom I’d not seen for about two years. I also had tickets to see Jack Whitehall live at Portsmouth Guildhall but couldn’t go because I was still testing positive and had no way of reselling or getting a refund – £40 down the drain!
Books
I finished reading Love Untold by Ruth Jones. It was a great story with a very unexpected twist at the end. What amused me the most was that I was listening to the audiobook, which Ruth Jones was reading and for one of the characters, she used the voice of Nessa in Gavin & Stacey. So every time that character spoke, I pictured Nessa when she was nothing like her.
I then read Lee Mack’s autobiography. It was fairly interesting but didn’t fill me with much emotion or unexpected shockers.
I’ve now headed back to the wizarding world and re-reading Harry Potter for the trillionth time. I’m currently on book three, the Prisoner of Azkaban.
TV
I watched the rest of I’m A Celebrity South Africa. I thought Joe Swash would’ve won it but Myleene Klass was a deserving winner. I still prefer the audience vote rather than decide by challenges.
I also watched a Disney+ thriller called The Patient where Steve Carell plays a therapist who is kidnapped and held hostage by a patient who is a serial killer. It is very dark and brutal but very binge-worthy.
I’ve just finished watching series 12 of Waterloo Road, which thankfully had the full series with audio description on BBC iPlayer straight away, unlike series 11. I found this series more engaging and dramatic with more twists and turns.
As it is coming to the end of the football season, I treated myself to a NOW Sky Sports Pass so I could watch the final games in the Women’s Super League (WSL) and some Premier League matches.
While browsing the Sky Sports channels, I discovered a show called Inside the WSL, which is a weekly show discussing all things WSL. The episodes I watched so far have been really interesting and fun. I’ve now managed to find previous episodes on YouTube and I’m going through them.
As for the WSL title – COME ON CHELSEA!!!
Audio Description petition
My campaign for audio description has continued throughout May 2023 and the petition has now gained a total of 3675 signatures, which is incredible!
But I’m eager to reach thousands more. The more signatures we get, the more likely changes will be made within the TV and film industries. Please, please, PLEASE continue to sign & share my petition!
Guest Bloggers Wanted
I’m still eager to collaborate with even more bloggers in 2023. So, if you’re a lifestyle, disability and/or music blogger, send me your blog stories. Plus let me know if you’d like me to feature on your blog as a guest blogger.
I’m flexible with any type of blog post – life story, disability awareness, music event, musician promotion – basically anything to do with life, disability or music!
In addition, I have a guest blog series called “RFD Question Time with…” where I interview disabled people and/or bloggers. If you’d like to be interviewed in this series, please also contact me.
Blog post roundup
In case you missed any of my blog posts this month, here is a roundup of them:
- Music Interview: ZOE
- Can disabled people be truly mentally strong?
- Music Interview: Leaving Eden (2023)
5 favourite blog posts
Here are my 5 favourite blog posts I’ve read this month:
- What Is Osteoporosis? at Hannah’s Hope
- 15 Painful Facts About Living With Chronic Illness at Invisibly Me
- Matilda The Musical (2022) Film Review at The Life of Sophie
- Velocity at Diary of a Disabled Person
- Disability Trolling: How To Deal With Negative Comments Online at A Life On Wheels
