September 2023 has been another productive month with lots of content published at Crip Life™, my appearance on a disability podcast, trips to the donkey sanctuary and the zoo and the completion of watching a TV series and reading a book series.
Crip Life™
In September 2023 we celebrated reaching over 100 newsletter subscribers and 500 followers on Instagram. Articles this month include one on broadcasting disability sports and another on TV adverts featuring disabled people.
You can browse all the articles we published this month on our September 2023 archive page.
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 (our September edition will be sent out TOMORROW – 30/09/2023), 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.
Guest on the lABLEd Podcast
As I mentioned in July, I recorded an episode of the lABLEd Podcast – a show about disability, illness and difference – and it’s available to listen to NOW.
Speaking with the co-hosts Lucy Wood & Alice Evans, I delve into the multifaceted world of journalism, disability advocacy, and representation in the media. My work not only challenges stereotypes but also breaks down barriers, allowing her to amplify the voices of the disability community in the media landscape.
I share my inspiring journey as a writer for our groundbreaking online disability magazine Crip Life™ and I provide a unique perspective on the challenges and triumphs of being a freelance journalist with a disability.
Alice, Lucy, and I engage in a thought-provoking discussion on the pros and cons of freelancing as a person with a disability. We explore the ways in which flexible work arrangements can be both empowering and challenging for individuals like myself.
I also don’t shy away from tackling the recent controversy surrounding the Rosie Jones documentary, providing my insightful perspective on the matter.
Listen to the lABLEd Podcast online or wherever you get your podcasts!
Donkey sanctuary
We had another visit to the donkey sanctuary on Hayling Island to see our adopted donkey Dylan and his friends. However, I think we went at the wrong time because they were being fed food when we arrived and once all the food was consumed, they went off to the furthest points of the fields.
On the plus side, I think we’ve found the next donkey we’d like to adopt. He’s called Tucker and looks like a cow with white and black patches, so he is easy to identify among the other donkeys.
Marwell Zoo
For the first time in about 20 years, I went to the zoo. I haven’t gone in so long because I felt I couldn’t enjoy it with my sight loss. But I love animals and over the past couple of months, I kept seeing news stories and documentaries about animals at zoos and nature reserves, and I kept thinking I’ve not been to a zoo in decades.
Before the visit, I contacted Marwell Zoo to ask if they provide support for visitors with visual impairments, such as bringing safer larger animals to the edge of the enclosure so I could see them through the gate or window or be able to touch or hold smaller animals with zookeeper supervision. Sadly, neither option was possible. Their reply just said we can talk to zookeepers during feeding time or book an animal experience where you can get closer to a certain animal and feed them but they cost between £85 to £100.
Despite this, I decided to go anyway and just hope for the best. Unfortunately, after spending over three hours, I visually saw two and a half animals – giraffes, asses and the tails of mongooses.
This was mainly because 98% of the animals were at the furthest point of their enclosures, high up in trees or hidden away sleeping. As for seeking support from zookeepers, there were none to be found. It felt like Sundays were a day where the animals were having lie-ins and the staff were on skeleton duty.
I was hoping to see more but it wasn’t meant to be. At one point while walking around, I felt a bit emotional knowing I’d lost the ability to enjoy something I’ve loved since I was a kid. I’ve rarely been upset by my sight loss, but this was one occasion it hit me.
However, I’m not going to give up on visiting zoos altogether. I need to research other zoos and animal parks that can cater adapted services for guests with sight loss.
If anyone knows of any zoos or animal parks in the UK that do provide support for visually impaired people, please let me know.
Books
I finished reading The School For Good and Evil series by Soman Chainani. Book 6, One True King, was a long, dramatic and complex final story, which had a bittersweet ending, finished with the King and Queen about to be married but we sadly did not get to read what happened at the wedding. We just assume everyone lived happily ever after.
I’ve now started reading a kind of spin-off series, which is said to be book 7 of the previous series but also book one of a new series called Rise. The first of two books published is titled Rise of the School For Good and Evil, which is a prequel to Sophie and Agatha Not sure how good it will be, but it may uncover some unanswered questions from the previous series.
TV
As I mentioned last month, I began re-watching Sex Education ahead of the new series being released in mid-September. I then binge-watched the fourth and final series in four days. Oh My God – it was amazing and it had everything a fully inclusive programme should have – wheelchair users, a deaf person, ethnic minorities, gays, lesbians, trans, non-binary people and even asexuals!
I won’t give any spoilers but it was thoroughly entertaining, moving, emotional and funny all in one. I feel this Netflix show has changed my life in a certain way.
I also watched the new re-make of The Little Mermaid. I couldn’t really appreciate it from a visual aspect but I enjoyed the additional songs and Skuttle the seagull being voiced by a woman. I also found the ending a bit ironic as Ariel wanted to live on land and yet at the end, she goes out to sea with Eric on a ship.
Audio Description petition
My campaign for audio description has continued throughout September 2023 and the petition has now gained a total of 3684 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 aware I STILL have a couple of guest blog drafts in my inbox waiting to be published. I apologise again for the delay and I’ll do my best to get them uploaded soon.
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: Michael Webster
- 5 bizarre and ridiculous thoughts I had as a child
- Music Interview: Minneriket
5 favourite blog posts
Here are my 5 favourite blog posts I’ve read this month:
- The Medical Model of Disability and Standardised Assessments at Not So Terrible Palsy
- The Benefits of Being Productively Unproductive at Suzie Speaks
- Disability – Growing up Fast at The Life of Sophie
- The Disability Expo Review at Inclusive Living Concepts
- Learning to leave guilt behind as a disabled person at My Blurred World
