11th February 2018
At work I listen to a lot of podcasts and radio programmes. They help me to focus and can help to block out distractions, plus I really enjoy them. By far one of my favourites is the BBC Ouch Podcast. The programme is basically all about disability issues, including mental health discussion and conditions such as Autism, which is obviously what first attracted me to listening to the show.
The show is broadcast weekly as an approximate twenty minute show, and monthly as a longer hour show. The weekly show is presented by various individuals talking about their specific issues and disabilities whilst the monthly show is hosted by regulars Kate Monaghan and Simon Minty.
The show revolves around discussion on various topics, with guests who talk openly about their lives, the conditions they have, how they cope with things that may be difficult for them and how they excel at what they are good at. This takes the format of interviewing by the presenters and then lively discussion. Often this is based around the particular condition/disability topic for that particular show.
One week the show might revolve around wheelchair users, another week it could be about Cerebral Palsy. Other weeks it might be a discussion about a certain aspect of life, and is discussed by a variety of people with a wide range of different conditions. This can be anything from job interviews (which might be talked about by an Autistic, a wheelchair user and a blind person for example), to more obscure topics such as alternative therapies.
The weekly shows are taken over by guest presenters who have specific conditions to talk about. These are called “Take over” shows and can be very entertaining. Also included in the weekly shows is “Storytelling Live” which highlights people telling their individual stories at the Edinburgh Fringe. These are often comedians and are highly entertaining to listen to. Whichever show it is from week to week, the style is always humorous, entertaining and easy to listen to, and above everything else is extremely informative. I have learnt so much about different people from listening to BBC Ouch.
As an Autistic person I am different to other people. I find them difficult to understand and often hard to be around. This does not stop me being curious about people and what makes them tick. As part of a smaller community in society, I believe it is natural to also be interested in other similar, smaller communities. Although the groups may be different, some of the problems and the successes they experience do share common threads.
Autism is thought of as a disability by some people and not by others, both Neurortypical and by those on the Autistic Spectrum. To me it does not matter. Just by being Autistic I have difficulties, and shows like Ouch help me to understand those struggles, hear that other people are going through similar problems. I am not alone.
Some of the groups discussed on the podcast include the Deaf Community, Blind Community, EDS, Tourettes, Cerebral Palsy, Restricted Growth, Depression, Cystic Fibrosis, Brittle Bone, Autism, Fibromyalgia, Anxiety, Schizophrenia and many, many more. One of the reasons I love the show, is that you can learn so much about different people and I am a big believer in that from learning comes awareness, understanding and acceptance. A great example of this was a show titled “Do blind people care about colour?” where three blind journalists discuss what colour means to them. One of them had been blind from birth; another had been blind 30 years and the third only blind for a few years. I had never seriously thought about what blind people imagine or remember from before they were blind and how the world changes for them. The fact that what they once remember has now changed as time has passed. For example, from the show, the colour of Ambulances.
After listening to the show I spent hours thinking about this and realised that the show had helped me to understand more about blindness through information I had not even considered before. This often happens when listening to the show, my understanding of a condition is increased immensely.
Autism is often discussed on the show and there has been a fantastic Autistic Takeover show called “The Robyn, Jamie and Lion Show” which is hosted by two Autistics, Robyn and Jamie. They discuss topics relevant to Autistics, such as the last show on obsessions and special interests. They talk about their own interests of milling machines (Jamie) and trumpet playing (Robyn) and discuss the pros and cons of “special interests”.
It is a great show and I love the fact that two Autistics similar to me are producing such an entertaining programme. They are easy to listen too, fun and it greatly promotes the Autistic community in a positive way. I look forward to more of these shows in the future.
Some of the Ouch podcast shows do deal with unusual and difficult subjects such as abuse, death and poverty. I admire that they cover the difficulties with empathy and professionalism. At the beginning of each show they always have a “Trigger Warning”. This tells listeners if that show is to contain sensitive material that they may find upsetting. They advise that it might not be appropriate listening to some people and give the listener the opportunity to opt out of that particular show.
Excellent. I cannot praise them enough for this understanding of their audience. I will also note that trigger warnings very rarely occur in two consecutive shows, so if you have to miss a show because you might find the content upsetting, you can be rest assured next week’s show will be one you can listen to and enjoy. The show does not avoid difficult topics though, and I think this is good because life is difficult. Discussing these topics can have a positive effect on people. They let the listener decide but are not afraid to broadcast the tricky but important stuff.
So in conclusion why do I like the BBC Ouch podcast? Because it’s brilliantly well put together, informative, funny, varied, educational, and aware of its audience, and a great resource for many uniquely different but brilliant people. I can honestly say I find it difficult to find faults with the programme. I have recommended the show to many people and will continue to do so in the future. I would like to end by thanking the presenters, guest presenters and behind the scenes production teams that make the programme possible. You are all wonderful.