Ouch!

04 April 2006   10:19 PM

No, I've not hurt myself nor nothing, I've just been looking at the BBC's online disability magazine, which just happens to be called Ouch! It's an online magazine that takes a serious look at disability issues. Actually, it's not. It's an online magazine that takes a look at some disability issues and has a sense of humour, which is why I would recommend it.

I'd particularly like to recommend that you take a look at the podcast presented by Mat Fraser and Liz Carr, who discuss issues such as disability sport, and features their quiz Vegetable, Vegetable or Vegetable where they have to guess the disability of their phone in callers.

Be warned however, there are a lot of less-than-polite terms for disability bandied about - terms that I wouldn't feel comfortable using, not because I'm so right-on or something, but more because I wouldn't feel it's appropriate for me as a non-disabled person to use them and it would seem that I was some form of offensive moron. So be warned. Of course, from listening to the podcast there's always the possibility that the carefully chosen language may in itself be more offensive to Mat and Liz. Geez, I dunno. Anyone tell me what to do for the best?

...aaaannyway, this might give you a sampling of the content and tone of the presenters:

So if you ever see a Thalidomide man on his knees, crouching in front of a disabled toilet, apparently trying to pick the lock with his teeth — it's just me

Mat Fraser

No, it's not a joke. The presenters themselves are both disabled, and their quotes about the podcast pretty much sum it up - although it doesn't slam home exactly how irreverent, or how interesting, or how frequently very funny it is.

An audio version of the existing site. Irreverent, funny and fresh

Mat Fraser

It felt like it was the first broadcast of 'crip radio', and that there had been nothing like it before. It seemed like we were part of history, and I realised what had been missing over the years

Liz Carr

But don't take my word for it, take a look at it for yourself.

Oh... and don't forget to have a nose round the rest of the Ouch website either - you might find out a lot of things that you never thought about even though you probably should have before. Like this:

Do I imagine it or, when I go off to get a cup of coffee, is the voice of the person serving me just that little bit more smiley? Smilier than the voice given to the person before me? And why do I get called sweetheart? Not exactly malicious to call someone sweetheart is it? But what does it say about me and how I'm perceived by the shopkeeper?

Damon Rose

Which is something I imagine that happens pretty much all the time and serves no doubt to emphasise look at you! you're different aren't you... you're one of those disabled chappies. But I'll still serve you and I'll be extra-specially nice just to show I'm not in any way discriminatory. I'm just surprised they managed to avoid patting him on the head. So well worth a look. Go on, download the podcast - or if you've not got broadband just read the transcript. Both are available from the podcast page. Go on. What are you waiting for?