In early 2021, we launched our Practical Intervention Fund (PIF). The idea behind it was to provide a straightforward way for disabled, deaf and neurodivergent people to request small, practical items related to wellbeing or relaxation. This was especially important during the height of the pandemic, when accessing these kinds of items was particularly difficult for many disabled people.…

At several key moments in my life, Occupational Therapists (OTs) have suggested tools or approaches that have transformed what I’ve considered possible. Occupational Therapy has a lot to offer those of us with tics and Tourettes, but this is often underappreciated and underutilised, so I sat down with Ione Georgakis, an Occupational Therapist with Tourettes, to talk all things OT.…

A couple of years ago the child of one of my colleagues got an official Tourettes diagnosis. When they told us over Zoom, we all cheered. My hope is that our joyful response will have sent the message that they’re perfect exactly as they are and that Tourettes doesn’t have to be something that’s sad or scary, but instead can be the start of an adventure of self-discovery.…

I love theatre, both as a performer and as an audience member, but as I’ve written and spoken about before, attending performances as someone with Tourettes isn’t always easy. It’s even harder at the moment because I’m Clinically Extremely Vulnerable (CEV) to COVID-19 and so being in busy indoor spaces with no COVID Related Access Provisions isn’t safe for me.…

Yesterday we arrived in Torquay for stop six of our tour of eight UK towns and cities with our new show Burnt Out In Biscuit Land. We’ve been to Bridlington, Gloucester, Bradford, Margate and, most recently, Peterborough. After Torquay we head to Stoke-On-Trent and lastly, Wigan.…

I can’t believe it’s been two years since we launched our Practical Intervention Fund, which provides small items related to wellbeing and relaxation to deaf, disabled and neurodivergent people of all ages. We’ve run two rounds of the fund so far, with each receiving lots of interest.…

I love wheelchairs! I love what they’ve made possible for me and I love sharing what I’ve learnt about them with others. I even wrote an A-Z of everything I know about wheelchairs. That post is very detailed, and it might be a bit overwhelming to someone new to using a chair, but I also hope that it’s useful.…

Eleven years ago today, I collected my first wheelchair from NHS Wheelchair services. I’d been nervous about using one, but within hours it was clear what a difference it would make to my life, safety, and independence.

My first chair was basic, made of steel, very strong but super heavy.…

For as long as I can remember, I’ve used drawing to help me explore my surroundings and make sense of the world. When I struggled to learn things in primary school I was encouraged to draw instead of write, and when I don’t understand something it’s to drawing I still always turn.…

Last March we launched our Practical Intervention Fund, which provided small items related to wellbeing and relaxation to deaf, disabled and neurodivergent people of all ages. It was the first time we’d run it and we provided items for over 50 people across the UK.…