Brooke welcomes Vicky Foxcroft, the Labour MP for Lewisham, Deptford, who shares her journey of being diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis later in life and how it has impacted her personal and professional life.

They discuss the complexities of identifying as disabled and the internalised ableism that often comes with invisible disabilities. Vicky also talks about her role as an MP and the challenges and rewards of advocating for disabled people in politics. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• There is an internal struggle in identifying as disabled and the societal biases surrounding disability. We must promote self-acceptance and challenge ableism.
• There is a great need for awareness and understanding of the various types of disabilities and their impact on individuals.
• As the Shadow Minister for Disabled People, Vicky advocates for the rights and needs of disabled individuals, including addressing issues such as accessibility, discrimination, and healthcare.
• Vicky encourages disabled individuals to get involved in politics and make their voices heard.

BEST MOMENTS

"I think it's always a really fascinating discussion, particularly when you're diagnosed with something, because I think it's a bit different than a physical disability." 

"I quite like saying that I'm disabled. I don't think there's a problem with that. And this is why I do what I do." 

"I always thought arthritis was like, 'Oh, your joints are a bit creaky.' But there are like hundreds of different types." 

"Disabled people really were impacted very, very differently to those who were non-disabled during the pandemic."

VALUABLE RESOURCES

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/disabled-and-proud/id1621152878

Disabled and Proud is the show that brings listeners a different perspective on disability. Each week this podcast highlights an awesome disabled guest speaking about their own disability; why they are proud to be disabled and why they are proud to be themselves. 

The conversations in this show will look at what challenges these amazing people face socially, mentally, physically and life in general. This show is raw, open, honest, funny, welcoming and educational. 

Disabled & Proud does exactly what it says on the tin! And whilst we are creating this space for disabled people to be unashamedly themselves, without the need to conform to society, this is also not about toxic positivity. This show will be shining a big, bright light on disability without it being “Paralympic or pity”. 

As you will hear disability is WHOLE, COMPLETE & PERFECT and whilst the topic of disability can be quite heavy - and we definitely don't shy away from the bad days - this podcast is also about having fun too! Our aim is to play a part in reclaiming the word disability - turning it from inadequacy to perfection!