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Metro
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
Chris McCausland hails how disabled people 'really are capable of so much more'
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Strictly Come Dancing winner Chris McCausland hailed the Scope Awards as proving that the disabled community 'really are capable of so much more than others might think so.' Chris, 47, a winner on the dancing show last year, scooped the gong for Celebrity Role Model at the awards last night. The comedian said: 'It really is an honour to get to represent those of us with a disability on some of the biggest shows on the telly, and to get to show everybody else out there that we really are capable of so much more than others might think so.' The blind comedian from Liverpool is currently on a UK tour and beat other celebrities, including campaigner Sophie Morgan and musician Jordan Stephens, to the award. Chris lost his sight gradually due to a genetic condition called Retinitis Pigmentosa and said last night, 'there really are no limits to what we can do' and joked in his acceptance speech: 'Although I do have somebody else do the driving on this tour, because there have to be some.' Wake up to find news on your TV shows in your inbox every morning with Metro's TV Newsletter. Sign up to our newsletter and then select your show in the link we'll send you so we can get TV news tailored to you. The awards at the Kia Oval were hosted by Hollywood actor Adam Pearson, and the winners were a group of attitude-changing individuals trying to create an equal future for disabled people. Among them were Inkfire – the UK's first all disabled graphic design agency set up by husband and wife Imali and Cameron Chislett – won the inclusive workplace award. Trailo – an app that aims to help disabled students with presentation anxiety won the accessible product of the year, and Reverse the Ban York – a group of campaigners who fought for years to lift the permanent ban on blue badge holders parking in York city centre- won the community group award. Accessible Product – Tailo by Estendio – Celebrity Role Model – Chris McCausland Community Group – Reverse the Ban York Journalist – Frances Ryan Frances Inclusive Workplace – Inkfire – Social Media Influencer – Tumi Sotire Media Moment – The Assembly – Purple Pioneer – Steph Blanco Marketing Campaign – Crohn's and Colitis UK The Purple Pioneer award – that honours an individual who has advanced disability equality in their local community – was taken home by Stephanie-Roxanne Blanco. Stephanie is a trustee and vice-chair of FND Dimensions, and aims to develop a network of support groups for people diagnosed with Functional Neurological Disorders. MORE: 'My life is a ticking time bomb – I worry about running out of days to make change' 'My life is a ticking time bomb – I worry about running out of days to make change' MORE: 'I was deaf first then Black - now I tell my story on the stage' MORE: 'It's a dark time to be disabled in the UK right now' She champions disability equality across her work and her research, and her TEDx talk about hidden disabilities has changed attitudes. Shani Dhanda, head judge of this year's awards, said they are a 'true celebration of disability equality champions.' She added: 'Each of the nominees is making a huge difference to improve disabled people's lives, remove barriers and transform attitudes. Metro is also the official media partner of 2025 Scope Awards that took place tonight. The ceremony celebrated the work disabled people and organisations are doing to bring about important change. Hosted by the BAFTA-nominated actor Adam Pearson, unsung heroes, amazing achievements and the incredible accolades of the disabled community were all honoured at the Kia Oval. There are 38 nominees for the nine Scope Awards: Accessible Product, Celebrity Role Model, Community Group, Inclusive Workplace, Journalist, Marketing Campaign, Media Moment, Purple Pioneer and Social Media Influencer. 'Our winners demonstrate the tireless work being done to end disability inequality in so many aspects of society – from local community groups to national television stars and social media sensations. More Trending 'It's an especially challenging time to be a disabled person in the UK. 'That makes it more important than ever for our community to come together. To recognise and celebrate those who are striving for an equal future where disabled people can thrive and be authentically themselves.' Lyn Warren, Chief HR Officer at Evri, a sponsor of the awards said: 'It's so inspiring to be in a room full of gamechangers and I am committed to making Evri an amazing place to work for all, where accessibility and opportunity go hand in hand.' Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page.
Metro
12-05-2025
- General
- Metro
Don't assume life's better for Disabled people just because we're on TV more
'Things are getting better right? I mean for people like you?' 'By people like me,' I reply. 'Do you mean Disabled people?' This is a conversation I feel like I, a physically Disabled woman, am constantly having with my pre-disabled peers. It's almost as though I am asked to reassure them that my life is OK and that they shouldn't feel guilty. I mean it is 2025 after all and 'people like me' are, in many ways, assimilated into mainstream society. Perhaps you've noticed a co-worker has a limb difference, or your favourite television show proudly showcases cast members from the Disability community. Maybe, there are Deaf, Disabled or Neurodivergent classmates at your kid's school. So, things must be better simply because you can see us now more than ever? Yet being more visible after decades of being hidden away by society does not qualify as a better existence or quality of life. I want those people who assume my life is better for being more visible to know that they are seeing the world through an enabled gaze. The truth is that Disabled people face discrimination daily. New research by MoreinCommon has found that 78% of Disabled Britons feel life is harder for Disabled people than non-Disabled people. Over half (51%) think that life in the UK has become harder for us over the past 10 years. I want non-Disabled people to think hard about our struggle, but also to think about us positively. This is why it's so important to celebrate the Disability community in all its multifaceted and vibrant colour, and the Scope Awards aims to do this. The Scope Awards is a celebration of Deaf, Disabled and Neurodivergent people and a way to ultimately amplify our voices. This annual ceremony celebrates those within our society: Disabled people and our allies who place value and pride in our community. And there is a lesson in that for everyone who isn't Disabled. You may know us, but until you listen to us, champion us and give us tangible change and opportunity you are simply objectifying us to feel better about yourself. You shouldn't kid yourself about the reality of discrimination. It takes many forms – like in the workplace, with Disabled people twice as likely to be unemployed. Metro is also the official media partner of 2025 Scope Awards that will take place next month. The ceremony will celebrate the work disabled people and organisations are doing to bring about important change. Hosted by the BAFTA-nominated actor Adam Pearson, unsung heroes, amazing achievements and the incredible accolades of the disabled community are all being honoured at the Kia Oval. There are 38 nominees for the nine Scope Awards: Accessible Product, Celebrity Role Model, Community Group, Inclusive Workplace, Journalist, Marketing Campaign, Media Moment, Purple Pioneer and Social Media Influencer. Life also costs significantly more for us. In fact, the average extra cost of being Disabled is estimated at £1,067 according to Scope. Every single month. And from governments to people in the street, disabled people are constantly vilified. All of my Disabled or Neurodivergent friends have faced online trolling aimed solely at attacking their differences. That crosses over into real life too. Just last week I had an altercation with a taxi driver who attempted to pick me up in a cab without a working ramp. When I told him I'd have to cancel, he became verbally aggressive and screamed: 'It's people like you who are so difficult – if I'd known you used a wheelchair I wouldn't have picked you up.' Ignorance like this still prevails and it is largely because people don't allow us to speak our truths. We still very much live in a world whereby able and enabled privilege prevails and ableism is so ingrained within our culture that most if not all Disabled people, myself included, live a lesser life. For me, the new findings about Disabled people's real-life experiences highlight this. The more visible we are, the more the world has to see the inequalities we face. We aren't hidden away in institutions anymore or kept segregated within our communities. Now, we have a voice and we will scream from the rooftops about ableism. However, people outside the Disabled community often don't like to be told where they are failing, and don't want to hear about our pain. Exposing our truth means others should be called to action, and action costs money and takes time and owning up to past wrongs. This is why I feel as though it's tougher now to be Disabled. We are more malleable when we say nothing. But, here's a reality check: those times are long gone and the Scope awards showcases those within our community who won't be silenced. One in six people are Disabled. Think about this in context to your own family, friends, neighbours and colleagues: we will all have to live and work together to make this world more Disability friendly. And if you struggle to empathise naturally with Disabled people, ask yourself this: Would you want to live in a world that tells you repeatedly that you are lesser than others? More Trending Would you want your own children to miss out on accessing higher education, or accomplishing a milestone like moving into their own home or securing their first job? Would you want to live in fear that your independence is going to be ripped away from you every time a brown envelope lands on your doorstep and you may not be able to feed yourself or leave your home? Because all of this is a reality for Deaf, Disabled and Neurodivergent people like me. View More » My life isn't a tragedy because I was born with a rare condition, but it's tragic that in 2025 we still do not place value on the lives of Disabled people. Do you have a story you'd like to share? Get in touch by emailing Share your views in the comments below. MORE: After 10 years we unmasked our mystery stalker – we couldn't believe who it was MORE: We're living every parent's worst nightmare after bullies left our daughter suicidal MORE: 'When my mum took her own life I discovered her secret battle'
Metro
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
‘It's a dark time to be disabled in the UK right now'
TV presenter Sophie Morgan is calling for greater protections for the disabled community after a raft of 'inhumane' government cuts. The Loose Women panellist, who also presented Crufts this year, told Metro that it is 'unbearable' and a 'dark and difficult time' for disabled people in the UK right now. Sophie said the proposed changes to the welfare system aimed at saving £5bn by the end of 2030, which were announced in March, are a warning for what is to come next. 'I think it should be a wake-up call for Britain that if they can target the most vulnerable, anybody can become a victim of this government,' warned Sophie, who is paraplegic. Speaking ahead of the Scope Awards, in which she has been shortlisted in the Celebrity Role Model category, the disability activist added that there was a 'dangerous rhetoric being peddled about disabled people always 'taking, taking, taking'. But every disabled person I know wants to give back,' she said. 'We want to participate. We want to be part of the society. 'We want to be able to do all of the things that anyone else wants to do. 'We're not trying to be given handouts to do nothing.' In 2003, Sophie suffered a spinal cord injury in a car crash when she was 18. She was left paralysed from the chest down and has used a wheelchair ever since. At times like these, we need a bit of joy and light, and celebrate what we have managed to achieve. She became a household name after coming second in BBC3's Britain's Missing Top Model, and has gone on to present numerous documentaries – not just on disability issues – as well as becoming a regular on Loose Women and The One Show, and hosting Channel 4's TV coverage of the 2020 Summer Paralympics in Tokyo. Currently living in California, the 40-year-old said that she has 'never felt less disabled.' 'I spent 20 years living in the UK as a disabled person, and I realised I was sort of living a half life where I couldn't go to any of the places I wanted to go,' she explained. 'They were so limited because it's so inaccessible. 'But then I got an opportunity to work with NBC and host the 2024 Paris Paralympics over here, so I moved to California about a year ago and I love it. 'I set up a production company called Making Space Media, and we're teaming up with Reese Witherspoon's production company, working up ideas around disability and centering women's narratives. 'It's very liberating living here.' MORE: 'The government should be ashamed of the £5,000,000,000 disability cuts – they are barbaric' MORE: Blind Barbie and a Strictly winner among the full list of nominees for the Scope Awards 2025 MORE: Adam Pearson rallies against 'abhorrent' online bullying after Baftas troll Talking about what needs to change back home in the UK, Sophie believes that better protections need to be put in place for the disabled community. 'I'd like us to overhaul what we call the Equalities Act. The fact that you only have to make a 'reasonable adjustment' to businesses and goods and services is not enough,' she said. 'We need to have stronger laws, so that we have something to protect us when we're discriminated against. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video 'It's one of the reasons why I moved to America, because I'm so tired of going into places and people saying 'this is an old building, you can't come in here'.' Sophie, who has been voted one of the most influential disabled people in the UK as part of the Shaw Trust's Disability Power 100, added that she is keen to see more disability advocates on screen talking about the challenges the community face. Metro is also the official media partner of 2025 Scope Awards that will take place next month. The ceremony will celebrate the work disabled people and organisations are doing to bring about important change. Hosted by the BAFTA-nominated actor Adam Pearson, unsung heroes, amazing achievements and the incredible accolades of the disabled community are all being honoured at the Kia Oval. There are 38 nominees for the nine Scope Awards: Accessible Product, Celebrity Role Model, Community Group, Inclusive Workplace, Journalist, Marketing Campaign, Media Moment, Purple Pioneer and Social Media Influencer. 'We don't have enough disabled role models. I'd love to see more disabled heroes – and I don't mean Paralympians, I mean disabled people doing brilliant things in higher places,' she explained. 'I want to see disabled CEOs, disabled politicians, disabled leaders.' One of her own role models is former police officer and wheelchair user Paula Craig MBE, who she met while she was in spinal rehabilitation and has since appeared on TV shows with. More Trending 'She is just so badass,' said Sophie. 'She was a detective and a wheelchair user. I was just blown away by what she did. So representations have always mattered for me. 'Those women who defy the odds, just do their own thing and make their own rules are so vital. And that's why the Scope Awards are important too. 'At times like these, we need a bit of joy and light, and celebrate what we have managed to achieve. I've spent 20 years working hard to improve representation and shiftingperceptions around disability, so it's a really nice thing to have been recognised.' Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page.
