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keiligh -

I鈥檝e got a text!

听

[Music]

keiligh -

Hello, and welcome to the 鲍鱼tv Ouch podcast. I鈥檓 Keiligh Baker. It鈥檚 the Marmite show you either love, or love to hate. Yes, Love Island is back for its seventh season. Now personally, I鈥檓 putting all my eggs in one basket and watching it every night, but I know it鈥檚 not for everyone. Much has been made of the fact that this year is the first time the show has featured a physically disabled contestant. Twenty-four year old PE teacher, Hugo Hammond, was born with a club foot. He鈥檚 had lots of operations to correct it, and says himself, 鈥淵ou can only really tell when I walk barefoot because I walk slightly on my tiptoes,鈥� which has led some people to suggest it鈥檚 disingenuous to even call him disabled.

The Love Island production team previously said the villa could not be adapted for people with disabilities due to insurance costs and budget constraints, and with Hugo鈥檚 disability they haven鈥檛 had to make any physical changes to the villa at all. So, we at the 鲍鱼tv Ouch team decided to do the hard work for them. Could the Love Island villa be made accessible so that one of us could spend the summer in Spain? Let鈥檚 find out, and let鈥檚 get grafting. Joining me on this deep dive into popular culture and reality television is 鲍鱼tv entertainment reporter and wheelchair user, Alex Taylor. Alex, is Love Island a bit of you?

ALEX -

I鈥檓 not sure about that, but I think that I鈥檇 happily actually appear on it, except it hasn鈥檛 actually got access. So even if I actually wanted to I couldn鈥檛 actually get there, and that鈥檚 a bit of an issue which I think we have to talk about.

keiligh -

I鈥檓 also joined by Kamran Malik, CEO of Disability Rights UK, and Natasha Davies who is an access consultant at the Centre for Accessible Environments. Kamran, thank you so much for joining me today. Is Love Island your type on paper?

kamran -

[Laughs] Hi, thanks very much for asking me to join you today. It isn鈥檛. I have to confess, it鈥檚 not a programme that I鈥檝e watched. I鈥檓 of course aware of it.

KEILIGH -

There鈥檚 been a big fuss made this year about one of the contestants having a physical disability. He鈥檚 the first contestant to ever have one. Were you aware of this kind of conversation that鈥檚 been going on the last couple of weeks?

KAMRAN -

It鈥檚 that whole idea around kind of normalising the conversation around disabled people, and disability, not for it鈥檚 something to avoid.

KEILIGH -

Alex, you wrote a little bit about this didn鈥檛 you?

ALEX -听

I have, yes. So about how it鈥檚 a good angle for the team who are behind it because it helps them to handle anger that鈥檚 actually been aimed at them about their cast and who actually kind of appears on the show. It has a certain image which it always has to appeal to. This was their way of making sure that it at least appeared on paper as if it was a bit more diverse.

KEILIGH -

Natasha, can I pull you for a chat? I know that you鈥檙e perhaps not Love Island鈥檚 biggest fan.

NATASHA -

I was going to make a comment, I might have sort of made it a bit earlier, about sort of this hidden disability or sort of certain impairments being seen as more acceptable or maybe the application process making it almost like if you鈥檝e got a certain impairment or a certain condition then that鈥檚 okay, but actually it鈥檚 still excluding some conditions over others, which obviously isn鈥檛 right.听 And actually, although physical adjustments to the environment are really important, there鈥檚 that sort of management as you go along, and the adjustments that aren鈥檛 necessarily changing from stairs to a ramp, which are obviously important for some conditions, but actually hidden disabilities do often get overlooked and to make something inclusive it needs to take into account a wide range of different impairments.

KAMRAN -

It鈥檚 always the argument isn鈥檛 it? 鈥淥h, it costs too much, that鈥檚 why we鈥檙e not going to do it,鈥� without really thinking about, exactly as you were just describing, you can be creative in how you use the space, how you change where space is used. And so sometimes it鈥檚 about just making those changes, and those are almost no cost options, a range of changes, you know, from kind of the very basic changes to the more fancy high end based changes that you would want to make.

KEILIGH -

Alex pointed out earlier, and I think I mentioned in my intro, the fact that Hugo鈥檚 disability didn鈥檛 require any access requirements, it鈥檚 almost like they鈥檝e done a little half nod and a wink but haven鈥檛 really put their money where their mouth is. And this is, you know, a show that makes absolutely millions doesn鈥檛 it? I mean, it鈥檚 got all the spin off shows, it鈥檚 got all the merchandise, and it does make you think how much would it cost to make it accessible. So, moving on, what do you think would need to be done to make it accessible?

NATASHA -

So from what I鈥檝e seen of the villa, and I鈥檝e had a little look on a sort of virtual tour as well at some photographs, but from what I鈥檝e seen I would say it was very inaccessible at the moment, and particularly with no real consideration for wheelchair users, but also lots of barriers for people with a physical impairment. There seem to be lots of steps across the site and also in the garden areas leading up to the kitchen. The bathrooms look too small. The bedrooms lack turning space.

So yeah, lots and lots of things that would need to change. But often we think about wheelchair access as being the first thing we think of when we think of accessibility, but really at CAE we look at inclusive design, which goes beyond simply wheelchair access and looks at accessibility and inclusion for a wide variety of people. It looked like when the location was chosen or designed it seemed like there was an assumption that was made about who would be on the show, and it seems like the accessibility features weren鈥檛 considered right from the start.

And I think this is quite typical of the site in general and that it鈥檚 often the retrospective adaptations and changes that are made at a later stage, or need to be made at a later stage, that could be avoided if perhaps the production team had put thought into it from the outset, and so therefore the costs wouldn鈥檛 be as great. It鈥檚 not just the actual physical aspects of the villa, it鈥檚 actually making the show really inclusive in terms of everything else that goes on as well.

KEILIGH -

How about you, Kamran? Very, very generously you watched an episode, [Laughs] as research for this podcast. From what you could see of the villa what would need to be done to make it accessible?

KAMRAN -

Yes, so I thought before coming on here I should at least watch one episode, so I did. We mustn鈥檛 forget that impairment is not just about the physical mobility aspect, there are kind of cognitive impairments, visual impairments, so everything from where there are changes in a level, for example, stairs and steps. If you鈥檙e visually impaired you might want to have colour change at the edge of the steps so that it鈥檚 obvious where they are. Having different levels of seating, different types of seating for kind of comfort. I think it鈥檚 important to have spaces where you can where it鈥檚 a bit quieter, so if you need to get away from the noise and you just need a bit of downtime because your impairment affects you and your way of managing it means that you might want some kind of space away from everybody at periods of time.

So I think there are lots of changes you can make, but before you kind of get into all of that I think almost your starting point is to say you almost want to get an actual access type audit done, someone professional who would come in and say, 鈥淵es, these are the physical environment changes we want to make. These are some of the softer things that you should be doing, like creating quiet spaces.鈥�

KEILIGH -

Can you put a price on that? Do you have a rough idea of how much it would cost to put those adaptations in place?

KAMRAN -

Huge variants. So, for example, allocating a space, that鈥檚 a quiet space, really there鈥檚 no cost to that, it鈥檚 just identifying a part of the villa where you accept that that鈥檚 going to be a quiet space, for anybody, and so that there鈥檚 some no cost, very low and no cost options like that. Doing things like creating contrast difference, so when you鈥檙e kitting out the villa or when you鈥檙e decorating it, again relatively low cost really. So, you know, to make contrast change on steps or if there鈥檚 glass, putting strips across to identify that there鈥檚 glass and a barrier there. Again, these are very low cost.

I think when you get into the higher end it鈥檚 always difficult to put prices on these because it depends on the physical building itself. But if you鈥檙e looking at lifts, you know, it could be between 拢10,000 to 拢30,000 to put a lift in. There are different types of lift. There are through floor ones, there are different things that are available, but that鈥檚 a very rough ballpark kind of figure of what it might take. And that 拢10,000 to 拢30,000 is the cost that would be for a typical home in the UK to put a through lift in.

keiligh -

So I鈥檝e got an invisible disability which doesn鈥檛 really affect my day to day mobility or anything like that, so I鈥檓 really clueless. So just to really labour the point, how about ramps?

KAMRAN -

So again, ramps will work in certain circumstances, depending on the height difference. Gradients on ramps are really important, so you鈥檇 also need a length of space where the ramp can be, so that, you know, you鈥檙e not trying to push up Mount Everest, it鈥檚 something safe. But again, portable ramps that someone might buy, a few hundred pounds, you鈥檙e not talking extortionate costs. But looking at the image of what they鈥檙e trying to create on the programme, what I would want to see is it built into the fabric of the environment so it doesn鈥檛 stand out as, you know, here鈥檚 a ramp for a disabled person, it鈥檚 part of the build. It鈥檚 always going to be more expensive if you鈥檙e retrofitting adaptations in, making adjustments.

KEILIGH -

Yeah. I鈥檝e heard that a lot, it does seem to be just so much easier and cheaper in the long run to just ensure buildings are made accessible from the start.

KAMRAN -

Yeah, absolutely. And if you just think about the advertising revenue they must be getting from it, its popularity, it鈥檚 in series seven so it鈥檚 clearly incredibly popular, and therefore the levels of income that are probably being generated through it must be, you know, more money than I can imagine.

KEILIGH -

Also, quite famously in some of the earlier seasons people were really desperate to find places to have sex, so imagine how much fun they could have in a giant wet room? You know, they wouldn鈥檛 have to go in the鈥� I think they went in an airing cupboard one year. Think how much more room there鈥檇 be in a wet room.

KAMRAN -

Absolutely. And you always hear don鈥檛 you, accessible toilets are much bigger.

KEILIGH -

Yes. Yes, exactly. More manoeuvrability. [Laughs]

KAMRAN -

Absolutely. You鈥檙e looking at something like 拢15,000, depending on the size and kind of facilities that you鈥檇 want in there.

听

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KEILIGH -

Kamron, from your perspective, does it feel like tokenism this year, or do you think that this is a step in the right direction?

KAMRAN -

We鈥檙e in series seven I believe. I wonder how many of the previous contestants would say that they had a hidden impairment, that maybe they just didn鈥檛 talk about and so something that, you know, you can鈥檛 actually see. And secondly, Hugo, I imagine was just recruited because he applied and then this issue came out. So for the producers to then say, 鈥淥h well we鈥檙e doing the right thing because we鈥檝e got a disabled person on,鈥� it does feel a bit tokenistic if that鈥檚 what they鈥檙e doing. It鈥檚 not how we should be approaching this topic, and it鈥檚 about how do we make the whole programme inclusive where disabled people genuinely feel that they could apply and be part of it. This kind of feels a bit like it鈥檚 just happened by chance.

KEILIGH -

What do you think, Alex?

ALEX -

It鈥檚 a bit of a cop out. He himself has highlighted that actually it鈥檚 not that visible, so I鈥檓 not really sure how much it鈥檚 offering an audience who is used to a stereotype. And I think it would actually help if after this they could really use this as an opportunity to go further. I think that they have a duty, so I think it鈥檚 a bit of a shame really that that鈥檚 what they鈥檝e chosen to do. It鈥檚 a wasted opportunity.

KEILIGH -

I think as well that ties in something that producer, Beth, pointed out to me this morning, which is that no one has mentioned Hugo鈥檚 disability once on the show. So it would be great if we were in a place in the world now where disabilities were just accepted and they weren鈥檛 conversation worthy, but as it is it feels slightly strange that it鈥檚 not been addressed. Is it that people don鈥檛 know and Hugo鈥檚 not talking about it, which is completely his right, or is it that producers are choosing to edit out conversations the islanders have had about his disability?

natasha -

Yeah, I think the media does have a huge part to play in raising awareness, and also influencing public opinion and normalising disability and kind of moving away from that sort of stereotype. So I guess on one hand it is good that there is a disabled person who identifies as being disabled on the show, however I guess I鈥檇 be cautious that, like we mentioned at the beginning, that the villa wouldn鈥檛 be accessible for everyone, there鈥檚 still a lot of exclusion there which does limit what awareness can be achieved.

KEILIGH -

That actually ties in with my next question, which is knowing about Hugo and his part in the show, do you think producers have done enough to accurately reflect disability in the modern dating world. Alex, I know this is a hot potato for you, a passion subject if you will, so hit us. Put all your eggs in one basket, give it to us.

alex -

Okay, well I will do. I鈥檓 not sure if that鈥檚 a good idea or not, I鈥檓 not sure. But anyway, righto. I think that the show has its own audience and it understands what will fit with their image of what is physically 鈥榟ot鈥�, in inverted commas. Hugo, you know, he has got the six pack, the sporting background, but there are also Paralympic athletes who have that as well and they鈥檙e in the wheelchairs. I think that I can understand what they look at as their cut off point, because they don鈥檛 want to rock the boat too much. Whilst it鈥檚 up to him when he opens up about it, it highlighted the extent to which it鈥檚 not really been an issue for him, like, on the show itself. So it鈥檚 a good headline, but in reality what has it actually achieved?

KEILIGH -

I think as well we can鈥檛 really talk about Hugo being the first physically disabled contestant without mentioning Niall from a couple of seasons ago, who has rightly kicked off quite a bit this year after finding out that Hugo was being called the first disabled contestant, because Niall is autistic and he had to leave quite suddenly quite early on in the season after experiencing a psychotic break. Now, the strange thing about the media coverage is everyone鈥檚 been like, 鈥淥h, Hugo鈥檚 the first disabled contestant,鈥� you know, that鈥檚 not actually true. So, Alex, from your perspective, do you think it鈥檚 been unfair, the media coverage, saying that Hugo鈥檚 the first disabled contestant when Niall exists?

ALEX -

It has been, but it鈥檚 actually what I expect of our media, because there鈥檚 a lack of awareness of disability in general and that鈥檚 because there aren鈥檛 enough disabled journos in the industry. And the reporting is evidence of that lack of awareness of nuance, because I think there鈥檚 still a stigma around calling mental or neurodiverse issues disabilities. And I think that that鈥檚 why they haven鈥檛 actually covered that in the headlines.

听

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KEILIGH -

We got in contact with Love Island and a spokesman told us, 鈥淟ove Island鈥檚 only stipulation is that applicants are over 18, single and looking for love. Our application and casting process is inclusive to all, and we鈥檙e always aiming to reflect the age and diversity of our audience on the show. Were a disabled person to take part we would ensure that any reasonable adjustments required to adapt the show to their needs were in place.鈥� They added, 鈥淲e fully supported Niall during and after he left Love Island, and in line with his and his family鈥檚 wishes.鈥�

听

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KEILIGH -

Well, it looks like our time in our virtual villa is up. I don鈥檛 know about you but I鈥檓 desperate to start grafting my lunch. [Laughs] Thank you so much for joining me today. Don鈥檛 forget to subscribe to the Ouch podcast on 鲍鱼tv Sounds, where you鈥檒l find hundreds of disability conversations. You can get in touch by emailing ouch@bbc.co.uk, and find us on Twitter and Facebook @bbcouch. Thanks for listening.