Bernie’s Still Game Journey

A blog from Bernie Hunter, who talks about her connection with the hit comedy series ‘Still Game’, how she came to set up a Still Game fan page with 7,000 followers, and playing the part of a heckler in the final series.

“A dream come true”

Over the past 17 years, I have grown to love the comedy ‘Still Game’, from becoming a young fan to appearing in an episode and everything in between. Throughout this blog, I will be giving you an insight into my experience of being involved with one of the most loved shows ever. I want to share my story with the aim of helping other people who have additional support needs, to get the message out there that anything is possible.

Let’s go back to when it all began, I started watching Still Game at a young age (really too young-shh!). There was just something about this show that grabbed my attention, the classic humour had a big impact but apart from that, I have always felt a connection with the show as I can relate to the language and the characters too. We all know someone who is like Isa, Jack or Victor! The writing is great too, Still Game can make you laugh one minute and cry the next, it is a comedy sitcom with emotion attached to it too which I love.

Still Game made its debut in 2002 and ran for six series’ until 2007. The show took a seven-year break before making a come-back with a live show, in 2014. I have always been a big fan, during the break, Still Game never really stopped for me and this was when I realised how much love I had for the show.

The hit comedy announced the new live shows in 2014, I was delighted to hear that my favourite show was making a return so I had to get tickets. I was lucky enough to meet the cast after the performance to get autographs and pictures, everyone was so kind. At the time, I didn’t quite realise that this was my first step to becoming involved with the show.

Still Game returned to TV screens after a nine-year break with series 7, in 2016. I wanted to do something special to welcome the series back so I set up ‘The Still Game Fan Club’ on Facebook. I had just completed a computing course, at college where I studied photo editing so the fan club was the perfect opportunity to use my new skills. The fan club has been a big success with over 7,000 fans joining the group, I love running it!

Last summer, it was announced that the show would be coming to an end after series 9. During the filming of the final series, Still Game wanted to thank me for running the fan club so I was invited onto the set to be an ‘extra’. On the 31st of August 2018, I went to the filming location where I met Paul Riley who plays Winston, he was the only character who was going to be in the scene and we chatted for a bit. A little later Paul came back with a signed card for me and I got a picture with him, he put his Winston jacket and bunnet on me-classic!

I went back to my car for a bit because we still had two hours before the filming started then something special happened, Michael Hines who is the director of the show, came to see me. I thought that he was coming to say hello but no, he came to ask me if I would like to say a line, in the scene that I was going to be a ‘extra’ in. I was offered to play the part of a ‘heckler’. The scene was Winston opening a community centre and I was to shout out a put down to Winston. I agreed to do the part straight away… the line was “Get aff the stage, ya fat b******!”

I have Cerebral Palsy which affects my speech so I use a AAC device to communicate and it wasn’t any different when it came to saying my line in Still Game, the crew didn’t see my disability and this meant a lot to me. The crew were amazing at giving me time to programme different lines into my device which I really appreciated. 

Appearing in the first episode of series 9 was very surreal for me as I have been on a journey with the show, it was an absolute honour to get to be a part of the final ever series. I will be grateful to all of the cast and crew forever, people say dreams don’t come true, well mine sure did!

Well that’s it, I went to the filming as an ‘extra’ and came back with an appearance, in the show. I’m not an actress but I do know that getting into the acting industry isn’t easy, for anyone. I was very lucky to get the opportunity by chance. My advice to anyone who is starting out in acting is to just go for it, keep asking and eventually someone will believe in you.

Thanks to everyone at Still Game, the wonderful memories will stay with me forever!

“That’s Plenty!”

Accessible Accessories

Bernie Hunter shares her thoughts on accessible accessories, and why it’s important to be able to choose ones that are right for you.

People use accessories all the time which can be something simple such as a bag. People get to choose what type of accessories best suit them and that is the way that it should be. Accessories can also make a real difference to people with disabilities but not everyone gets the choice to pick the right type of accessory- some people might have something very useful, but are afraid to use it due to the way that it looks.

Everybody should be entitled to have their own opinion when it comes to accessories, no matter who you are – like all things in life you should be able to voice your opinion. It is very important because you are the one who is going to have the accessory so it should be what you want – at the end of the day no one would tell you what clothes that you should wear so it isn’t any different with accessories.

As I am a wheelchair user myself, I have accessories that I use to help me. One of my accessories is a clutch bag which is fitted with a small strap that attaches onto my belt- this makes it secure so I don’t have to worry about losing the bag. I use my bag to put my money and phone in. It is silver and has gold features on it- I picked it myself at the shops and this meant that I got to choose the right bag that best suited me – that I felt happy with. 

I feel very cold sometimes, I have Cerebral Palsy and this affects my circulation. As I can’t walk, my legs and feet get really cold… there is no way I can avoid this happening but I look for accessories that will help to keep me warm. I have a blanket that I put over my legs every time I am going out, in especially cold weather. The blanket is black so it goes with the colour of my wheelchair so it doesn’t stand out and gets people attention. I picked the colour myself for that exact reason, not because I’m ashamed that I wear a blanket but to stop people looking and maybe questioning it. It is the fact that I’m in my early twenties too… I wouldn’t want a different style of blanket. 

I am able to choose the style of accessories that I want and I’m happy that I get to do this. If I was to just sit back and let my family and carers make all the decisions for me then that would take away the chance to voice my opinions of what accessories I use.

There is a wide range of accessories available for people with disabilities but I personally think more could be done to get information out there e.g. a website that gives tips and advice to those who need it, focussing on accessible accessories.

As I have explained above everyone should have the chance to voice their opinion on what kind of accessories that they have. It is so important that people get to make their own choice especially when the accessory is going to benefit them.

Disability Life Hacks

In her latest blog post, Bernie Hunter share her top life hacks – those tips and tricks for improving your everyday skills.

Getting ready

I am independent so I like to do as much as I can for myself including getting dressed, it can be a challenge to get myself dressed due to having Cerebral Palsy but I have my own way of working that is easiest for me. Here is an example of how I put on my socks- I get my clothes out the night before so I am prepared for the morning, I turn the top of my socks inside out, this means that I don’t have to spend time in the morning separating them before I can put them on, this is because of my hand movements. I do need assistance with some things such as putting my hair up etc.

Putting my boots on

I have just recently bought new boots with a zip on the side of them, I find it a real challenge to zip them up myself as it is a small zip and I can’t get a grip of it so instead of using my fingers I just use my pinky then I grip the zip with the pam of my hand and zip it up… it is still a challenge but I won’t accept any help and I do get there in the end!

House Equipment 

My house is not really accessible if you use a wheelchair like I do but that changed 10 years ago when I finally got a outside stair lift. There are 8 stairs to get into my house and it was getting harder for my family to help me up and down the stairs as I was getting older and plus I couldn’t have my wheelchair in the house. The stair lift is electric and is able to take the weight of my power wheelchair, I control it myself by pressing a button- my stair lift has broken now a number of times in the past but in saying that, I don’t know what I would do without it!

Communication & Equipment

I use a AAC device to communicate due to having difficulties with my speech, I try my best to use my device but I sometimes feel under pressure when I am talking to people as I feel like I keep people waiting so if I am going to work and I have an idea of what people are going to talk to me about, I will programme my answers in advance into my communication device and this saves me time and effort.

I run a fan club for a TV comedy sitcom and as part of my duty is to post video clips of the show so I record clips off of my computer onto my phone. I find it really difficult to hold my phone steady due to my involuntary movements, I overcome this task by attaching my phone to a selfie stick which is on a stand and this allows me to take pictures and videos perfectly.

Writing

Most people hardly write anymore due to the amount of technology that is available these days but I personally like to still handwrite just to keep the skill. At primary school, I was never a good writer because of my hand movements due to my Cerebral Palsy so it was always a challenge for me. I have noticed a big improvement with my handwriting, in recent years. I think it is because I am more relaxed and I can write in my own way using an non slip mat to hold the paper in place and the right pen which I can easily grip.

List of things that help me

Wheelchair Accessories: Net Bag, Cup Holder, Clutch Bag

Eating & Drinking: Neater Eater, Cup Cover

World Toilet Day  

World Toilet Day (WTD) is an official day organised by the United Nations on 19 November to inspire action to tackle the global sanitation crisis. Worldwide, 4.5 billion people live without “safely managed sanitation”. World Toilet Day was established by the World Toilet Organization in 2001.

By Jill Clark, Bobath Scotland Communications Assistant.

Everyone don’t realize how going to the toilet is a part of everyone’s everyday life and take it for granted. Everyone should have access to a toilet everywhere – at work, home, or just out and about. 

But for a lot of disabled people like myself getting access to the toilet can be a big challenge, because we require a hoist to get on and off the toilet. Everywhere should have a standard disabled toilet, but a standard disabled toilet isn’t any good to a lot of disabled people. 

So, there is a type of toilet called “Changing Places”, which has a hoist, adult-size changing bed and is big enough for a person and two support workers. 

But there is a lack of these toilets, and because of that there is a lot of  people and organisations who campaign and raise awareness of Changing Places toilets. 

One of these organisations is PAMIS. PAMIS (Promoting a more inclusive society) is a Scottish charity which supports people with profound and multiple learning disabilities, PMLD – their families, carers and professionals. PAMIS is the co-founder of the Changing Places Campaign and the lead charity for this campaign in Scotland. PAMIS are also members of the Changing Places Consortium.

The Consortium campaigns throughout the UK and beyond for Changing Places toilets to be provided in all public places, including city centres, shopping centres, railway stations, airports and leisure complexes.

As I have a disability, I do a lot of campaigning myself for Changing Places toilets and raising awareness of the need of these important toilet facilities. I am well known as The Toilet Woman, and I have my own FaceBook page. I go out and about in Glasgow to see if anywhere can get a Changing Places toilet, and I email places too. I was featured on the STV website recently, raising awareness of the lack and the need of Changing Places toilets

Glasgow now has quite a few Changing Places toilets, including the Hydro, Central Station, Glasgow Airport, Braehead shopping centre and more to come.

So on this World Toilet Day I hope to get a message across that going to the toilet is a big part of people’s everyday lives, and having access to a toilet is really important, especially to disabled people.

Why we work: being disabled and employed

Some people may think that disability and employment don’t go in the same sentence. But in this blog I have interviewed a number of disabled workers who I hope will change people’s views. 

Research from the Scottish Government says that: “Disabled people are 20% of the population but make up only 11% of the private sector workforce and 11.7% of the public sector workforce.” Which is quite poor in 2018 especially when everyone tries to be included, especially disabled people. But there are a lot of disabled people out there who work and love working.

I am 26 and have cerebral palsy. I am in a wheelchair and communicate through a communication device. I don’t let my CP get in my way, so I work which I love. I am a Communications Assistant at Bobath Scotland where I started out as volunteer and then I got an internship for 3 months through Inclusion Scotland. But luckily enough Bobath got funding from Community Jobs Scotland to keep me on as an employee, which is fantastic. As I said before, I don’t let my cerebral palsy stop me, but I need to have two carers to support me to get to and from work and who also support me during the day at work, which is funded by social work. Last year, social work tried to change my carers around and they asked me what do I get out of working, making it out, if I am disabled then I shouldn’t be working, but lucky enough me and my fantastic Mum and Dad got it through to them how important my job is and they kept my carers as they were. Why do I want to work? Well, why not? Just because I have a disability doesn’t mean to say that I can’t or shouldn’t be working. I love it that I get up in the morning and know that I am going to work and putting my ability to use.

As a disabled person I am really interested to hear from other disabled people about their own experiences of employment, so I have been in contact with a few people who are happy for me to include their experiences in this blog.

Marion Burns

Marion Burns is 34 and lives in Renfrewshire, She has cerebral palsy and currently volunteers with Bobath Scotland. Previously, Marion has been employed as an Advocacy Worker, a job which she said she “loved”. For Marion, work is an important part of her life. She told me, “I love being a working woman, despite my disability, so that I can be part of society – that means a huge deal to me!”

When Marion was an Advocacy Worker, she enjoyed supporting other people. She said, “When I worked as an Advocacy Worker, I used to be a voice for people who were disabled or had other health problems, helping them from house issues to care issues. Once, I got a lot of money back for someone.”

But, she also found it difficult to get a job in the first place and felt that she didn’t get the help she needed. “It was quite hard to find something, especially when I found no support from the Job Centre. I was lucky enough in that I knew about Advocacy, and thought that I will give it a try”

Andrew Tomlinson

Andrew Tomlinson is 35 living in Glasgow. He has cerebral palsy and works at Penilee Credit Union as a Financial Admin Assistant.

Andrew was unemployed for two years but he wasn’t about to give up looking for work. He started as a volunteer in Glasgow South West Regeneration Agency in the accounts department before he got his paid job.

But Andrew thinks that it was more difficult to find employment because of his disability, and he thinks there’s steps that can be made to make it easier. He thinks the Government has taken backwards steps with access to work and that better public transport infrastructure would help everyone.  And he added, “We need to work as a community of equals – both able bodied and those impairments working together to create pathways in the future”.

Andrew points out that, “Everyone wants to work I think. It’s about community working together for a common goal. It’s important socially and it’s important for creating relationships. I think employment is great in creating a sense of achievement, of adding value to society and the economy building for tomorrow. It’s also better than watching Jeremy Kyle”.

Elaine Boyd

Elaine Boyd is 48 and lives in Glasgow.  Elaine works as an Associate Director of Audit Quality at Audit Scotland.

Elaine was lucky enough that she got her job without any problems but she notes that she is very aware that this isn’t the case for everyone who is disabled.

Elaine adds that, “It is important for me to work and have self-worth and contribute to my family’s income to enable us to enjoy life. I also like to think I can be a good role model for disabled people in demonstrating my ability to work”.

Michael McEwan

Michael McEwan is 34 and lives in Glasgow.  Michael has cerebral palsy and leads a busy working life, including being a freelance journalist and working as the Chair of East Renfrewshire Disability Action.

Michael notes that it was quite difficult for him to get a job because of his disability but added that, “but I feel that my Disability should not stop me in any way and it should not be any more difficult.”

Michael likes working because it gives him a chance to make new pals and to get more confident at his job.

From all of the feedback of these four people’s experiences, and my own experiences of employment, it shows that disabled people do want to work, but there might be a few issues for some disabled people such as myself and Marion who want to work but have had to fight for support workers to be able to do so. Or Andrew and Michael who found it difficult to find a job because of their disabilities. So overall, yes there are some issues but we all work around it because we do want to work and we don’t want to let our disabilities get the best of ourselves.

Coming back to my own experience about my social worker asking me what do I get out of working, I really hated that because I could have been like, “Oh well, I have a disability and I don’t need to work, so I am not going to get a job because I am disabled”. But from a young age I always wanted to work and I have worked so hard to get to where I am today, so for someone to question me because I am working was really hurtful for myself and my Mum. Without being cheeky, and I’m sorry if I hurt anyone by saying this, but there are a lot of people out there who have nothing wrong with them and don’t want to work, but there are people like myself who are disabled and do want to work.

I am very proud of myself for getting a job and I can honestly say I do love my job. There are some days when I don’t want to get up and go to work like everyone does, but overall I am very proud to have a disability and to be able to work. I hope this blog has shown that disability and employment can and do go together.