My guest today is Michael McEwan, a journalist who I’ve recently met on LinkedIn.

Michael, a Scot, is a disability campaigner and freelance journalist. He has worked for the BBC, STV and written for many different publications about disability and non-disability care issues.

He talks about how as a youngster he wanted to get into media, but didn’t know how and also having cerebral palsy himself it made his journey that much harder. Talking about his school life, time at university and then employment, he explains how his biggest bugbear is that generally people and employers see the disability rather than the person. People regularly underestimate his capabilities.

We have a conversation about whether self-employment is an option that people with disabilities often feel they have to take to be able to follow the career they want in life. Michael shares some of the many problems that occur when you are out and about and if for example you want to use the disabled toilet, in many places it can either be inaccessible, or if it is, often used as a store room. So working from home can be an easier option.

Michael talks about the work he’s been involved in, in the past some of which was funded by the Scottish Government – when he went around speaking about the challenges facing people with disabilities day to day.

Like me, in his early days of working in the media, Michael worked on a hospital radio, where he volunteered. He now presents a podcast and has also had two documentaries commissioned. When people tell him he can’t do something, his answer is always, I’m going to prove you wrong!

Website: https://www.michaelmcewanmedia.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-mcewan-ba4a8784/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RAD1OMAN

If you would like to contact me, you can visit my www.Scottmedia.uk or join my free Facebook group here https://www.facebook.com/groups/prtribe