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interviews
Interview: The Blind Explorer
Apr 6th
Miles Hilton-Barber doesn’t really understand the word ‘limit’. It just doesn’t fit into his way of thinking. For most, doing a parachute jump or running a marathon would rank amongst their greatest achievements – and that’s fair enough… Miles, however, has completed 40 skydiving jumps and ran marathons across deserts and the icy plains of Siberia, oh yes and he’s cage diving with Great White Sharks and recently walked to the South Pole. Did I mention that he’s blind..? More >
Interview: John Gill
Apr 1st
Able chats with John Gill, Chief Scientist at the RNIB about designing systems for disabled users…
CAN WE CHECK YOUR JOB TITLE JOHN?
It’s the rather grand title of Chief Scientist. If you’refamiliar with a government department, most government departments have a chiefscientist.
They may be chief of nothing, but they’re there to provide advicefor one’s political masters. Whether the political masters take any notice isanother matter. But they’re there to provide independent scientific advice.
SO, IS THAT YOUR ROLE IN THE RNIB?
To the RNIB but also to outside groups. I work with 40external organisations. More >
Interview: Winston Puts SuperDoctors Under the Microscope
Apr 1st
Professor Robert Winston returned to our screens with his latest medical documentary series SuperDoctors, on BBC One on Thursday August 21. He explains why he wanted to look at some of the hottest topics in medicine, including stem cell research, and how we can all get more involved in science. More >
Interview: Mark Harper
Apr 1st
With just six months to the next General Election, Able magazine’s Paul F Cockburn spoke with Mark Harper, the Conservatives’ Shadow Minister for Disabled People.
It’s fair to say that Mark Harper, Conservative Member of Parliament for Forest of Dean, was surprised when David Cameron appointed him Shadow Minister for Disabled People back in July 2007.
Very quickly, however, Mark Harper realised that, with disability issues, he’d been given a ‘very interesting job’…
WHAT ARE THE FRUSTRATIONS OF OPPOSITION?
All you can actually do is talk about things; you can say what you’d like to do, challenge the Government on issues, and try to nudge policy in the right direction. But you can’t actually do anything yourself. The big challenge for us, in the time we have left before the General Election, is to demonstrate what we’d do with the opportunity of government so that people are more likely to give us that opportunity. More >
Interview: Jessica Alba
Apr 1st
Jessica Alba plays a blind violinist in new thriller The Eye. The actress talks to Able about her preparation for the role and how she thinks impending motherhood will change her life. More >
Interview: Michael Caines
Apr 1st
Back in 1994, Michael Caines lost his right arm in a car accident. Two weeks later, the up and coming chef was back in the kitchen, as he explains to Laura Dunlop.
Michael Caines is a success. He may not be as “big” a name as Gordon Ramsay or Jamie Oliver, but the 39-year-old Executive Chef now stands on the cusp of a third Michelin star and has just opened the fourth of his stylish ABode hotels. He’s also the force behind the successful Michael Caines restaurants, the most famous of which is part of the prestigious Gidleigh Park country house hotel on the edge of Dartmoor – the sort of place where you’ll spend between £480 and £1,200 a night for a room!
Of course he’s pleased with all the awards and accolades that have come his way – including an MBE in 2006, an Honorary Doctorate and becoming AA Chef’s Chef of the Year in 2007 – but you do get the sense when talking to him that – apart from becoming a father – it’s his long love affair with food that continues to motivate him.
Interview: Hugh Dancy
Apr 1st
New romantic comedy film ‘Adam’ features a central character with Asperger’s Syndrome.
English actor Hugh Dancy discusses the challenges of the role. More >
Interview: Nick Leslau, The Secret Millionaire
Apr 1st
SO, WHAT DID THEY DO WITH THE MONEY?
Back in April 2008, property tycoon Nick Leslau spent 10 days volunteering at the Possil & Milton Disability Forum in Glasgow as part of Channel 4 series The Secret Millionaire. More >
