DIScoverABILITY, the joint venture between Lisa Tyte from a magazine on Felixstowe and Rob Dunger from Felixstowe Radio, has become a spotlight of support, education and friendship for those living with disabilities, their carers and organisations that offer activities and services.

The venture, started in Felixstowe this year, has grown into a regular radio segment and created connections with national organisations - their DIScoverABILITY buddy network even expanding globally.

Admittedly, Lisa and Rob did not have such aims in mind at the beginning. Rob said: "We didn't know anything when we started. We didn't know where we were going."

Lisa, through her own experiences of living with a disability, wanted to do something positive. "What I wanted to do was to have a media platform, somewhere we could gather people together. To give support, signpost people to organisations and also be positive and showcase abilities.

"My main aim was for it to be something that made a difference for people living with different disabilities and that's physical, mental health, sensory, cognitive, neurological - any challenge.

"It started in January this year where Rob and I started doing Top Tips Tuesday and it evolved from there."

For Rob, this opportunity also came as a point of education for him, standing in for the average listener. He said: "It showed my lack of knowledge about disabilities.

"I was like the ordinary punter in the street who hears about disability and we think we know but we don't know the half of it."

The name DIScoverABILITY, Rob's idea, came in a matter of minutes. Lisa said: "Rob had the idea of the capitals because the name means 'discovering ability' and also 'covering ability' in the media."

Their aim of covering ability in the media came when their radio programme launched in April of this year.

Lisa said: "We started off with a special one hour programme on Rob's regular daily show called Felixstowe Today. Then, every Tuesday, it was 15 minutes during Rob's regular program. The regular 1 hour program began on July 28 and broadcasts every Wednesday."

Their problem now is not trying to fill the time, but to shortlist what goes into the programme. Rob said: "We get more material for a program we can ever fit in. It's such a big field - it's taking us the right way."

Keeping with their emphasis on inclusivity, their radio program is meant to be listened to by everyone. Rob said: "I can ask the obvious questions that someone with a disability will know the answer but they won't think of saying it. I won't know the answer so I can ask it.

"It's just getting to learn. We don't want to make it exclusive for disabled people because there's no point of a radio station if we've got it so narrow. We've got the opportunity now to go out there and tell people what's what - to tell them some of the obstacles and some of the delights.

"No one knows where they'll be in ten to fifteen years time. Disabilities can suddenly come to you."

Lisa adds to this and said: "It's about reassuring some hope and sweeping away eggshells. It's about saying to people in society: 'don't worry about saying the wrong thing' because we've got a team of DIScoverABILITY buddies, all living with different disabilities and we don't mind."

The DIScoverABILITY buddies are a group of likeminded people creating personal connections with people who know what it's like to live with a disability or health condition. They offer support and friendship when it is needed.

This offer of friendship, in Lisa and Rob's opinion, is why the DIScoverABILITY buddies are so good. Rob said: "We've come up with loneliness time after time when speaking to people living with a disability. They haven't got the network."

The DIScoverABILITY radio program expands upon the idea of networking and reaching out to give a platform for those who need it. Lisa said: "We've had different organisations and groups that help people living with disabilities and offer activities and resources.

"We've also had people living with disabilities who talk about what it's like for them, people with disabilities who have a fundraising venture and DIScoverABILITY buddies that have a story to share or an achievement to tell people about."

Rob gives an example of one such interview. He said: "Leo came on and, on a traditional radio station, his voice wouldn't have been good enough for radio because you really have to stop and listen because he's got speech problems due to cerebral palsy.

"I don't mind that. I am proud to put that on and if people don't like that, tough. We need to give a voice to people who don't have a voice."

Lisa goes on to say: "It's about giving people a platform to have a voice; to be able to say to society, or reassure other people living with disabilities, 'this is how it is' and 'this is how you can help.'

"It's also about businesses, builders, event organisers by saying 'this is how you can make your event or your building accessible for everybody.'"

However, they do not claim to be overzealous campaigners. Rob said: "We're not out there saying 'we want this, we want that.' We're just highlighting issues.

"I was going along the seafront in Felixstowe and wondering 'why are we considering beach access for disabled people? There aren't any disabled people on the beach.' I'm looking at it the wrong way. There aren't any disabled people on the beach because they can't get on the beach."

Their highlighting of important issues has lead to other organisations reaching out. Rob said: "The way we can measure our success; we can't measure the number of listeners. I'm impressed by the number of other organisations who want to get involved with us.

"The mayor, he's always very keen. We've also got Litter-Free Felixstowe where they asked if we can be involved."

To them, it's also important to bring about positive change in a positive way. Lisa said: "It's about approaching these different organisations, and people, and saying 'how can we help?' It's not about going in and saying 'this is what you need to change.'

"We're all very positive and we're all a friendship hub. We're all just a big bunch of friends."

Rob expands this sentiment by saying: "It's about us having fun, us two. We have great fun. It's a lovely gentle program."

Lisa and Rob discuss DIScoverABILITY's reason for being.

DIScoverABILITY on air is available to listen to every Wednesday morning, from 10am to 11am, on Felixstowe Radio. You can listen to Felixstowe Radio on 107.5FM or available online here.

News on DIScoverABILITY is also available through Spotlight on Felixstowe which you can read online here.

You can also find the DIScoverABILITY Facebook page here.