Will the Future Be: Access All Areas
The story of one council workers fight to secure his and his wife’s future in an unjust world
This new documentary film tells the story of Simon Sansome, a Leicester social worker, who found himself paralysed from the waist down after his wedding due to the mistreatment of a slipped disc by a Chiropractor.
What followed was a fight with his employers against Gross Misconduct Dismissal, which he disputed legally in a bid to prove disability discrimination on the part of Leicester Council.
He also challenged the NHS for medical negligence with respect to further treatment on his spine, which might have meant he could walk again.
This film is more heart-warming than tragedy, as Simon has fought off the challenges he has faced to become a leading figure in supporting other disabled people with their access and discrimination issues.
Simon and his wife Kate both appear as interviewees in the film and Olly Bassi and Sarah Jane Honeywell play their parts respectively in re-enactments scattered throughout the documentary. Both actors are very convincing for the short-time they appear on screen.
Simon said that he hoped the film would raise awareness of Cauda Equina Syndrome and disability discrimination, his fight, as documented in the film.
The Director of this film, Charlotte Fantelli, also has a particular interest in disability issues, as her Mum is disabled and she herself suffers with the same condition.
Simon says his personality hasn’t changed in any way. Though he may have put on a few pounds. “I’m still the same approachable person I’ve always been.”
This documentary is really worth a watch, especially if you like to see real disabled people’s stories told through their eyes on screen.
Access All Areas premiered on the 11th of November and is due for digital release.
