Saba Salman
LightNews LightNews
banner
sabasalman.com
Saba Salman
@sabasalman.com
3.2K followers 1.6K following 630 posts
Journalist, editor, author
http://sabasalman.com
✍🏽Private Eye|Guardian|Byline Times|Independent|Ed. Community Living
📚Made Possible
📚Book #2 Jessica Kingsley 2026
Chair @sibs.org.uk Ambassador @ndtihello.bsky.social Fellow @thersaorg.bsky.social
Posts Replies Media Videos
sabasalman.com
Something good here: freelance editing @communitylivingmagazine.com is a highlight, not least as our small, charity-run, modestly-budgeted magazine makes a BIG effort with images.
Thanks all who helped create the issue, live Fri 3 Oct: communitylivingmagazine.com

@lesteph.com✨ #LearningDisability
October 2, 2025 at 8:44 AM
sabasalman.com
A new intro for a new term:

I just finished book #2 (pub 2026) and started a new role at Private Eye.

And I chair Sibs, for disabled people's siblings, edit Community Living, was a reporter, loc gov corr, housing ed and 20yrs a Guardian writer.

👉sabasalman.com

My sister Raana's a big influence:
Raana, a young woman with dark hair wearing a teal top, smiles as she sits at a table, flicking through a magazine.
September 3, 2025 at 11:26 AM
sabasalman.com
Late to post a father-son moment from @stephenunwin.bsky.social Beautiful Lives launch.

Joey with his book and his dad.

Pic says it all.

A book driven by love, on the people overlooked in history, arts, politics (life!) and why that's wrong www.hachette.co.uk/titles/steph...

#LearningDisability
Stephen and his son Joey hug while Joey holds a copy of Beautiful Lives in his hand and leans into his dad.
July 6, 2025 at 12:37 PM
sabasalman.com
Labour plans to cut the help that enables people to live in and be a part of their communities.
The writing here make the case for more support, not less: communitylivingmagazine.com/welfare-bill...

By @maryohara1.bsky.social @hannahfearn.bsky.social @jopavlopoulou.bsky.social + more
#WelfareReform
Front cover image with 'Community Living' in yellow font above a festival image of three people smiling at the camera with fairground rides in the background.
July 4, 2025 at 11:12 AM
sabasalman.com
Sickle cell comparative review to inform policy
report and graphic summary of findings:
nhsrho.org/wp-content/u...
Graphic summary of findings from the report including facts about the 42% increased in admissions for sickle cell between 2013 and 2022 and median age of death for sickle cell (47) cystic fibrosis (48) and general population (84).
June 19, 2025 at 9:11 AM
sabasalman.com
So while the government's busy dehumanising disabled people with harsh rhetoric and undermining the essential support that helps people like my sister live her life, there's this: an illuminating, vital read, made with love by @stephenunwin.bsky.social

www.hachette.co.uk/titles/steph...
Cover of the book Beautiful Lives: How we learning disabilities so wrong, by Stephen Unwin. Black title on orange background.
June 11, 2025 at 9:20 AM
sabasalman.com
My #NationalSiblingsDay #ItsaSiblingThing is tea, my sister and me.

Tea:
-1st gift Raana got me when she shopped independently
-central to her role as my family's leaf-brewer in chief
-what she serves in the cafe where she’s learning new skills

Teamaker in action: www.instagram.com/p/DIRmMbzoBOF/
Two women with dark hair smiling and drinking cups of tea in a cafe. Raana, left, wears a blue hoody and black baseball cap. Saba, right, wears a grey sweater.
April 10, 2025 at 6:21 PM
sabasalman.com
Siblings who’ve grown up with a disabled brother or sister need to be acknowledged and celebrated.

Check out the work of @sibs.org.uk on #NationalSiblingsDay2025 and share your #ItsaSiblingThing, childhood photo or story? I’ll share mine later.

To all in our diverse sibling community, I see you💜
Purple text on yellow background with the words National Siblings Day and a rising sun above the text
April 10, 2025 at 9:52 AM
sabasalman.com
That told me. My 'summery lewk' plea is binned - shows why Michael @mylifemychoice1.bsky.social is a fearsome self-advocate.

'..the editor would appreciate it if he removed a layer so the photo looks more seasonal. “Absolutely not. If they don’t like it, they don’t have to use it”'

Coat stays on💪
Portrait of an older man smiling, he has brown hair and a white moustache wearing a green jumper and brown jacket.
April 4, 2025 at 10:57 AM
sabasalman.com
New issue punches above its charity-run, freelance weight, making the case for at risk welfare, care, SEND, health & disability rights. Cover: @johnharris1969.bsky.social linktr.ee/maybeimamazed And: @hannahfearn.bsky.social @maryohara1.bsky.social @samcarlisle.bsky.social @georgejulian.bsky.social
Cover of Community Living with title in yellow against a blue sky. Guitarist wearing sunglasses and dressed in black on an outdoor stage with trees behind him.
April 4, 2025 at 10:23 AM
sabasalman.com
My work's been stolen and that of every author I know. As The Atlantic reported, Meta's used the LIbGen dataset of pirated content to train its AI. Creative industries need protecting.
It's @societyofauthors.bsky.social day of action
societyofauthors.org/2025/04/01/s... #DoTheWriteThing #MakeItFair
The words 'Stop thief!' above an illustration showing diverse people holding placards with slogans like 'Do the write thing' and 'Make it fair'.
April 3, 2025 at 10:51 AM
sabasalman.com
From April 4: support's under threat so @communitylivingmagazine.com shows what's possible if people's potential is upheld - and what happens it's not.

Incredible cover story @johnharris1969.bsky.social, linked to his new book Maybe I'm Amazed: linktr.ee/maybeimamazed

#learningdisability #autism
Magazine cover with a young man playing guitar on an outdoor stage with a blue sky above him and the cover line 'The magic of music'
March 30, 2025 at 9:48 AM
sabasalman.com
This is about what people can do when their potential is supported, about the deep connections created by music and it’s a story that will resonate with many families (mine included): vital new reading just in time for the weekend.

Bold, beautiful and timely book from @johnharris1969.bsky.social
Multicoloured cover of Maybe I’m Amazed a story of love and connection in 10 songs, in front of shelf of vinyl records
March 28, 2025 at 2:20 PM
sabasalman.com
Today was Pa Salman's birthday, first since he moved into dementia care. I was anxious but staff:
-put up bunting
-sang happy birthday as he passed them
-made a HUGE cake
-supported a resident to sing him Daydream Believer..backed by the choir
AND
-reduced a hard-nosed old hack to tears
#socialcare
A whiteboard with the main words in green pen 'Tuesday 31 December New Year's Even Choir Session Happy Birthday Asad!!!'
December 31, 2024 at 6:28 PM
sabasalman.com
'There's no better way to show Sammy’s legacy and worth than by giving others opportunities he'd have excelled in'

Patricia Alban tells @samcarlisle.bsky.social about her creative son @communitylivingmagazine.com - new articles next week.

Also @maryohara1.bsky.social @georgejulian.bsky.social...
Cover of Community Living magazine with the title in yellow capital letters above a photo of Sammy
December 31, 2024 at 10:11 AM
sabasalman.com
So..almost 20 yrs since my sister Raana first did her Xmas shopping independently (ie with support staff) after her first term at a special college. My gift ('I know you like that') was a box of mint tea. I'm no softie but the memory (and any mint tea) makes me a bit wobbly. She's a legend.
#sibling
Raana, a brown skinned woman with a dark bob hair cut, stands in front of a Christmas tree holding up a paper chain. She is smiling and wearing a blue hoodie with the word Basing on the front.
December 23, 2024 at 7:31 PM
sabasalman.com
V happy my freelance colleague @seankellyphotos.bsky.social is now here.
Before writing/shooting for charity-run Community Living, which I edit, Seán worked with people with #LearningDisabilities

His Christian Raphael shoot is one of my favourites:
communitylivingmagazine.com/a-day-in-the...
#pmld
Cover of Community Living with a portrait of Christian Raphel a white man wearing a brown hat and brown and yellow scarf. Chris has a brown moustache and is staring straight into the camera. The headline is 'Eyes on a complex life'
December 12, 2024 at 10:44 AM
sabasalman.com
Your friendly neighbourhood freelance journalist-author here, diversifying feeds with unsolicited gift inspo:

Made Possible, life stories by great people.

All expenses spared on the festive photo shoot.

A quid off at Blackwells btw, bargain: blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/pro...

#LearningDisability
Two copies of Made Possible in front of a Christmas tree which is decorated with fairy lights. One copy is horizontal, the other stands on top of it. The books are surrounded by Christmas decorations: a mini Santa, a red glittery bauble, a red felt star and a green felt tree.
December 10, 2024 at 7:18 PM
sabasalman.com
Festive feline.

You're welcome.

Just filed my last piece of the year so of course I'm now treating myself by taking a photo of my cat for my kids*

Her name is Bean btw.

*the photo is for me
A black cat on a blue chair wearing a mini red and white santa hat
December 10, 2024 at 11:29 AM
sabasalman.com
Cool. They’ve brought the design team behind the Dallas opening credits out of retirement for this.

#ukpolitics #labour

www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/cr...
Screenshot of a BBC live story showing the front cover of Labour’s new growth plan. The cover shows a series of vertical images of the PM and various cabinet ministers.
December 5, 2024 at 11:02 AM
sabasalman.com
Happy, proud and v grateful to hear I've been awarded @societyofauthors.bsky.social grant to progress book #2.
Freelancing doesn't fit with time off to research/write so it's a big relief. Can't share my work in progress but here's my sister Raana with a cheers from us #SoAGrants
#LearningDisability
Close up of Raana, a brown skinned woman with dark hair in a bob haircut. She's smiling and holding up a cup of coffee in a white mug.
November 28, 2024 at 11:06 AM
sabasalman.com
My dad has dementia. Recently his care broke down; great staff but not dementia specialist. If you've had similar, you'll know the stress and panic in finding new support.

Nothing to celebrate, right? Wrong.

My sister Raana sent Pa a genius, accurate, smile-inducing card.

Bloody queen.

#dementia
Close up of a white card with the words 'Congratulations on your move'. On the front right hand side of the card is a simple block drawing of a yellow coloured house with red roof and door, blue window. There is green and brown coloured grass under the house which stretches along the entire lower part of the card.
November 27, 2024 at 12:28 PM
sabasalman.com
...we know workplaces aren't inclusive, despite the Equality Act and tons of resources, campaigns etc supporting employers to hire a diverse workforce.
Reminded of this by @alicehewson.bsky.social (if you think the tips are obvious, they may be, but they still need saying)
https://buff.ly/3ZpSa7C
November 26, 2024 at 12:07 PM
sabasalman.com
One bit I love about being freelance ed of Community Living is our revamped books pages.

New year issue features two vital reads from campaigning journalists @johnpring.bsky.social and @maryohara1.bsky.social

Reporting at its most powerful, with humans at the core.

#poverty #welfare #disability
Two books face up next to each other on a sunny table. The one on the left has on the cover: Austerity Bites 10 Years On by Mary O’Hara. The word Austerity is in red text, the rest of the words are white. The cover features a red map of the UK with a bite mark taken from the right side. The book on the right has on the cover The Department: How a violent government bureaucracy killed hundreds and hid the evidence. By John Pring.
November 21, 2024 at 12:54 PM
sabasalman.com
A cast of thousands (in a good way) made Made Possible um, possible - because no one can really achieve without support.

Alongside the book's storytellers, loads of people, families, campaigners, allies and organisations.

And so, so much support via the other place, unthinkable now!
#booksky
A page from Made Possible which reads: The true origins of Made Possible lie in an event that took place around thirty years ago; the arrival of my youngest sister, Raana. The idea for a book based on her achievements came from seeing her grow up and become more independent. I wanted to write about my sister’s potential and personality as a way to challenge society’s negative attitudes towards learning-disabled people. What turned this initial concept into the more tangible book you have in front of you now is the niggling feeling I was left with after writing an article about learning disability. I could see how my deadlines and word counts meant that people’s stories simply didn’t have room to breathe. Their experiences were dramatic, moving, compelling and entertaining – and I was cutting them short. I was also aware that much of what I was doing was using my words to write stories about people when in fact their stories, in their words would be infinitely more powerful.
November 20, 2024 at 6:53 PM