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Hello Ouchers - I hope you're all enjoying your Christmas and New Year holiday. We're just breaking our seasonal blog silence here for a moment to let you know about all the disabled people who have been awarded shiny gongs and medals in the Queen's New Year Honours list - because whatever you think of these awards, whether you disapprove of them or think they're a valuable recognition of a person's achievements, there's no doubting that it seems to be a bumper crop for disability as the start of 2009 dawns. That's mostly down to the huge success of Team GB in the Beijing Paralympics over summer, of course.

Perhaps the biggest news is that Eleanor Simmonds, who won two swimming golds in Beijing, has been awarded an MBE. Still only 14 years old - though she was was a grand 13 years, 9 months and 26 days when the Games began back in early September, fact fans - this not only makes her Britain's youngest ever Paralympic gold medallist, but also now the youngest person to be awarded the MBE, and the only minor to be honoured. A spokesman for the Cabinet Office, which handles the honours list, said: "There is no rule which states a minimum age for recipients of honours, but they usually reflect the sort of achievements which come with age. In this case, Eleanor Simmonds achieved something extraordinary at a very young age and so it was only right that she should be honoured".

Here are the other Paralympians in the New Year Honours list:

• David Roberts - Swimmer who, at this year's Games, equalled Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson's record of 11 gold medals. He's been handed a CBE. Read his 13 Questions interview with Ouch!

• Lee Pearson - The equestrian rider is also given a CBE after achieving his ninth gold at the Games. He's previously taken his turn in our 13 Questions hotseat too. Fellow equestrians Anne Dunham and Sophie Christiansen become MBEs.

• Billy Pye - The coach of both David Roberts and Eleanor Simmonds ia appointed an MBE. Other recognitions for work behind the scenes on Team GB's Paralympic success go to British Swimming disability performance director Tim Reddish and ParalympicsGB chief executive, Phil Lane, who both get OBEs.

• Like their Olympic counterparts, Britain's Paralympic cyclists scooped an astonishing series of medals at the Games. In recognition of this, Darren Kenny, Sarah Storey, Aileen McGlynn and Ellen Hunter become OBEs, with Mark Bristow, Jody Cundy, Anthony Kappes, Barney Storey, Simon Richardson and David Stone receiving MBEs.

• Wheelchair racer David Weir gets an MBE, too. He's been another sporting celeb who has previously answered Ouch's probing questions.

All this sport is exhausting, though. Particularly after the nineteenth turkey sandwich of the festive season. So who else is going to be meeting the Queen soon?

Well, fantasy author Terry Pratchett, famed for his epic series of Discworld novels, has been knighted. He's become a vocal campaigner for more research into Alzheimer's disease after being diagnosed with the condition in 2007. And Gill Hicks, who lost both her legs in the London bombings of 7 July 2005 when she was a passenger on the Piccadilly Line tube train to Russell Square, is awarded an MBE for her work in co-founding the Walktalk event to bring communities together.

Last, and by no means least, the most surprising announcement is that Ouch's very own Disability Bitch has received an honour. Yes, arise (if you can) Dame Disability Bitch! We're so proud!

Oh, okay then, that's not true - but how we wish it was ...

So let's just hope that with all these wheelers, wobblers and people with various other impairments turning up at Buckingham Palace over the next few months, the investiture ceremony has been made completely accessible. Presumably you can be excused from the whole kneeling business as a 'reasonable adjustment', yes?