Commissioners are the people with learning disabilities and family members doing the work for How We Survive and Thrive.

Our Co-Chairs

Andrew Lee, Co-Chair
Andrew has been a part of the self-advocacy movement since 1994. He joined the self-advocacy movement because of personal experience of discrimination and wanting to make sure that it didn’t happen to other people with learning difficulties.

Andrew became the Director of People First (Self Advocacy) in 1999. During his time with People First, he has been a member of the Disability Rights Commission Learning Disability Action Group, the Equality 2025 Advisory Group, the Equality and Human Rights Commission Disability Committee, the Independent Living Group chaired by Baroness Jane Campbell, the Social Care Taskforce Advisory Group of Autistic people and people with a Learning Disability and the All Party Parliamentary Group for Learning Disability.

During the pandemic Andrew hosted the Covid-19 support group to keep people with learning disabilities and their organisations connected.

Philippa Russell, Co-Chair

I am the mother of Simon, who now has learning disabilities and a number of serious health problems. We do our best to lead an ordinary life and for Simon to feel part of a community and to enjoy time with family and friends.  But life has sometimes been very hard and we have had to fight to get Simon the life he deserves.

I am actively involved with a wide range of organisations. I am Vice-President of Carers UK and Chair of the SE Forum on Ageing.  I am also a board member of Think Local, At Personal. I also work with NHSE on two programmes, one on the Government’s programme for New Hospitals and one on community support for older people and their carers who have complex needs.

 I hope this Commission will ensure that we have learned hard lessons and can coproduce a better future.

Our Commissioners

Pam Bebbington

I am a really experienced researcher and advocate. I have been working for My Life My Choice for 15 years so I know a lot about the issues that people with learning disabilities face. I am a Quality Checker and run a self advocacy group. I have worked on long term research projects before so I know how to interview people and review data.

People with learning disabilities often don’t get treated properly when there is not a pandemic so when something like covid 19 happens we can be deprioritised very quickly. If this isn’t researched and prevented from happening many people with learning disabilities will end up in fatal situations when they don’t need to.

I was born in Glasgow and moved to Oxfordshire when I was 5. I went to school and college here and worked loads of different jobs before I met my husband. We have been married for 26 years and I have 5 step children and two dogs. We love playing darts together.

Mark Brookes

I have been a self-advocate for over 25 years and am passionate about improving lives for people with learning disabilities.
I have received an honorary doctorate in law from Kent University and also an MBE for my work within disability hate crime.
I have worked for Dimensions for15 years, the past 7 years as Advocacy Lead.
I have a range of experience in health, hate crime, social care and advocacy.
This work is important because during the pandemic and lockdowns, people with learning disabilities had a terrible experience and it is important that we learn from what has happened to get it right in case it happens again.

Robert Garlinge

I’m a member of Lewisham Speaking Up and a Trustee. As part of the men’s group of Lewisham I support others by discussing current affairs, developing their wellbeing.
My lived experience as a person with learning disabilities and as Trustee for Lewisham Speaking Up helps my understanding of what people with disabilities go through. I hope to be able to help more people and I give voice to people with disabilities.

In my spare time I like playing bass guitar, making EDM musical tracks, landscape photography, walking groups, sightseeing around art galleries and museums, and going to music recitals and gigs.

Danielle Garratt

I work for Brighton and Hove Speak Out as a learning disability project worker.
I have been part of several research projects and during the pandemic I taught myself to edit videos. I used this coming out of lockdown to help people record their pandemic stories, about what life was like as people with learning disabilities.

Fiona Walker

I have lots of experience of running different organizations which include being Co-chair of my local learning disability partnership board.
I helped to set up Inclusion North and becoming Co-chair and Director. Being a school governor at a local secondary school. I feel this experience will help me as a commissioner.
I feel during the pandemic people with learning disabilities and their families were not represented and valued, so being a commissioner I am hoping to use my life experience and skills to make a difference in the future.

I live in Hull with my partner and cat. I like spending time with friends. Going out for coffee, looking round museums and traveling.

Faisal Yusuf

I am a long time member of SafetyNet, and after 9 years have just stepped down as their chair. I am the Chair of Mencap in Shepherds Bush. I’m a member of the local Disability housing coproduction and implementation group as well as being part of Action on Disability’s Steering Group on housing and local issues.
I bring humour and connections to the commission.
Im also an actor with two theatre companies, Blue Sky Actors and Ignite Me Theatre. In my spare time I like playing video games, drawing, bowling and am an avid film buff and DVD collector.

Annie Fergusson

I bring first-hand experience as a sibling to someone with a learning disability and as a professional and academic within the disabilities field. I’ve learned much from families, professionals and organisations. But the most valuable learning has come from listening to people with lived experience, seeing their unique contributions and understanding how to be more pioneering and creative in our approaches.

My long experience as a hands-on carer, as a professional practitioner together with inspiring practices I’ve been involved in, enable me to bring different and creative approaches to this project. Thinking outside the box is my default!

I’ve had a long involvement with PMLD LINK, a volunteer-run charity. We share information and ideas that hopefully will enable children and adults with profound and multiple learning disabilities to live their best lives.

I love spending time with my family and friends whenever I can, having fun, eating together or just hanging out. Since retiring from my university role, I’m learning to paint!

Ramandeep Kaur

I am a full-time carer to a young person with learning disabilities but when I have time, I work with charities on delivering training. I am a public speaker and campaigner. As a parent carer, I bring a different perspective which is often overlooked. I also belong to an ethnic minoritised community so I can help with bringing together views from an underserved community. My son and I can use our own experience of the pandemic to help develop and support the work of the commission. 

The voices of people with learning disabilities must be at the heart of this commission as no planning for future pandemics should be done without them. This commission gives us the opportunity to reach people who may not always take part in giving evidence which will influence policy. It is important that this work does that and will hear from many people whose lived experiences will support our recommendations. This is an opportunity for us to influence policy makers. 

I enjoy watching football and rugby, listening to music, and going on long walks. I also enjoy reading, mostly history books or crime novels! 

Dreenagh Lyle

As the parent of a woman with PMLD I will bring some insight into ways people like her experience the world.  I’ve been a parent carer to my daughter for nearly fifty years. This means I have seen lots of changes in ways people with a learning disability have their needs met. I understand those needs may vary a lot.

Some people need support to get through their day.

This support helps them to do things for themselves. Whilst those like my daughter need support in everything they do.  I understand it can be very confusing when plans change. This can be a simple change of time for something like a storytelling session or music therapy.  Or it can be an bigger change like no more storytelling or no more music therapy due to lockdown. Hopefully I will bring some ideas to help people prepare if there is another pandemic.

Jonathan Senker

I am self-employed, supporting organisations to ensure people live well and have their voices heard. I also chair the Board of the Public Law Project, which works to make sure the government follows the law and people can get justice.

The government did not understand enough about people with learning disabilities before or during the COVID pandemic. This meant that people were let down by decisions and systems. It led to far too many people with learning disabilities dying or having bad lives. This must not happen again.

Based on people’s real experience, the Commission is a powerful way to come up with recommendations that would make a real difference and which command support.

I love walking in the countryside, cycling and swimming in the sea.