Stronger, Louder, Together!
Blog by Ivan Olbrechts and James O’Rourke – Family and Friends Representatives of Learning Disability England
The new Health Secretary Wes Streeting has said that:
“Our NHS is broken, but not beaten. Together we can fix it. “
Announced on Monday, 21st October, the government has asked the public, NHS staff, and experts to help ‘fix’ the NHS via a new online platform:
The government is in the process of creating a 10 Year Health Plan.
The government says they want to create three ‘big shifts’ in health and care, these are:
Based on a conversation with Aisha Edwards
Aisha reflects on why diversity in the media is needed, some of the barriers she has had to overcome in her life and why she thinks Black History Month is so important…
October is Black History Month. This is a month that gives people the opportunity to share and celebrate the impact of black heritage and culture.
I wish that this was something that people were doing all year round, not just at this time, but I think it’s great that people are stopping to think about the good things black people have done through history.
There are lots of black people, especially women, who I look up to and have had an impact on my life.
Letitia Wright is a big role model for me. She is a Guyana-born actress who has overcome problems like depression and is now living in the UK and is a successful actress.
In September, Jack and Kumudu visited Inclusion Europe in Brussels, Belgium. Here they talk about how it went…
Gary Bourlet – Member and Engagement Lead for Learning Disability England
We speak a lot about what it means to lead good lives but not much about what it means to have a good death.
People find death more difficult to talk about.
To me, a good death would be a death that involves choice. I was able to plan what I wanted to happen before, during and after.
The Representative Body have decided Learning Disability England will stop using the social media platform ‘X’ (formerly known as Twitter).
We do not think that the way X works at the moment fits with the values of Learning Disability England as a movement that champions a rights-based approach based on equality, dignity and fairness.
Gary is one of the Membership and Engagement Leads at Learning Disability England
I had great pleasure recording a podcast with Campaign 4 Change, supported by Achieve Together recently. The podcast is called Wheel of Engagement and this episode will be out to listen to by the end of October so keep an eye out for it!
We had such a productive chat about the Good Lives Framework hosted by Learning Disability England. We concentrated on three of the areas that the framework includes, which were social care, employment and transport. It was a thought-provoking afternoon.
Read more “A Good Lives Framework Podcast – A blog by Gary Bourlet”
Gary Bourlet is 1 of the Membership and Engagement Lead at Learning Disability England.
I first met WECIL in early 2023 at their AGM in Bristol. WECIL stands for West of England Coalition for Independent Living. They are a user led organisation supporting all disabled people to live the life they choose through a fully person-centred approach.
Read more “Sharing Self-Advocacy Experiences and the Good Lives Framework: By Gary Bourlet”
Learning Disability England member representatives, trustees and staff are working towards a Good Life for all people with learning disabilities and their families.
This includes people living safe and valued lives in their community free from discrimination, including racism.
Because the riots have been happening all across the country, we are sharing information and connections with all members to help people understand or cope with what has been happening.
Gary Bourlet is the Membership and Engagement Lead at Learning Disability England, self-advocate and civil rights campaigner.
May seems a long time ago, but I kicked it off in style at Manchester’s Old Trafford along with Membership and Engagement Lead Rachael, to attend the Community Integrated Care’s Best Lives Possible Roadshow.
I enjoyed taking part in a panel discussion called Life Without Limits, along with other self-advocates, families and supporters. Everyone talked about how we make the most out of life and how we achieve our dreams and aspirations to help us live Good Lives.
