Gary Bourlet, Membership and Engagment Lead for Learning Disability England introduces a new film

Learning Disability England and Speakup Advocacy have been putting together a film called ‘Impact of Advocacy’.

It looks at the changes that have happened since people with a learning disability have felt empowered to speak up for themselves.

It looks into the important history of the self-advocacy movement and speaks to many inspirational people with a learning disability about their stories.

Last week we launched the film as part of Advocacy Awareness Week.

As a figure in the Self-Advocacy movement for over 37 and half years and a co-founder of People First in the UK, I have personally seen the impact it has made over the years.

There is now a date set for the next members meeting. 

This year it will be happening online over Zoom.

These meetings are for us to speak about the work that has been happening for the organisation over the last year and what will be happening in the future.

It will also go over Learning Disability England’s accounts which is how much money has come in and out.

There will also be an opportunity for members to make some decisions or ask questions.

When 
 
The meeting will happen on the 6th December 2023.

What time
 
The meeting will start at 10am.
 
We think the meeting will last 1 hour.

Gary Bourlet, one of the Membership and Engagement Lead’s at Learning Disability England has been speaking with Mark Brookes about My Vote My Voice.

My Vote My Voice is a campaign developed by United Response, Dimensions, Mencap, Ambitious About Autism and the people who draw on our care and support.

Together they’re campaigning to remove voting barriers and raise awareness about people with learning disabilities and autistic people’s right to vote.

Dr Mark Brookes MBE is Advocacy Lead with Dimensions and helping to lead on their work for the campaign.

Gary speaks to Mark about what the campaign is all about and how you can get involved below.

I’m Mary Woodall and I am a self-advocate and member of Learning Disability England’s representative body.

As part of this work on the rep body I am Learning Disability England’s representative on the Social Care All Party Parliamentary group (APPG) lived experience advisory group.

The lived experience group brings together the voices of people with lived experience to have their say in policy change on adult social care.

For some of the meetings we have been speaking about accessible voting and getting people with learning disabilities involved in politics.

43 organisations joined together to write to the minister about the lack of an accessible version of the consultation on the Oliver McGowan mandatory training code of practice.

The letter was to say it is not acceptable that people with learning disabilities do not have equal information or time to think about and respond to a code of practice on training that is about their lives.

We were asking that they can confirm when it will be available and that they will give an extension for responses so people with learning disabilities can be an equal part of the consultation.

You can read the letter here.

Since we sent the letter we have seen 17 more organisations show their support.

The new version with these updated signatories is here.

At Learning Disability England we are looking to grow the team.

We are looking to recruit an Operations and Development Manager.

Back in June, the Members reps sent a letter to all Learning Disability England members.

Read that letter here

The letter was about Sally Lewis and the inquest into her death.

Sally died because the people supporting her did not get her care right.

Dimensions was the organisation supporting Sally.

Since then, a few things have happened that the rep body wanted to tell members about.

Guest Blog by Marie Lovell, Member of Learning Disability England

I was talking to my friend Chris who is hoping to make a documentary about leaseholds. 

He told me about many examples of people who have bought a flat or house, sometimes using ‘help to buy’ or ‘shared ownership’.

They then found they were stuck with expensive service charges or ground rent, or landlords who don’t do repairs.