
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.

The Life Without Limits panel was hosted by the presenter and reporter Ross Fiddes, who talked to us all about our lived experiences. I think we all had lots in common because so many of us have worked hard to overcome difficulties in life that have held us back. So it was great to hear so many positive stories!
Some of the stories included were personal ones from Tauseef who spoke about his mental health and how he’s come through some bad times. Katie and her father spoke about their journey and how important getting the right support at college and school is for autistic people. With good support Katie has achieved her dream of being a photographer which was amazing to hear!
Also attending the roadshow was Daniel Laurie, an actor who has Down’s Syndrome and stars in Call the Midwife on BBC TV. He said he went to acting school and that helped him to build the skills he needed to be successful. Daniel also said he had lots of support from his mum, which shows just how important the right support is to be able to live your dreams!

I had such a great time making new friends and sharing experiences!
Community Integrated Care (CIC) asked me about self-advocacy. I enjoyed talking about some of the self-advocacy organisations I have started in the past, like People First, London and Thames and later a joint campaign here at Learning Disability England, where I do important work with friends and supporters to seek equal rights for ourselves.
I know that an important part of having lived experience is being able to speak up and be heard. CIC have started regional Voice Groups across the country to empower people to speak up – why not take a look and register here.
And you can also look forward to a Summer of Sport as CIC offer free inspirational and fun online sessions to people receiving social care and support. Sign up here.
Community Integrated Care are also doing important work about pay gaps in social care. If you would like to find out more about CIC’s investigation into the social care pay gap and what needs to be done to close it, please click here.
I also talked about the Good Lives framework, which was written with a big team of Learning Disability England Members and led by self-advocates. This year there will be chapters added on different areas like health, where our members said more work needs to be done to improve their quality of life.
So, I hope that everyone who was at the event learnt lots and enjoyed it – I know I did! The amazing panel of speakers demonstrated that empowerment, speaking up and being listened to is so important in helping us achieve our dreams.
If you aren’t already a member of Learning Disability England, why not join up here and get seen, get heard, and get involved! If you’re a self-advocate, an organisation, or a family member/friend of someone with a learning disability, your voice is so important. We can be stronger, louder, together!