Gary Bourlet and Rachael Hall from Learning Disability England, attended Festibility last month, ‘Kent’s best accessible Music Festival’, to spread the Good Lives word and encourage others to join the movement. They share how it went in this latest blog…

FestAbility is more than just a music festival – it’s a celebration of joy, inclusion and community.

Held in Kent and set up by two incredible family members, Debs and Vanessa, FestAbility is designed to be fully accessible and welcoming for disabled people of all ages.

This year, over 1,000 people came together to enjoy a day filled with music, dancing and fun.

There was something for everyone — karaoke, silent discos, drumming sessions, fairground rides, sports and games, interesting stalls, and lots of tasty food.

Even the weather joined in. After a stormy night with heavy rain, the festival day was hot and sunny, and the ground was completely dry.

One of the best things about the day was seeing so many people simply enjoying themselves. There were bright colours everywhere — t-shirts, hats, smiling faces.

Families, carers and support workers were all joining in. It felt like a mini-Glastonbury — but with a big heart and a message that everyone should be able to enjoy life.

We were there to talk to people about our work, our campaigns and what it means to live a good life.

Rachael and I set up our table with leaflets (which kept flying away in the wind!) and took turns walking around to meet people and chat. It was lovely to see familiar faces and meet new ones.

One little girl kept coming back to play boccia on the grass. She had such great aim that we joked she might be in the Paralympics one day!

Often, we come together when things go wrong — to campaign, to make change, to fight for better lives. But FestAbility gave us something different: a chance to come together in joy, to celebrate who we are, and to enjoy the moment. That made it really special.

We left feeling hopeful, happy and already looking forward to the next one.