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Learning Disability Pride – we are proud of who we are!
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Gary Bourlet, founder of Learning Disability Pride, tells us about pride in having a learning disability, his vision for the future and how you can get involved
Learning Disability Pride is a week-long celebration of all that people who have learning disabilities have achieved.
It is held across the UK and is distinct from other Pride events, such as LGBTQ+ Pride, as it encourages acceptance and belonging of people who have a learning disability in the wider community. It is a week which celebrates what people with learning disabilities can do instead of what they can’t.
Learning Disability Pride is organised by people arranging events such as picnics, jumble sales, campaigns and festivals. Attendees have even enjoyed performances by an orchestras of people with learning disabilities.
Event photos are then shared on the Learning Disability Pride Facebook and Twitter pages using the hashtags #LearningDisabilityPride and #LDPride.
A new vision
Gary Bourlet, who also works for Learning Disability England, founded Learning Disability Pride in 2019. “It’s really grown since then and it now needs a team of people to plan it and bring it all together”, he says.
He is now looking to completely hand it over to a team of people who have learning disabilities from next year onwards.
Gary envisions a higher level of organisation and planning for the celebrations next year and beyond, entirely led by people who have learning disabilities. He suggests that a team could meet online if they are located across the country, and that they could produce a newsletter, Easy Reads and audio to share with people who can’t read and who don’t have access to social media.
He would like to see Learning Disability Pride embrace diversity and inclusivity, ensuring that people with complex needs can participate, that young and older people who have learning disabilities are actively engaged and that people from diverse backgrounds and ethnic groups are included.
Get involved
Care providers, young people and volunteers could take a supporting role in Learning Disability Pride, such as in creating videos and social media content, or assisting at events.
Sponsors could also become involved, and merchandise would be expanded and produced in the UK to help raise awareness of the week.
To get involved, please get in touch with Gary via the Learning Disability Pride Twitter and Facebook accounts, or email us with your expression of interest.
Be adventurous, think outside the box and think big Gary Bourlet, founder of Learning Disability Pride.
