Hi everyone,
This is my first post in the FamilyHub community – it’s great to see it so active already!
I work in the Digital team at Mencap, where I co-manage the Mencap website. I’m passionate about digital being inclusive for people with a learning disability. The internet is a huge part of our lives now, and it should be a safe and supportive environment for everyone.
My personal connection to learning disability began long before I joined Mencap. When I was at secondary school, I had a close friend who had (and still has) an older brother with a learning disability. Though we didn’t all go to the same school, we’d spend many summers together in our hometown playing cricket and pool.
A fairly relatable experience you might say, but what’s maybe slightly surprising is that I have no memory of ever seeing my friend’s brother (who, I should point out, is also my friend!) being bullied for having a learning disability when we were growing up. Sadly, this wasn’t always the case for other children with a learning disability at the secondary school I went to.
I think attitudes of people towards anyone who’s deemed to be ‘different’ (whatever that means) begin at an early age, and they shape our experiences as adults – for better or worse. I feel fortunate for being able to understand what a learning disability is from a fairly young age.
I look forward to reading more of people’s stories and experiences on here in the future!
