This week is Learning Disability Awareness week, with the theme “Achieve, smashing misconceptions”. National charity Mencap are leading the way in busting myths about people with learning disabilities, sharing brilliant stories.
We all have our own stories. I wrote in Carer’s week how important it is for each of us to own the narrative of our own life:
“After a somewhat messy transition over several years involving much creativity and imagination, Jen and we arrived in a much better place. Now 10 years on, I can happily share that both Jen and we are happy and fulfilled in our respective lives though we are rarely to be found in the same place.” Sue Blackwell
It’s not been easy to find our way – living our lives as individuals and parents, supporting Jen and Anthony to lead the lives of their choosing. But we feel we’ve listened to each of them and found ways to encourage each of them to be themselves – Jen as a community dance leader and Anthony as a leader in engineering and software.
What we’ve done in our 41 years of being parents to Jen and Anthony seems absolutely normal and natural to us. But we know that Jen’s recent King’s honour is seen as unusual for someone with a learning disability.
Here’s my recent conversation talking specifically about some of our story which touches on some of what we’ve learnt these past 41 years which has allowed Jen to achieve and smash misconceptions about what’s possible for people with learning disabilities.
We choose which path to take.
We chose to bring up Jen as part of the community, going through mainstream education. That meant she had mainstream aspirations which weren’t catered for after she turned 18. The charity we founded ten years ago, DanceSyndrome, has allowed Jen to lead her own life and encourage others to lead theirs too. The charity has been busting myths about people with learning disabilities since its inception and is continuing to shine a light on what’s possible for everyone in society to achieve.
We’ve learnt so much about what’s possible. Jen has been a most brilliant teacher. We all need help and support and encouragement to take one step at a time.
What we want to do is to give parents hope. We want them to believe in their child and believe that there is a nugget of gold inside each and every person. You probably already know what that nugget is. What is your child particularly good at, or particularly interested in, or responds to well under particular circumstances?
I think the duty on us as parents, as I see it is to support our children, to find themselves to find what makes them tick, what makes them happy, what makes them fulfilled. And then to nurture that and to find ways and means for that nugget to be developed and allow it to blossom. Most importantly, to believe that anything is possible. And then take one step at a time, which may be a very small step, but that’s okay.
Be prepared for the fact that you may go backwards, as well as forwards because you don’t necessarily get it right. But don’t beat yourself up in that process. Although that’s really easy to say, and really difficult to do! I don’t know how many times we’ve beaten ourselves up. But we are where we are, through virtue of one step at a time. And Jen is absolutely smashing misconceptions about people with learning disabilities.
She is seen as a role model. She is loving her life and she has been the catalyst for numerous other people, hundreds and 1000s of other people to experience happiness and fulfilment, in many, many different ways. And here she is being awarded a British Empire Medal in the King’s Honours list.
We encourage everyone to allow those nuggets of gold to shine through each and every person in society. We encourage you to ask for help and support and follow your path to ensure that you can live the life of your choosing, as can your children, siblings and friends.
Let’s start talking in terms of what’s possible and encourage each person and family to achieve, smashing misconceptions.
For speaking and media enquiries contact Tracey-Jane, as Sue is on a boat.