L'Arche

This photo is from the L'Arche Bognor Flickr photostream


'L'Arche is an international movement which builds faith based communities, with people with learning disabilities, all over the world.'

L'Arche in the UK support people with learning disabilities to reach their full potential.

The Flickr photostream for L'Arche Bognor Regis is a wonderful example of their work.

SymbolWorld relaunch.

The SymbolWorld website has been redeveloped

E live news a favourite feature of mine is  available again in a new format.

The website now include features which allow the user to
Change the size
Change the colours for high contracts
Change between scrolling and single screen views
Highlighted tabbing for switch users

Snap! Mencap Photography competition

Mencap run a photography competition every year . The theme is My World
The closing date is 30th June 2011.

What's happening to F.E. provision for adults with a learning disability ?

Like many of us Mencap have noticed that access to further education for adults with a learning disability seems to have been cut . They have commissioned NIACE to find out the facts.

Peter Lavender, Deputy Chief Executive at NIACE, said:

"NIACE is delighted to support our partner in Mencap with this important piece of research. As survey evidence has shown in recent years, there is a real disquiet about the provision of learning opportunities for adults with learning disabilities once they reach adulthood. Hopefully this study will provide Mencap with some hard evidence of the impact of funding changes and the value learners place on their provision."

Read more on the NIACE website

Your views in the comments section are welcome (they can be anonymous)

One in Ten

The Guardian has an interesting and informative

set of photographs

from Kayte Brimacombe's photography exhibition

One in Ten at the OXO gallery.

The photos feature young people with a dual diagnosis of Downs Syndrome and Autism.

Skills for Independence

Careers Wales has a great site for young people with a learning disability called My Future.
It covers

Exploring future options

Work experience

People who can help

Who am I

Making decisions

There is an excellent interactive game for young people with a severe learning difficulties which covers issues such as making the right choices,dressing well for going out,going shopping and many others.

The Specials do girlfriends and boyfriends

In early May Learning disability docusoap The Specials, won two Webby awards.

So far there are 10 short episodes which can be viewed on their website however the best place to watch is on You Tube because the episodes don't tend to buffer/freeze in this format.

A report from NIACE

In recent years it has no longer been good enough to maintain the skills of students with learning disabilities.Teachers in F.E. have had to show that students are progressing . No doubt this has stopped the issue of the perpetual students returning to college year after year but it has also limited the learning provision for some students.
NIACE has recently published a report in which it found that nearly one-in-five (19 per cent) of Learning and Skills Council (LSC) funded learning providers reduced opportunities for adult learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities between 2006 and 2008.

The report

Impact of Changes in Provision on People with Learning Difficulties and/or Disabilities Post 19

highlights how providers were increasingly making changes in their offer to ensure their provision met the LSC's focus on learning leading to progression. They also stopped courses considered to be of low quality and focused instead on areas of strength rather than opting for a very broad curriculum offer.


You can read about the findings in detail on the NIACE website

Photo shoot special

Gary Harvey has produced a great set of photographs featuring models with a learning disability
You can find these on Flickr at:

Gary Harvey Viewpoint Shoot 2009

Source: Mencap

Four Special Lives

Its Disability awareness week on Teachers TV. They are showing a series called Four Special Lives .

It follows the lives of four people in their mid 50's people with learning disabilities.
The first episode follows their progress from childhood through their schooling and right up to the present day.

There is some fascinating archive film along with with recent footage and interviews. I found the footage showing the experience of work very interesting.

Episode 1 can be watched on Tuesday Dec 2nd at 08:00 , 16:00 and 21:00 but is also available to download. Its 45 minutes long but even if you can't watch it all you can dip in and enjoy the experience.