The Partnership is supporting this year’s Learning Disability Week (8-14 September) with a number of events being held across the Borders as part of the celebrations.
Learning Disability Week is coordinated annually by the Scottish Commission for People with Learning Disabilities to not only celebrate people with learning disabilities and help people understand their achievements and talents, but also to raise awareness of the challenges they face.
The overall aim is to make Scotland a fairer place, where people with learning disabilities are respected, included, and have equal opportunities in all areas of life.
This year’s theme of ‘I am here’ was chosen by people with learning disabilities as they can often feel excluded from jobs, healthcare, social events and cultural experiences.
Celebrating learning disability week
Among the events taking place is a special afternoon tea being hosted by the Learning Disability Local Citizens Panels on 10 September at the Galashiels Rugby Club. This is a chance for Panel members, their families, carers and friends to come together in celebration but also for support providers and other organisations to hear more about what matters to people with a learning disability, and what would make a difference to them in terms of feeling more included and engaged within their local communities. More information is available from Borders Care Voice.
The Learning Disability team is holding an information stand within the foyer area at the Borders General Hospital, also on 10 September, for anyone who would like to find out more about support available across the region.
The team is also working in partnership with Live Borders and will be present at series of Boccia sporting events as follows:
- Peebles: Monday 8 September; 10am; Gytes Leisure Centre
- Kelso: Monday 8 September; 1pm; Kelso Rugby club
- Galashiels: Friday 12 September; 10am; Queens Leisure Centre
- Eyemouth: Friday 12 September; 1.15pm; Eyemouth Community Centre
- Hawick: Monday 8 September; 1pm; Evergreen Hall
For those looking to explore the theme of ‘I am here’ in a more creative way, a short film capturing the experiences and views of people with learning disabilities through artmaking will be shown during the week.
The film was co-produced with the Learning Disability team and the featured artwork includes contributions from our day support services at the Katharine Elliot Centre in Hawick, Lanark Lodge in Duns and the Cornerstone Connects Hub in Galashiels. You can view the film online on our YouTube channel
The week also coincides with the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the Joint Learning Disability Service by ourselves and NHS Borders. As part of the celebrations, the team is looking to gather interest from people with lived experience who would like to be involved in co-producing a film about the service.
Postcards with information about how to get involved will be made available at events during Learning Disability Week and sent to all learning disability providers and day support services. The project should take around six months to complete and a special launch event will be held when it is available.
Olivia Robertson, Hawick and Jedburgh Local Citizens Panel Member
“Learning Disability Week means a lot to me. It means I can be myself and tell people that I Am Here. The LCP helps me with that to express how I feel about my support service. It’s very important that our voices are heard and we are taken seriously. The LCP has done that for me.
“I’m also pleased to be part of the art film. My artwork shows a peacock to explain and express my journey through life, every struggle and every achievement. A peacock also reminds me that I’m strong, beautiful and courageous too.”
Councillor David Parker, Executive Member for Integrated Care and Support Services
“Learning Disability Week is a vital opportunity to celebrate the talents and contributions of people with learning disabilities across the Borders. The theme ‘I Am Here’ is a powerful reminder that everyone deserves to be seen, heard and included in all aspects of life—from work and education to social and cultural experiences.
“I’m therefore delighted that the Health and Social Care Partnership is showing our support as part of our commitment to ensuring the voices of people with learning disabilities are not only recognised but are actively listened to as we work together to shape the services and communities around them.
“I would also encourage anyone who’s interested in being involved in co-creating the film about the Learning Disability Service to get in touch. It’s important that we acknowledge the 20th anniversary of the launch of the integrated team - with all the benefits this has brought to staff, service users, family carers and the wider community – and I look forward to seeing the final version in due course.”
More information
- You can find out more about available support on the learning disability pages of our website
- Information about learning disability week can be found on the SCLD website
- Local Citizens Panels (LCPs) support people with a learning disability, and their family carers, to be involved in the help that they get, in the organisations that provide their services, and in the wider community. There are five LCPs in the Borders – Berwickshire, Kelso and Coldstream, Hawick and Jedburgh, Galashiels and Selkirk and Tweeddale. They all meet four times a year in the community.
- Boccia (pronounced botcha) is a target sport played indoors on a court. It’s similar to boules or pétanque but uses a soft leather ball, which means it can be played at any time in any place and by anyone. Boccia is ideal for all people with a disability and is popular with wheelchair users and individuals with cerebral palsy, learning disabilities and acquired age-related disability.