Why Learning Disability Week matters to us
This year’s Learning Disability Week theme, Do You See Me?, encourages all of us to stop and reflect. It’s a question that goes beyond awareness; it’s about recognition, value, and inclusion. It challenges us not just to see people with learning disabilities, but to listen, involve, and include them in all aspects of life.
At Camphill Village Trust, this week matters to us. Because the answer is yes, we do see the people we support. And more than that, we value, respect and celebrate them for who they are: individuals with talents, ideas, hopes, and dreams.
Seeing people, not just the label
Esther from our Delrow Community puts it simply: “I have a learning disability, but it doesn’t stop me to play on the guitar.”
Her words are a reminder that a learning disability should never define a person or limit their potential. And yet, too often, society sees the disability before the person. Learning Disability Week gives us the chance to challenge those preconceptions and focus on truly seeing the whole person.
Valuing people through opportunity
One of the ways we honour this year’s theme is through our Green Care programme—nature-based support that’s more than just wellbeing. From therapeutic gardening to arts and crafts, the people we support get the chance to build confidence, develop skills, and take part in meaningful activities in nature.
This includes:
- Learning new skills through animal care, horticulture, and countryside management.
- Taking part in supported work placements and volunteering, including in our cafes, shops and farms.
- Getting involved in community life, building friendships, and getting out and about in the wider community.
And some go even further—becoming Life of Opportunity Reviewers. These are paid roles where people with lived experience travel to all our communities around England. They speak with others we support, listen to their views, and help bring about real change. It’s co-production in action.
When do people feel seen and valued?
Andrew, from our Stourbridge Community, shared this with us: “Where I live, I have a lot of good friends and people around me… I value their friendship, and I value a lot of people at Camphill… because they are always there to support me and help me whenever I feel I need it.”
Being seen isn’t just about visibility—it’s about relationships, belonging and trust. For Andrew and many others, feeling valued comes from connection and mutual respect.
What would a better world look like?
Eddie, also from Delrow, sums it up powerfully: “Getting a job, having somewhere to live, and having a little bit of everything.”
That’s what fairness looks like—opportunity, security, and a good quality of life. At Camphill Village Trust, we’re proud to work toward this vision every day.
The voices of Esther, Andrew and Eddie tell us something important…
When we really see people, we don’t just see disability; we see talent, potential, and friendship.
This Learning Disability Week we want to encourage everyone to see beyond the label, and to focus on real inclusion and value everyone’s voice. Because when people are seen, they shine.
