Learning Disability Week 2025 - "Do You See Me?"

Learning Disability Week 2025 (16–22 June), led by Mencap, focuses on the theme “Do You See Me? This is a powerful reminder to recognise, respect, and include people with learning disabilities in all aspects of life, including education, employment, and community.

As a trainer working with adult learners, this week resonates deeply with me. I want to shine a spotlight on the importance of inclusive learning environments and why accessible training is vital, not just for children and teens, but also for adults with learning disabilities.

Why This Matters to Adult Learners

Enduring learning needs: Learning disabilities don’t vanish with age. Many adults continue to navigate learning challenges and benefit from tailored support like task breakdowns, assistive tech, and inclusive instruction .

Education = empowerment: Adult education offers more than skills, it builds confidence, combats isolation, and improves wellbeing. For example, a welder in Wolverhampton rediscovered his creative spark—and a career pivot—through community arts classes .

The employment divide: Shockingly, only around 27% of adults with learning disabilities are in paid work, despite 86% of them wanting to work. That means vast untapped potential.

With the right support and inclusive approaches to adult learning, we can unlock potential and empower more people to thrive.

What “Do You See Me?” Truly Means

It’s more than just physical visibility, it’s about acknowledgement and authentic policies:

Seeing individuality: Recognising each person’s unique strengths, interests and human story, not just their diagnosis.

Being heard: Adults with learning disabilities wanting meaningful jobs, social engagement, and autonomy deserve space to voice their needs.

Feeling included: Design learning environments - both physical and virtual - to be accessible, adaptable, and supportive.

Championing Change in Adult Learning

Whether I’m delivering group training or one-to-one sessions, I always consider the following to ensure learning is accessible for all:

• Use easy to read materials and visual aids to make content more digestible.

  
  

• Break down tasks into small, clear steps, one success at a time.

  
  

• Leverage assistive tools: text-to-speech, speech-to-text, calculators, and structured frameworks.

  
  

• Foster small study groups or buddy systems to build social connection and peer motivation.

  
  

• Celebrate progress. Every skill gained is a step toward independence and wellbeing.

Inspiring Examples

Cognassist’s Neuroversity is offering free modules this week to shine light on cognitive diversity and inclusive learning design.

Local community councils, from Greenwich to Sheffield, held walks, tea parties, art shows, and social meetups throughout the week, celebrating contributions from adults with learning disabilities.

Organisations like Choice Support are emphasising friendship goals and meaningful relationships, beyond paid support, to tackle loneliness and isolation.

Also, Mason Consulting who work in conjunction with Propel to ensure both neurodivergent and neurotypical team members thrive.

A Personal Note

As someone dedicated to adult learning, I’ve been humbled by the courage I’ve seen: learners who’ve braved past barriers, and are now transforming their lives, whether they're mastering a new skill, gaining independence, or discovering a hidden passion.

This week isn’t just a reminder - it’s a call to action:

• Educators: Experiment and adapt your delivery.

• Employers: Open doors through internships and mentoring.

• Community leaders: Create spaces where every learner is elevated.

Because true inclusion isn’t one moment, it’s a lifelong commitment to seeing, hearing, and valuing each individual.

Let’s Keep This Momentum Going

Share a story today on LinkedIn, Twitter, or your team's channels, using #LearningDisabilityWeek and #DoYouSeeMe.

If you’re a trainer, schedule a reflection session or peer share next week: What worked? What challenged us?

Review your learning materials :

Are they accessible? Could they be more visual, bite-sized, or easier to read?

Consider a community project: A walk, art session, or buddy system to continue inclusive practice year-round.

Together, we can ensure every adult learner is met with the respect, understanding, and opportunity they deserve.

Thanks for reading, let me know your thoughts or if you'd like support making your learning spaces more inclusive.

Hazel, Empowering Your Circle

Thanks to: mencap.org.uk; diversitydashboard.co.uk; choicesupport.org.uk; cognassist.com; livingwellnorthtyneside.co.uk; daysoftheyear.com; mcl.uk.com for helping me pull together content for my post.