Monday 19th June sees the start of national Learning Disability Awareness Week 2023. The theme for the week is “busting myths about living life with a learning disability”.
DanceSyndrome is an inclusive dance charity supporting people with learning disabilities to access a wide range of opportunities in community dance. A huge part of our mission is to challenge the way that society sees people with learning disabilities and what they are able to achieve.
We asked our Dance Leaders with learning disabilities to give us 10 myths that they’d like to bust during the week. You can check out the full list on our social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube).
One of the myths identified was “people with a learning disability can’t read or write”.
Today, DanceSyndrome Spokesperson and Ambassador Becky Rich wants to bust that myth!
Becky plays a key role in DanceSyndrome’s mission to challenge perceptions on a daily basis and she is always writing letters to high profile individuals to campaign for change. Back in April she had a very important trip to London to meet with MPs at 10 Downing Street, so she has written a blog for us to share with you to celebrate Learning Disability Awareness Week.
Here is Becky’s unedited blog (including visuals of her handwritten notes).
My Day in London by Becky Rich
I am Becky Rich and I am 32 years old I am Ambassador and Spokesperson for DanceSyndrome charity. I am a Dance Leader and I take my job very seriously.
I had a day in London on 24th of April 2023. On Monday morning my Dad and Claire and I went to the train station and we waited on the platform and we got on the train at 11 o’clock. We were relaxing and after that we were having our lunch. We were relaxing on the train on our way to London. I was very excited. We arrived in London at 1.00 pm in the afternoon.
In London my Dad and Claire and I had a wonderful and lovely walk in St James’s Park off the Mall leading to Buckingham Palace. I really did enjoy the walk in the Royal Gardens.
After that my Dad and Claire and I went to the pub to have a drink. I had my drink of Diet Coke after that Claire was sorting me out and she was putting make up on my face, lpstick and blusher and eye shadow, to make me look beautiful. After that Claire photographed me and then told me good luck and my big moment arrived!
My Dad and I set off about quarter to 4 to meet my friend Sara BritCliffe MP. She joined me and my Dad with everyone queuing up to go through a security check. We got through then we all made our way into No.10 Downing Street. We all went inside. To go to No. 10 Downing Street was my dream come true.
In No. 10 Downing Street the event was Local Charities and Champion Reception. Inside No. 10 Downing Street I met Stuart Andrew MP the speaker for the event. I gave him DanceSyndrome bracelet and he mentioned my name in his speech, that was incredible absolutely fantastic! It felt great, that made my day.
After that I spoke to other MPs about the work we do and I told them about the work that I do. After the event my friend Sara Britcliffe invited my Dad and Claire and I to go on a guided tour. Alex Kelly who works with Sara Britcliffe showed us around the House of Parliament and talked about the history of it. I absolutely loved it. On the way to House of Commons I met some wonderful MPs and shook their hands. It was wonderful to meet them.
After that we arrived at the House of Commons. We went inside. We went upstairs to the Gallery and we sat down and watched some MPs in action. It was absolutely fantastic.
After that we went to the London Euston Train Station. We went to the pub to have a drink and my brother Alex joined us. My Claire went to get some food for tea time for the train. We said goodbye to my brother Alex he went home. My Dad and Claire and I went to Platform 2. We got the train at 7:30pm and it was relaxing and after that we were eating our food for our teatime. We had a very relaxing journey back home. We arrived back at Preston train station at 10:00pm We went back home.
It was a truly memorable day.
If you would like to support DanceSyndrome’s life-changing work with people with learning disabilities during Learning Disability Awareness Week, please visit our Donate page.
