Outdoors is for everyone

19/08/2025

Less than a month to go till the 'reason to' disability triathlon in Hexham - one of the best feel good events you could ever wish to attend.

The emphasis is on personal performance and having a great time but Pip now takes it quite seriously having been working on her running every week at Parkrun and completing her 11 miles of swimming (not all at once) for diabetes UK.

The concept of competition is a difficult one. I remember Pip being very annoyed that people wouldn't stop for a high five when swimming in the adjacent lane during some para-swimming recruitment drive. I think the idea of pushing herself to go faster might be arriving now, but thankfully with none of the frustration or feeling of failure if it doesnt happen.

Alix has decided not to do the triathlon this year - although I'm pretty sure she would love it when she was there. That's another tricky one for us - respecting her decisions whilst not being sure she is understanding what she is turning down. She changes her mind in an instant ..... it certainly should be her choice but it could be reflecting the tone of voice in which you present the idea, or how tired she is feeling at the time. Difficult.

18/08/2025

I worried that when the twins left full time education their world might shrink and shrink. Communication disabilities can make friendships hard and its easy to get left out. So the team and I plan and try to listen in many ways to what will make the girls feel fulfilled....then help make it happen.

Climbing with others is such a great way to be with a gang and show what you have in common. It doesn't all have to rely on chat. You achieve together, but with your own goals.

Thankyou for what looks to have been an amazing . And special thanks to and .jj for inclusive leadership in the outdoors and photos. Of course - well done to Pip.

15/08/2025

Sailing a boat along England's longest lake on a warm summer's evening - what could be more conducive to relaxed chat? That goes for Alix too - who can't use her voice. She still found many ways to communicate:

With her ipad language package - called Speak for Yourself.

With her story telling app Pictello (she has selected a big, deep voice on this app!).

With sign - Alix is signing 'boat' in the third picture.

With gestures - pointing, waving, saluting, thumbs up, high fives.

Through her emotions, roaring with laughter at jokes, scowling when the sun got in her eyes.

Lastly she showed that she completely understood which way to push the tiller to steer us home. Its too easy to underestimate people who don't communicate in the same way as most of us.

Non-verbal doesnt mean you can't chat - we use a 'total communication' approach, using every method possible! Its particularly useful when the sun is reflecting on your iPad screen or when it runs out of charge!

09/08/2025

Source: Disabled Children's partnership
https://support.disabledchildrenspartnership.org.uk/en-gb/fight-ordinary-share-new-campaign-your-mp?fbclid=IwQ0xDSwMEfIRjbGNrAwR8UWV4dG4DYWVtAjExAAEenaxUSlz8yHo15qCCkrFGW_Vw75lR9ugH1EzqG72xV8jMd6iJFRmlE1nl5Ug_aem_ZnuxXG65kzwe23b9R2q9RA

04/08/2025

With gale force winds blowing it was a day to be inside.....but of course many people had the same idea.

I've been known to wax lyrical about how climbing has helped Pip - here goes again! Previously Pip would not have coped with such a busy environment and whose to say how and why she cracked it today, but Jenny and I have some ideas:

1) Consistent help from the same person, who knows her strengths and weaknesses. This means starting from where you left off, rather than guessing at where Pip is, hence making more progress. Learning disability makes it hard to carry this information for yourself. Being unable to explain things is a huge difficulty.

2) Knowing that the environment matters and although Pip was managing better than usual, seeking out quieter areas and letting her be involved in choosing the route made a lot of difference.

3) Being aware how Pip is feeling on the day. This involves picking up on subtle cues - as Pip won't necessarily tell you.

These are all areas of life it is easy to overlook for someone learning disabled but can all be overcome with good, sensitive, regular support.

For those of you unfamiliar with boulder problems, these are short routes, usually climbed without a rope and over crash mats. The arrangement of the holds gives the challenge of how to move your body to get to the top. It's not, as I initially assumed, all about strength. I am no expert, so its really important we have someone 'in the know' to help.

With many thanks to Jenny B for the pictures and expertise. Lastly, well done Pip.

03/08/2025

A moment in time with just the sea and the gull's shreak. Salty wind laced with spray.

Time to turn off the visuals, sit or stand still, maybe with support if you are worried. Alix had been concentrating hard on each step. It's the way her eyes need to work (CVI). She hadn't been able to appreciate the sea, just to her left. It's hard for her to judge depth and distance, so it is also a rest.

I also love to do this. It sharpens the soundscape for me and I hear a lot more variety- that shouldn't be surprising but I need to remind myself to do it. We are often busy rushing to some pre- determined goal and on reflection I'm not always sure why. It's not anything fancy, its just a moment in another world. Less human-centric.

22/07/2025

I remember the anxiety I had the first time Pip went away, with support, climbing for a week. Year on year her confidence has grown and so has mine as I've learnt to trust the experts that run this trip.
It's a tall order to find the right level of challenge- not so easy that it is without progress and not so hard as to be impossible. Pacing activities so as to build strength but not exhaust and remembering that friendship and teamwork are also part of the reward.
This year teamed up with Vicky from and tutors from to give the great staff ratio that was needed to do all this for a group, all at different stages of their climbing journey. Just missing Kara this year.
We're always grateful to their foresight that such an amazing opportunity would work - and thanks for the photos!

16/07/2025

When you love your trike so much that you stop every 10 seconds to give it a kiss and a pat.

I spend a lot of time reminding myself to see things through Alix's eyes - this is her leisure time - we're not naturally patient people but have had to learn that there are times its good for us to slow down and just accept her way of being is as valid as ours.

Many folk think a cycle ride is about getting from A to B, or getting fit - Alix doesn't. I'm getting the feeling its about pride of ownership, self determination of starting and stopping when she likes and maybe a bit of winding us up by braking dramatically so we walk into the back of the trike. We're learning......

02/07/2025

Interesting...

Since 2017 I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve seen this story float across my feed like a balloon at a parade. “Man with Down syndrome retires after 35 years at McDonald’s.” Again? Still? It’s framed as a feel-good piece, a tale of perseverance, loyalty, and simple joy. And sure, he deserves celebration. Anyone who works hard for decades, shows up day after day, and builds a place in their community deserves more than a polite clap. But there’s something underneath the applause that bothers me. Something that gnaws.

It’s not him. It’s us. It’s the way these stories get passed around like rare artifacts, as if someone with a developmental or intellectual disability living a steady, fulfilling life is so unusual that we need to see it again and again, not because it’s news, but because it’s novelty. We’re not seeing him, we’re seeing the idea of him. He becomes a symbol, "Look! See! They can work!" as if that needed proving. As if that’s still the bar we’re trying to clear.

If the only stories we uplift are those where someone with a disability fits into a narrow lane, long-serving employee, grocery bagger, medal-winning athlete, then we’re still stuck. There are thousands of people out there living dynamic, complex, interesting lives with disabilities, right now, and their stories go untold. Not because they’re not inspiring, but because they don’t fit the safe, palatable mold.

The problem isn’t the story. It's our hunger for it.
..

ID: Image shows two images of Russell O'Grady - a man who has Down syndrome. One images is from when he started working there, another is from when he retired. Title reads: He retired in 2017. Internet still shocked.

01/07/2025

26/06/2025

Our aim! It takes funding, training and a great attitude but is entirely possible but for many it's just not happening....thoughts?

A service can provide supports to people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. But it cannot be the life. It cannot replace friendship. It cannot substitute for freedom. It cannot stand in for love.

Too often, disability services are built around managing people, keeping them "busy", keeping them "compliant", keeping them "safe". But people don’t grow under management. They grow in freedom. In trust. In community.

“I want a life, not a service” is not just a critique of how things are, it’s a demand. A demand to be seen as a full human being, not a bundle of needs.

If we truly believe in inclusion, if we truly believe in rights, we need to stop building better services and start asking:

What does it take for someone to have a real life?

And then do that.
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ID: Image shows a man smiling giving a thumbs up. Words read: I want a life not a service.