WECIL’s annual celebration event, Access All Areas, is back on Thursday 19th October from 2-5pm at the Trinity Centre, Bristol! (map)
Access All areas is our biggest event each year. Previous highlights have included talks ranging from disability rights campaigners such as Ellen Clifford, Samantha Renke and Jane Campbell, Baroness Campbell of Surbiton, to Disabled athletes such as boxer Shiren Goush and Paralympians Karen Butler and James Blackwell.
This year we are focussing on Neurodiversity and Learning Difficulties and have the insight of expert guest speaker Gary Bourlet. Gary has been in the Self-Advocacy movement since 1984 and was a founder of the People First Movement in the UK when it began in September 1984. He is Co-Founder of Learning Disability England and a campaigner for people with Learning Difficulties, civil disability and human rights. He actively supports the rights of people with Learning Difficulties and promotes change.
Gary’s talk will be an excellent chance to reflect on our own self-advocacy groups, Know Your Rights and our Disabled young people’s group Listening Partnership, as well as the what is to come as we work with People’s Voice.
Representatives from these groups will join our discussion panel, which will be Chaired by Megan Belcher from Bristol City Council. Megan’s current role concentrates on developing a co-production policy and process for Adult Social Care, particularly with Disabled people with Learning Difficulties and Autistic people, as well as a new Charter of Rights, and her previous roles at the Council – Equalities Support Officer and Inclusive Community Facilitator for Disability Equality have given her deep involvement in the advancement of Disabled people’s rights in the City. Megan is also Vice Chair of the Bristol Disability Equality Commission.
The agenda for the day is:
2pm – 2.15pm: Registration
2.15pm- 3pm: Annual General Meeting
This is a meeting for members of WECIL but everyone is welcome to attend.
3pm: Welcome and formal opening to Access All Areas from Cllr Helen Holland, Cabinet Member with responsibility for Adult Social Care and Integrated Care System.
3.15pm – 4.45pm: Guest Speaker Gary Bourlet, Co-founder of Learning Disability England, Presentations, discussions and interactive activities looking at Neurodiversity and Learning Difficulties.
4.45pm – 5pm: Thank you speeches and official closing of the event.
Tickets are free and available here.
There will be BSL interpreters throughout the day.
An additional Changing Places toilet will be provided my Mobiloo.
If a Personal Assistant is attending with you, please book an extra ticket for them.
As parking is limited, if you are a Disabled person and will struggle with transport please contact us on [email protected] or 0117 947 9911 and we will be happy to help.
If you have any specific access needs or there is something you think may prevent you from attending the event, please contact us so that we can aim to support you.
