Billy, shares why Scottish Learning Disability Week is important for raising awareness and challenging discrimination. Billy talks about what “being seen” means to him – being recognised for who he is, rather than being defined by his disability – and reflects on a time during the COVID-19 pandemic when losing his support left him feeling excluded.
Meet Billy
Why is Scottish Learning Disability Week important to you?
Scottish Learning Disability Week is important to me because it helps raise awareness of learning disbaility to people who aren’t aware whatsoever.
Because in Scotland a lot of people have been discriminated against on the basis of their disability. Throughout my life, I’ve had people speak to me inappropriately.
What does “being seen” mean to you?
Being seen means seeing who I am, not what I am, because that’s what people automatically think about me.
Tell us about a time you felt left out?
During the Pandemic (COVID-19), my support got stopped. I felt left out because I was classified as non-critical.
People classified as non-critical were not receiving any support whatsoever.
However, anytime members of my team were in the area supporting critical clients, they always made a point of popping into the garden, albeit socially distant.
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