LEARNING DISABILITY AND MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS BLOG

 

Hi Everyone, thank you so much for your patients 

It’s not always easy to understand learning difficulties—especially when you have a learning disability, mental illness, or other challenges yourself. It can be hard to make yourself heard and seen, and even harder for others to understand what life is like when they haven’t experienced it.

I’m authoring this book to share how my disability affects my day-to-day life and to explain the kind of help and support I want and need.

You can follow my journey at:
🌐 sararevealed.blogspot.com
📧 sarajgorman@gmail.com

I am the author of Sara’s Learning Disability and Mental Health Awareness Blog. This blog is for people with learning disabilities, mental illness, and other challenges—as well as for those who support them, including parents, families, carers, professionals, and more.

In addition to raising awareness, I’ll also be sharing my own creative work, including my art, writing, and poetry. I’m currently working on a book based on the blog, which will go into more detail about my personal experiences and the support I’ve needed throughout my life.

The blog is open to people all around the world, including both the USA and the UK, and I will be including helpful links relevant to both countries.

In case you're wondering—I won’t be closing Sara Revealed down. In fact, I don’t think it would even be possible to close one without affecting the other, because I believe both are naturally linked together.

My name is Sara Jane Gorman, and I was born with Autism, Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Epilepsy, Anxiety, and Depression.

This book is based on a website I first wrote back in 2007, just after my Gran passed away, with the support of my mother and sister. At the time, I was working for Royal Wolverhampton Mencap, which was based at the Science Park. I was also part of a self-advocacy group called Our Shout, which really helped me kick-start a career working with people who are similar, different, or the same as myself.

On that website, I shared some of the struggles my family went through to fight for the support I needed—support that I still need to this day.

From 2012 to 2015, I worked for One Voice Advocacy service in Wolverhampton as an Advocate, and I also started work with the Success group as a Learning Disability and Mental Health Awareness trainer. Now I was a Visiting Lecture of Learning Disability and Mental Health  awareness trainer 2012 to 2024  for the University Of Wolverhampton.

 Now I am running four groups on Facebook book the Disabled Advocacy group, Learning Disability and Mental Health Awareness, a group I run with my ex-partner Tim Hate Crime Towards Disabled People, and I run one called Reader's and Writer's group for writers and reader. People are more than welcome to join either one, two three or all groups if they want. Thank you.

         I have delivered learning disability awareness training.

·       Health care students at the University Of Wolverhampton.

·       The School of Nursing at the University Of Wolverhampton.

·       Healthcare Professionals at New Cross Hospital, Wolverhampton.

I have firsthand experience with facing learning disabilities. I was born in Wolverhampton.

 I shared a very small business with another person with learning disabilities supported by Royal Wolverhampton Mencap and Employment Pathways back in December 2009. It was called Access All Areas Now! It became unsuccessful due to the lack of Mencap's and Employment Pathway's funding back in January 2011. Now Employment Pathways has changed its name to Senator. Our aim was to see that people with learning disabilities get better help than we did.

 I will always make sure that learning disability is always on the agenda. I have supported members of Our Shout to chair and take the minutes of the meeting on topics of their choice.

 I am a keen writer; in 2008 I wrote and Co-produced a play to highlight the difficulties faced by people with learning disabilities in accessing employment. Not long after writing the play, I did a Script and Screen course to try and better my writing.

I have been writing my website since 2007, it's called Sara Revealed sararevealed.blogspot.com/ my email address is sarajgorman@gmail.com

I once helped Mencap set up a Disabled Writer’s group. I’m unsure whether the Writer’s group is going or not because I haven’t had any work with Mencap for over twelve months.

Just to let you know every April is Autism Awareness Month, every May is Mental Health Awareness Month, Every June and October is learning disability months, June is the UK, and October is the USA. 

Learning disability, health problems, and sexual health.

 You are wondering what Queen has to do with learning disability awareness. Lately believe it or not a lot of things link this with the new groups I have set plus 24 25 years tomorrow sadly the great Talent of Freddie Mercury. As most of you are aware I have set up a social and talent group but as I said there's more to those groups than just their titles. Sorry, to get to the point even though Freddie Mercury didn't have disabilities and health problems, he very sadly died of Aids. Now people with disabilities and health problems are just as vulnerable as other people in getting these sexual diseases as anyone, other reasons are to raise sexual health awareness for disabilities, health problems, and socializing group and awareness of disabilities, health problems, learning, training, and careers as well. The health of people with disabilities and health problems should matter as much as everyone else. World Aids day is the 1st of December every year. 

 http://ultimateclassicrock.com/freddie-mercury-last-appearance/

On that website, I shared some of the struggles my family went through to fight for the support I needed—support that I still need to this day.