Background
'This is Me: valuing the lives of people with learning disabilities' was a campaign about challenging the stigma, discrimination and inequalities experienced by people with learning disabilities. The Scottish Learning Disabilities Observatory collaborated with people with learning disabilities, their families, and third sector organisations – PAMIS, SCLD and Down’s Syndrome Scotland - to increase public understanding of the experiences of people with learning disabilities. Through a series of short films and a targeted social media campaign, our aim was to challenge stigma and discrimination and influence positive change.
Why is this important
People with learning disabilities are, first and foremost, citizens with rights, needs, hopes, dreams and goals. Yet people with learning disabilities are not valued as equals in society and continue to experience stigma and discrimination across all areas of life which is evidenced through huge health and social inequalities. This includes lower life expectancy, poorer health outcomes, limited employment and educational opportunities and higher rates of hate crime and bullying.
In 2018-2019 the Observatory led a research project called 'Research Voices' (link below) with a group of people with learning disabilities which focused on how to make health research more inclusive. The group produced 10 key recommendations, one of which was that there should be a campaign to raise awareness of the poor health, stigma and discrimination experienced by people with learning disabilities. The group’s idea led to This is Me: Valuing the lives of people with learning disabilities.
What we did
This project involved extensive collaboration with people with learning disabilities and family carers, alongside supporter organisations to tell their stories and share the changes they would like to see to make Scotland a more equal, more inclusive place for people with learning disabilities.
We worked with film makers Brand Calibre to bring each person's story to life. People shared their experiences of inequalities, stigma and discrimination including bullying, fighting for access to services and facilities like accessible toilets and nappies for older children. We also heard about the value of meaningful employment opportunities, inclusive spaces and education and awareness to increase understanding and reduce stigma. SLDO Director Deborah Cairns shared key findings that underpin some of the lived-experiences that were shared about health inequalities and their impact on the health and wellbeing of people with learning disabilities.
We also undertook a Scotland-wide survey designed by the project partners to gather a baseline measure (from respondents across Scotland) of awareness and understanding about the lives of people with learning disabilities.
To share the stories and messages from This is Me we undertook a sustained social media campaign using a bespoke hashtag #ThisIsMe22 between May and December 2022, along with targeted news media engagement and presentations at public engagement events across Scotland.
Some highlights about the reach of the campaign:
• Facebook: This Is Me posts of films reached over 8000 people
• Twitter: #ThisIsMe22 seen over 92,000 times by Twitter users & @ScotLDO gained 136 new followers
• This is Me webpage: Over 1300 visits
• 1002 people across Scotland responded to an online survey to gather a ‘snapshot’ of public understanding and attitudes about learning disabilities.
This is Me: the story so far
Our campaign received the highest reach/interactions for any activity carried out by The Scottish Learning Disabilities Observatory since its establishment in 2015. This means that more people than ever were engaging with the discussion around stigma and discrimination experienced by people with learning disabilities and their families.
We have been working to take forward some of the recommendations, ideas and calls for change that people shared with us during our 2022 campaign.
We created a final short film, which launched on 19th November 2024, to share what we have learned from This is Me and to highlight some of the activities where we have taken steps here at the University of Glasgow, and in collaboration with people with learning disabilities, family carers and third sector partners, to make positive changes.
We hope you enjoy the final film below which you can view along with all the other #ThisIsMe22 films at the links below.
Project leads: Deborah Cairns and Fiona Barlow
Wider project team: Aaron Hume, John Cassidy, Cher Collins, Laura Rutherford, Jenny Miller (PAMIS), Pat Graham, Charlie MacMillan and Fiona Dawson.
This is Me: the story so far
Partners involved with This is Me
Watch all This is Me films
SLDO Group member(s) involved in this research
Professor Deborah Cairns
Deborah is the Director of the Scottish Learning Disabilities Observatory and Professor of Health and Neurodevelopmental Conditions, in the School of Health and Wellbeing, at the University of Glasgow. Deborah is passionate about her research which aims to improve the health of people with learning disabilities and their families. She has worked on many different projects about people with learning disabilities including: cancer incidence, cancer screening, multi-morbidity (having two or more health conditions), oral health and COVID-19, to name a few. She has also worked on projects about the physical and mental health of family members who support someone with a learning disability. Deborah is committed to conducting research that has impact and works closely with self-advocates with learning disabilities, family carers and third sector organisations who are pivotal in all of her work and who have a shared vision of ensuring the human rights of all people with learning disabilities are recognised, supported and upheld.
Fiona Barlow
Fiona is the Impact and Communications Officer with the Scottish Learning Disabilities Observatory and leads on strategic communications and public engagement work, supporting the team with knowledge exchange and impact generation. Prior to joining the SLDO team in April 2020, Fiona worked at the University of Edinburgh supporting research projects with a specific focus on socio-economic inequalities in Scotland. Fiona has extensive experience across the field of communications, stakeholder engagement and impact generation and is interested in innovative approaches to knowledge exchange and accessible research dissemination. Before working in research communications, Fiona worked in public affairs, communications and policy roles in the charity sector.
John Cassidy
John participated in the Citizens' Jury as part of the Research Voices project with SLDO in 2018, and has since worked with the Observatory on a number of projects offering his insights and lived-experiences to research and inclusive communication projects, including This is Me: Valuing the lives of people with learning disabilities, and Research for Everyone. John is a Board Member of People First Scotland, a Board Member of Values Into Action Scotland and also an active contributor to various projects led by the Health Foundation, Kings College London and NHS Scotland, as well as working with researchers in Psychology and General Practice here at the University of Glasgow School of Health and Wellbeing.
Aaron Hume
Aaron is a researcher, student, and disability rights campaigner from West Lothian. He lives with cerebral palsy, autism, and a moderate learning disability. Aaron is currently studying for an HNC in Social Services at West Lothian College and will begin his HND in Childhood Practice in autumn 2026. His research involvement includes collaborations with universities across the UK and Europe, and he works closely with several third-sector organisations and the Scottish Government on projects focused on human rights, digital accessibility, and upcoming legislation such as the Human Rights Act and the Learning Disability, Autism and Neurodiversity Bill. Aaron was appointed to the National Care Service Advisory Board in early 2026. Aaron is really passionate about using his lived experience and the power of humour to break down the stereotypes and barriers in order to educate future healthcare professionals helping them truly understand the meaning behind the social model of disability, so they can see no person is the same as the next person. With the Scottish Learning Disabilities Observatory, he has worked as a project advisor on inclusive initiatives such as the This Is Me campaign and Research for Everyone project.