Lesson learned

The Scotsman published a letter from me on 1 September 2017 in which I took the Edinburgh International Book Festival to task over their lack of specific events for people with a learning disability.

It would seem only fair to comment on how hard the Book Festival, and creative learning manager Catherine Jones in particular, have worked to redress the balance. Following on from my letter they contacted me and sought advice and input from myself and organisations such as PAMIS and ARC Scotland, who support people with learning disabilities, to establish how best to provide inclusive, interesting, relevant and fun events for people across the broad spectrum of learning disability. We even had a joint visit to the Seven Stories National Centre for Children’s Books in Newcastle.

So this year the Book Festival will indeed have events for people with learning disabilities. They have considered every aspect of how to make these events accessible , including providing a Changing Place toilet for those people who need one. In fact, an event for people with a profound and multiple learning disability was held last Friday at the Book Festival’s Reimagination event in Glenrothes. I was there with my daughter and other families, and we were treated to a wonderfully exciting, sensory rendition of The Teeger That Cam For His Tea (with real scones) by Hazel Darwin-clements. So my campaign to get the Book Festival to provide events for people with learning disabilities was short lived. It turns out that all I had to do was ask.

PAT GRAHAM

Milton Road Kirkcaldy, Fife