My Work profile.

My name is Sara Jane Gorman; I am a visiting Literature for the University Of Wolverhampton at Walsall campus.  As an Advocate I used to speak up for the rights of learning disability at Our Shout Advocacy group which was funded by Royal Wolverhampton Mencap.

I have delivered learning disability awareness training to.

·       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 learning disability and mental health.

 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 to 2010. It was called Access All Areas Now! It became unsuccessful due to the lack of funding and supports Mencap's and Employment Pathways was able to give. My work it’s self with Royal Wolverhampton Mencap stopped due to a lack of funding back in May 2011.

Now Employment Pathways had changed its name to Senator. Our aims were to see that people with learning disabilities get better help than what 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 or not the Writer’s group is still going or not because I haven’t had any work with Mencap for over twelve mouths.

Sara’ s feedback from the 1^st year session the benefit cuts.

 Really emphasised with what Sara was saying.  I could see that the benefit system doesn’t seem to understand nor care about people with LD.

It was good that Sara highlighted the emotional, physical and psychological problems facing people with LD. It is bad that the Government, who are meant to be looking after the people, have put laws and systems in place that leave people with LD in such distress.

People with LD can experience anxiety, depression, suicidal thoughts, illness, lose their homes, be without money for long periods of time, due to their benefits being stopped or assessed.  

People with LD need as much help as possible when it comes to benefits. And as future LD nurses, we will be aware of their plight and in a position to help with applications, as advocates, and with calming their fears.

At this particular moment in time it is all about awareness, understanding, and empathy.  If a LD nurse is aware of the issues then we will be in a better position to help people with LD who is in this situation.

Awareness of learning disabilities and Mental health Benefit cuts.

·        This is an update of the Benefits cuts awareness presentation.

·        Lives of vulnerable peoples' lives matters as much as yours.

·        As you know stress is the biggest killer of all but if you are a vulnerable person, you can't cope with it as much as other people.

·        What professions need to be aware of is that 10’600 people with disabilities and health problems died last year due to the benefit cuts.

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