Gary has been a self-advocate for over 30 years and is Co-Founder of Learning Disability England. LDE is a membership organisation that brings together people with learning disabilities, families and friends, and organisations to create a strong, united voice on the things that matter to all of us. Gary was passionate about setting up an organisation where people could come together as he believes that ‘united we stand, divided we fall’. This is why he worked alongside other self-advocates, family members and organisations to set up Learning Disability England, which launched in June 2016.
Before this he founded People First England, a self-advocacy organisation which lobbied politicians, did a lot of work with the press and developed media training for people with learning disabilities. Gary has extensive experience in working with the media and has appeared on Channel 4 and in the Guardian. He is a dedicated civil rights campaigner and has set up many self-advocacy groups during his time in the self-advocacy movement.
