Celebrating Learning Disability Week 2025
Guest Blog written in collaboration with Paragon Skills’ Learning Support Manager, Jenn Brant
This week (16th–22nd June) marks Learning Disability Week 2025, a campaign led by Mencap to raise awareness, challenge stigma, and celebrate the lives and experiences of people with learning disabilities. The theme this year is “Do You See Me?”—a powerful call to action to ensure that individuals with learning disabilities are seen, heard, and valued in all areas of life.
At Paragon Skills, we proudly stand with Mencap and the wider learning disability community. We believe that everyone deserves access to high-quality education and training that’s inclusive, empowering, and tailored to individual needs. Learning Disability Week is an important reminder of the work we must continue to do—not just this week, but every day—to create a world where all learners feel supported, respected, and able to thrive.
Seeing and supporting every learner
At Paragon Skills, we see every learner every time. It is our pledge and, through our team of dedicated Additional Learning Support (ALS) Coaches, is what we deliver. This commitment is brought to life through our dedicated team of Additional Learning Support (ALS) Coaches, who work closely with learners and tutors from day one We assess each learner’s cognitive profile to understand how they learn best—enabling us to personalise their experience and identify any previously unrecognised support needs. Our ALS team creates tailored support plans and ensures tutors are fully trained to make the necessary adjustments.
How we support learners with ALS needs:
Early identification and personalised support
Using Cognassist, we assess how learners think and process information. Those needing support access monthly modules to build self-awareness and develop effective learning strategies.
Expert-led environment
Our team is trained to support a wide range of needs, including ASD, ADHD, dyslexia, and sensory impairments. ALS Coaches provide ongoing guidance to both learners and tutors. Support plans are created at enrolment and regularly reviewed to stay aligned with learner needs.
Practical tools for success
Our MeNU of interventions includes one-off sessions and full 10-week programmes, covering areas like confidence, time management, and literacy—offering 1-2-1 support tailored to individual goals.
Accessible by design
Our curriculum includes built-in accessibility features like coloured overlays and immersive readers. We also provide bespoke Functional Skills arrangements and ensure all assessments include reasonable adjustments to remove barriers and support success.
Championing neurodiversity and wellbeing
We understand that learners with additional needs often carry the weight of past labels—“lazy,” “difficult,” or “unmotivated.” These misconceptions can impact self-esteem and mental health. At Paragon Skills, we reject those labels and instead celebrate the strengths and creativity that often come with neurodivergence.
Our approach is rooted in empathy, listening, and empowerment. We reassure learners that their needs are valid and that support is always available. We listen without judgment. And we help learners reframe their experiences—not as deficits, but as different ways of thinking that can become powerful assets.
Making a difference, together
This Learning Disability Week, we invite you to join us in recognising the importance of inclusion, visibility, and support. Whether you’re a learner, a parent, a tutor, or a colleague—you have a part to play in creating a more inclusive learning environment.
Let’s continue to ensure that every learner is seen, heard, and celebrated—not just this week, but always.
Find out more about Learning Disability Week here
If you would like to learn more about our apprenticeships and the support offered by Paragon Skills, Contact us via email us at hello@pgon.co.uk or call on 0800 783 2545
Or view information on our apprenticeship hub