What does it mean to truly feel seen and heard? For Learning Disability Awareness Week 2026, the theme is “Do You See Me?”, a reminder that people with a learning disability want to be recognised, respected and included in the decisions that affect their lives. Through co-production, feedback, shared decision-making and lived experience, the people we support are helping shape support, improve accessibility and influence real change across AFG.
Listening and Taking Action
Every year, people we support complete our Annual People Supported Survey, giving people the opportunity to talk honestly about what is working well, what could be improved and what changes they want to see.
Last year, 92% of people supported completed the survey, helping ensure that a wide range of voices, experiences and opinions were heard across AFG. Most importantly, the feedback leads to action.
One of the biggest messages from last year’s survey was around recruitment. People told us they wanted to be more involved in choosing the colleagues who work with them. As a result, people we support are now helping to write interview questions, create job adverts, attend recruitment events, support interviews and help choose the right people to work at AFG.
Jon was involved in recruiting AFG’s Co-production Lead, Lisa. He said: “We helped create the interview questions and asked, ‘How will you hear my voice?’ We wanted someone who understands how important accessibility is for everyone.”
Rodney also got involved in recruitment events at a local college. He said: “I enjoyed talking to the students at the college.”
What Co-production Means at AFG
Co-production means working together as equal partners. At AFG, people with lived experience are not just asked for feedback after decisions have been made – they are involved from the beginning, to shape ideas, projects and services. People we support bring knowledge, experience and perspectives that help make services better for everyone.
Improving Quality Together
People we support are also helping shape what good support looks like across AFG by taking part in quality visits and audits at other homes and services. Their lived experience brings a different and valuable perspective. By asking questions, sharing ideas and giving honest feedback, people supported are helping improve experiences for others too.
John, a member of one of AFG’s forums in Lancashire, said: “We know what good support feels like.”
Making Information More Accessible
People we support are helping create and review Easy Read information, including welcome Booklets, information for families and carers and accessible resources and guidance. This work helps make information clearer and easier to understand so people can make informed choices and feel more independent. Together, the group:
✔ simplifies language
✔ removes difficult or clinical words
✔ chooses meaningful images
✔ reviews drafts and suggests improvements
Each review helps improve accessibility and gives people more control over information that affects their lives. One group member, Harry, explained: “People understand in different ways, everyone is unique so we make words simpler so that everyone can understand them.”
Building Confidence, Skills and Leadership
AFG is also co-producing training and development opportunities for people we support. This includes speaking in meetings, presentation skills, confidence building, decision-making and understanding co-production. The aim is to help more people feel confident sharing their views, influencing decisions and speaking up about what matters to them.
A word from Lisa, Co-production Lead: “Co-production is not an add-on to how we work at AFG, it is how we create better outcomes and stronger partnerships. The future of AFG will be built through co-production: listening deeply, creating together, and recognising that the best solutions come from shared experience.”