A Beautiful Celebration: Launching Easy Read Materials for Learning Disabled and Autistic Women
- OML Admin
- Oct 2
- 3 min read
Yesterday, we had the absolute joy of celebrating something truly special: the launch of our brand-new Easy Read materials. Organised by Central Advocacy Partners (CAP), the event was the culmination of a year-long partnership with CAP, who piloted Own My Life through their Survivor Project for learning disabled and Autistic women.
They pilotted Own My Life in the Survivor Project for learning disabled and Autistic women, after their group worker Helen Heppenstall attended our facilitator training. Helen was blown away by the impact of the course on each woman, and how well the course worked.
She and the women in the group gave feedback on how the course could be improved for them.
Thanks to funding from Falkirk Council Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund, we worked closely with Helen and the expert content advisors (the women themselves) to co-create the Easy Read Own My Story journal and accompanying support resources. Yesterday’s launch was the moment we got to share this achievement with the world.
A Day of Joy and Togetherness
The event brought together groups from across Scotland’s Forth Valley and beyond, with a true sense of community filling the room. We were joined by Own My Life facilitators from Women’s Aid services in Glasgow, Monklands, and Clackmannanshire (later in the day, we enjoyed a joyous meal with staff and Own My Life graduates from Clacks Women’s Aid, where women spoke movingly about how the course had changed their lives).
At the launch, our founder and CEO, Natalie Collins, spoke alongside Helen Heppenstall and CAP’s Manager, Angela Reid. Yet, the most powerful voices of the day came from three incredible women who had taken part in CAP’s Own My Life courses.
They spoke with courage, honesty, and pride about the ways the course had changed them; helping them to identify their values, set boundaries, recognise abuse, and understand the wider cultural messages that contribute to it. They described building bonds of sisterhood with one another and highlighted the challenges of the original materials, which were sometimes overwhelming with too many words. Despite this, they persevered because of the course had helped them so much, and now, with Easy Read resources, they celebrated that future women will have a smoother and more accessible path.
Celebration and Hope
After heartfelt speeches, we enjoyed a delicious lunch and the chance to try out some Own My Life activities together. A group discussion followed, full of energy, reflection, and excitement for the difference these new resources will make.
The day ended just as it had begun: in celebration. With cupcakes, balloons, and smiles all around, we marked the launch not only of a set of Easy Read materials but of a brighter, more inclusive future, one where every woman has the tools, support, and sisterhood she needs to truly own her life.
✨ Yesterday was more than a launch. It was a joyful reminder of what’s possible when women come together, share their experiences, and shape resources that reflect their needs. We are so proud of this achievement and excited to see the difference these materials will make across Scotland and beyond.
If you (or women you know) are in the Forth Valley and are learning disabled or Autistic, you can contact CAP by CLICKING HERE to get involved with their next course.
CAP are keen to build the long-term security of their Survivors' Project. Please contact the HERE if you can help them with that.
If you work with learning disabled or Austistic women, you can book onto one of our training events HERE to be able to run Own My Life with groups or one-to-one.
If you're already an Own My Life facilitator, you can access the Easy Read materials and order our new journals on the e-Hub HERE.