Natalie - My personal experiences with learning disabilities have opened my eyes to the inequality that these people face. My brother is suspected of having autism, but due to experiencing atypical symptoms ( most commonly exhibited by those who are biologically female like him) and masking in school (since a school teacher who barely knows him has to report whether she thinks he is autistic) there is the possibility he will struggle to receive a diagnosis. Instead he would be more likely to be diagnosed with borderline personality disorder due to his symptoms not being stereo-typically autistic as he is "too young" for a diagnosis - despite the fact he is 14. I have honestly learnt more about learning disabilities through social media, than I have at school, where people with these disabilities go every day and are so misunderstood. This needs to change and our goal is to raise awareness and support L'arche in its aim!

Hi I'm Vin and i want to fundraise for L'arche because I am autistic and have had bad experiences in school due to them not being educated on how to reach my support needs. For the entirety of year 8 i didn't go a week without being sent home because i had a meltdown that the staff couldn't handle. I was denied going to a school specifically for people with high support needs because I wasn't "bad enough" and the school didn't want to pay for my assessment. I don't anyone else to have to deal with school and home environment they can't learn and thrive in. I hope to bring more awareness to how disability affects school life and how schools need to do better in their accomodations.

Natalie Phillips