This year’s Learning Disability Week theme ,“Do You See Me?”, asks something we don’t always stop to consider. Not just do you notice me, but do you really see me – for who I am, how I feel, and what I need?
At Bevan, one place where that question feels truly answered is our Me&U Café – a space for adults with learning disabilities, and run by adults with learning disabilities too. It’s not a service. It’s a community. A space created by the people who use it, in their own way, on their own terms.
Although we’re not promoting it widely right now due to limited capacity, it felt important to share what happens there, because it captures the heart of this year’s theme in such a real way.
The café isn’t just about coffee or activity. It’s about comfort. The kind of place where people can breathe, be themselves, and feel at ease. Some people come along for the chat and connection. Others just want a change of scene – a reason to get out of the house and into a warm, friendly space. But no matter what brings them in, the welcome is always the same: relaxed, respectful, and real.
There’s no strict programme. The people who come decide what happens. Some days that means cooking lunch together or learning how to use a barista-style coffee machine. Other days it might be celebrating someone’s birthday or doing something totally unexpected – like trying out graffiti art with a local artist. Not long ago, the group chose to go on a trip to Ilkley. For three of them, it was their first time ever on a train – in their late 20s. That moment, as simple as it was, meant a lot. It was new, exciting, and shared with others who understood.
Everything about our Me&U Cafe is shaped around the group. That means holding sessions during daylight hours so people feel more comfortable travelling away from the dark, and school/work rush hour, or arranging a taxi so someone can attend safely and still keep up with their routine. It’s those kinds of quiet decisions – the ones that often go unseen – that say, yes, we see you.
It’s not about flashy events. Though we do enjoy celebrating together – Diwali, Halloween, Christmas – the real magic is in the everyday; sitting side by side, trying something new and being around people who accept you exactly as you are.
This week, and every week, we want to recognise those moments. The ones that don’t always make the headlines, but make all the difference. To everyone who shows up – whether to talk, laugh, listen, or just be – we see you.
