Our Executive Director, Danny Curtin has been developing and strengthening Beyond Words over the last 5 years and has brought us to a position where we can recruit our first full time Chief Executive. 

Beyond Words’ new two year project to support people with learning disabilities and autism to find work has been launched today by Damian Green, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.

The project, backed by £280,000 of DWP investment, will include four new picture books to promote group discussions on finding and keeping a job. Beyond Words is a Social Enterprise which already produces unique books, services and training for people who find pictures easier to understand than words. 

We are offering a 20% discount on 5 of our most popular paperbacks! These stories help us to communicate, connect and imagine, together.  A perfect Christmas present for teenagers and adults with learning disabilities.

Beyond Words has released its calendar for 2017, containing images from our book clubs, training sessions and book launches. The calendar has been co-produced with our Kent book clubs.

Buy your copy here.

Beyond Words’ book Getting on with Epilepsy has been the focus of a recent study, analysing ‘Wordless intervention for people with epilepsy and learning disabilities (WIELD).’ The study consisted of 40 participants, each of whom has a learning disability and epilepsy. Over the course of five months, the researchers found that participants experienced ‘improvements from the intervention [the provision of Getting on with Epilepsy] in their epilepsy-related knowledge, confidence and anxiety’.

Beyond Words Founder, Baroness Sheila Hollins, Beyond Words Director Barry Carpenter and Leeds University’s Jo Egerton have written an article highlighting the benefit that our book clubs are having for people with learning disabilities. The article, titled ‘Book clubs for people with LD – evidence and impact on wellbeing and community participation of reading wordless books’, will be published in the journal ‘Advances in Mental Health and Intellectual Disabilities’.

Books Beyond Words has launched two new titles to support people with learning disabilities in crucial areas of healthy living. Launched in Covent Garden on 1 November, Rose Gets in Shape and Going to the Dentist are designed to support people to manage their weight and promote good oral care. 

Speaking at the launch, Prof Parveen Kumar, Chair of the BMA Board of Science, said “These books will have an important impact on public health.”

Baroness Sheila Hollins, Founder of Books Beyond Words, said: “There are challenges in anyone’s lives to live healthily, and these challenges increase when there are obstacles in communication and understanding. These new books help to break down the barriers and support the health education of people with learning disabilities, so that they can make choices about their lifestyle, and when to access health care. This is about health literacy, and empowering everyone to play an active part in managing their own health.”

We are delighted to announce the launch of two new titles in the Books Beyond Words series. Rose Gets in Shape and Going to the Dentist focus on specific areas of risk for people with learning disabilities, obesity and oral health. Both are major risks for people with learning disabilities, where the prevalence of both is much higher than in the general population. Risk factors, such as poor diet, lack of self-care and social exclusion are common causes of weight problems and poor oral health. These books will help dismantle some of the barriers that stop people accessing public health education and primary care and preventative services.

Baroness Hollins spoke passionately at the House of Lords on Thursday 13 October about the necessity for libraries within our society. Libraries form the basis of many of the Beyond Words’ book clubs, providing people with learning disabilities the opportunity to share their feelings in a safe and welcoming environment. As Baroness Hollins says, “We should never underestimate the personal, social and cultural capital that comes from belonging to and participating in such valued mainstream activities and facilities.” 

Mental health and mental wealth is about everybody. We’ve spent three successful days discovering and rejoicing in so many different ways to enhance our mental health. The festival, brought together by Books Beyond Words and City Lit, celebrated the numerous ways we can all contribute towards our own and others’ mental wellbeing. There is no health without mental health: it is the key to our wellbeing.