Hello my name is Leah Jones.  I am a self-advocate and activist for people who have a learning disability in Halton. Self-advocacy means speaking up for yourself, believing in yourself, being confident, standing up for what you believe in but in a good way.

I am a very creative person. I love making art, performing and writing. I use my creativity as a self-advocate to promote the rights of learning disabled people like me, and to change people's mindsets about what we can achieve.

In 2013 I started my own business called Positive You.  It is an arts-based training programme which helps people with learning disabilities build confidence and self-esteem.  As well as delivering this training programme, Positive You also does one-day workshops and events. In 2016 I was awarded a grant from Wellbeing Enterprises to support me to do more work with Positive You in the community.

As well as Positive You, I work part-time as an administer for the Ella Performance Group, a group of people with and without disabilities with a wide range of ages who have been in different productions as a way to educate people and their mindsets about what people with disabilities can achieve.

​From January 2016 I have also been involved in an art research project called Art as Advocacy ran by Jade French. I am learning how to be a curator and in November 2016 at the Bluecoat in Liverpool, there will be an exhibition of art work curated by myself and four other people with a learning disability. This project is trying to find out f curating art is a good way for people with a learning disability to get their voice heard.