TAVISTOCK based Sally Austen and Ian Cole have both won prizes in a national competition to find personal photographs and stories that give a unique insight into the everyday lives of people with a learning disability. And now their pictures and story are on display at the Victoria and Albert Museum until the end of April.
Neither Ian nor Sally were able to attend the prize giving ceremony in London, so a special ceremony is being organised for them by the Devon Mencap District Committee. The prizes were presented by Keith Portlock OBE at Wonford House Hospital on Friday. They will be joined by around 10 of their proud friends from Molly Owen Day Centre in Tavistock .
Sally Austen entered a picture entitled ?Flying Over Waves? of herself learning to surf at Widemouth. She said: ?We had a week at Widemouth outdoor centre last summer and I love this photo. We had to wear a wetsuit and funny hat. I was scared at first then I laughed and laughed and kept falling off. It was my best day ever and I would like to go again.?
The picture earned her a Highly Commended in the competition category ?Having fun, days out and play?.
Ian Cole was a runner up in the same category with a photograph of himself playing the drums.
Now both pictures are on display at the Victoria and Albert. They had originally been scheduled to go up from February 14 until March 13, but it has been so popular that the museum has decided to keep the display up until the end of April.
The display brings together over 30 of the best photographs and stories by and about people with a learning disability in a nationwide competition organised by Mencap.
The photographs and stories give many differing perceptions ? both good and bad ? of what it means to have a learning disability in the UK today. There are 1.5 million people with a learning disability in the UK, and 9 out of 10 face being bullied and discriminated against all their lives. Mencap is fighting to change this.
l Left is the prize winning picture of Sally Austin learning to surf.