FestABLE keynote speaker is BBC broadcaster Ade

Broadcaster and former Paralympian Ade Adepitan has been named as the keynote speaker at FestABLE, the National Festival of Specialist Learning, being staged at National Star in July.

Ade, who survived polio as a youngster, passionately campaigns for people with disabilities to accept no boundaries to their ambition after his supportive parents encouraged him to make the most of every possibility after he moved to England from Jamaica.

Second year for FestABLE

Now in its second year, FestABLE 2020 will bring together young people, families and professionals to discuss and learn about the challenges facing young people with disabilities in education.

Ade will explain how he refused to see his wheelchair as an obstacle to sporting success and the value for him in building strong community networks in order to make the most of opportunities as they present themselves.

Workshop schedule 

Workshops and talks being planned for the day-long event include:
• Exploring how parents of children with disabilities can ensure their voices are heard
• How to build strong community networks to support students with disabilities as they progress out of education
• Exploring whether the key milestones that young people experience as they journey to adulthood – getting a job, moving into their own home, going to University and enjoying an active social life – are similar for disabled young people and their non-disabled peers.
• A review of the future of SEND

As well as formal workshops and presentations there will be a wide range of drop-in family activities for people of all ages including arts and crafts, music and drama.

Targeted at young people with disabilities, families and professionals the Festival attracted hundreds of participants when it was first staged in 2018.

Feedback from the 2018 event

“This is THE Festival to attend in 2020. Absolutely the phenomenal space to be in. For everyone.”

“I’ve been to a fair few events in my time but this was something truly extraordinary. My brain stretched and my heart sang and I made friends for life.”

Now in its second year it is expected that even more people will attend the one-day event.
Details of other speakers involved in the event are expected to be revealed in the coming weeks. In the meantime tickets, which cost just £20 for adults, with under 16s going free, can be purchased at FestABLE