The Climate Change Course For People With Learning Disabilities

Bingo may not be the first thing you think of when you think of climate change.

But when you play with pictures of ideas for tackling the issue instead of numbers, it can help people like Patrick and Michael McKinney understand how they can make a difference.

The brothers both have special needs and live in supported accommodation.

They have completed a climate change training course for people with learning disabilities – thought to be the first of its kind in the UK.

Their accommodation is in Newtownstewart in County Tyrone.

And their top tips?

For Patrick, it is buying pre-loved clothes instead of new.

And for Michael, who loves gardening and growing flowers, it is collecting food waste for compost.

Michael is responsible for turning off the lights when the brothers leave the house in their new hybrid electric car.

Patrick mows the grass in the garden and puts the cuttings on the compost heap.

Both help sort recycling in their house and have reusable water bottles for when they go to the gym.

Patrick said the training was all “very good” – talking about animals, walking and learning about things they could do differently in the house.

The brothers attended classes over the course of several weeks in 2025.

‘Becoming a mum inspired me’

Hanna Coney works with the brothers in their Sperrins Supported Living Services.

She became a mother last year and found herself thinking more about the world her child would grow up in.

She thought the training would help build the brothers’ confidence and independence, but was surprised by just how much they got involved.

“The conversation of climate change can be quite a frightening topic, but I suppose for us as support workers, it’s to make sure that we’re not fear mongering the people we support.

“And they’ve really taken off with it.”

The training will be rolled out to other support services in 2026.

‘It’s been empowering’

According to the chief executive of Positive Futures, one of the groups behind the project, those with learning disabilities are affected differently by climate change.

Agnes Lunny said developing the training with Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful had broken down barriers faced by her members.

“They get excluded from all sorts of issues facing all citizens.

“I’m not saying that that’s a malicious intent, but it’s just, ‘oh, well, you know, it’s too difficult, we can’t really do it, we can’t make our material accessible, we can’t do it and really, they don’t understand anyway’.

“Well, of course they don’t, if the information isn’t shared and if the information that is shared is inaccessible.

“So it’s been incredibly empowering.”

What is climate change training?

Climate change training teaches people about how their choices affect the planet and how they can do things differently to reduce their impact.

The plastic bag levy has been used to fund the training, provided by Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful.

The charity’s Strategic Lead for Climate Action, Scott Howes, developed the course and adapted it for a special needs pilot.

“It’s as much about action as about involvement in being in the natural world,” he said.

“So they’re encouraged to go out, walk in the woods, make drawings of the natural world, explore places with friends, and to come back and talk about what they’ve discovered.

“From that, we lead into thinking about how we can impact the natural world, the damage we can do to it, and the whole range of different ways that we can reduce our impact.”