Growing up I have had the privilege of having an extremely supportive family for the most part. My mother has always been my rock. However, this isn’t to say it was always easy. I subconsciously felt less than my sibling growing up and often felt responsible for him in situations my immediate family was not … Continued
My sister is 3 years older than me and has William’s syndrome. When I was 14 – 17 years-old, these were some things we would do together. When I was too young to take her out, we spent a lot of time doing activities at home. I always tried to do something that we both … Continued
Five adult siblings tell us about their experiences of genetic screening and genetic counselling. “I’ve had genetic screening and genetic counselling twice, the first time I was 16 to see if I was a carrier for the DMD [Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy] gene. I would want someone to know that there is no shame in wanting … Continued
Being the sibling of someone with a disability is a story that’s hard to tell, not because it’s difficult to remember or describe, but because, for me, it’s just life. My sister is three years younger than me, and from the very beginning, her journey has been completely her own. She was born with a … Continued
Hear more about the experiences of siblings in the video below, which was created in 2021 to celebrate Sibs 20th anniversary
“Tired of Spinning Plates” is a project to understand and improve the mental health experiences of carers of adults with learning disabilities. Sibs is a partner of this project. Four sibling carers made short films about their experiences, which you can watch below. Click here to find out more about the Tired of Spinning Plates Project. … Continued
I am the middle child. Three words to sum up my life as a sibling would be responsibility, patience and loneliness. My younger brother, Richard, has Downs’ Syndrome and now early onset dementia and my older brother, David, was diagnosed with schizophrenia in his late teens. I was the reliable one; the responsible one; the … Continued
Whenever I’ve been asked to describe my life being the younger sibling to someone with a disability, I always use the same analogy: It’s like walking into a film that’s halfway through. The reason I use this analogy is because I have only been around following my sister’s illness. My images of life before I … Continued
Sam Carlisle (2025) ‘A STAKE IN THE HEART’ I felt I’d failed my brother, 17, on day he died & couldn’t say his name as I hid the pain, says Traitors star Alexander’ Kelle Salle (2024) ‘I was just 7 years old when I saw my brother laughed at for his disability’ Emma Dooney (2023) … Continued
Sib as a Human (2026 – current) “Come explore the messy, beautiful and complex experience of what it’s like to be a sibling to someone with disabilities, how that impacts our lives, and how we can balance taking care of and loving ourselves, with all the ways we care for others.” Hosted by Sheena Brevig … Continued