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About the Awards

These free awards are open for entries until 3 February.

Together, we spotlight your stories, triumphs and extraordinary impact on our society.

It’s your turn to shine.

Guided and judged by the achievements of past winners, the Learning Disability and Autism Leaders Awards honours the invaluable contributions of people with learning disabilities and autistic people, whose exceptional work is often overlooked.

Did you know all photos and illustrations featured on this website are of or by winners, ambassadors and supporters?

Every year Dimensions runs the Learning Disability and Autism Leaders’ Awards…

with help from all our charity partner, supporters and ambassadors.
This year’s honorary partner is the Supported Loving campaign.

Open to anybody with a learning disability and autistic people, the awards do more than simply celebrate amazing people; they provide background lighting so winners can show why and how they’re Leaders.

Find out more about Dimensions

Meet our campaign partner

Supported Loving

Supported Loving is all about making sure people with learning disabilities and autistic people have the support they need to enjoy healthy, loving relationships.

We take a rights-based, person-centred approach, challenging outdated ideas and giving social care staff the tools and confidence to do better.

We develop resources, provide training and run webinars and network meetings to bring people together about making love a reality for everyone.

Research is at the heart of what we do. We work on projects that are shaped by the voices and experiences of the people we support, helping us understand what really makes a difference.

By combining lived experience with evidence-based approaches, we’re changing how sexuality and relationships are seen and supported in social care.

At Supported Loving, we believe everyone deserves the chance to experience love, connection, and intimacy – and we’re here to make that happen.

Dr Claire Bates Supported Loving founder at Choice Support

Stop the press!

Winners have been featured…

in the Guardian, BBC Radio 2, The i, Channel 5 News, Pick Me Up, Care Talk, Care Management Matters, Learning Disability Today, Daily Express, local BBC Radio and local newspapers.

You make this possible

More than 1,000 stories

entered, read and celebrated

Over 180 certificates

awarded to inspiring entrants

7 years of the Leaders Awards

and counting…

1m+

More than 1 million impressions on social media

260k+

Over 260,000 views to Leaders’ Award webpages

13k+

Over 13,000 engagements on social media

Follow @DimensionsUK on social media

Ambassadors past and present

Winner benefits

Finalists and winners are invited to a free exclusive awards ceremony to be presented with their award

Winners stories are published for our tens of thousands of social media followers and website visitors to read

Winners are given opportunities to get involved with our national campaigns

Did you know…

  • Anybody with a learning disability or autistic person can enter or be nominated.
  • No formal diagnosis is needed; self-diagnosis is valid.
  • It’s open to anybody, not just people receiving support.
  • Everybody gets a certificate for entering.
  • Finalists get another certificate.
  • Finalists and winners get invited to the awards ceremony.
  • The awards ceremony is free to attend – you don’t need to pay for a seat!
  • The venue and hosts for the 2025 awards will be announced soon….

“Be proud, of who you are”

Entries and nominations close on 3 February at 10am. It’s free for all, with each participant receiving a personalised digital certificate. Finalists are then invited to our exclusive, free award ceremony and winners’ stories and voices are shared for all to see.

Find out more

It is increasingly crucial to showcase the remarkable accomplishments of people with learning disabilities and those who are autistic. Regrettably, outdated societal perspectives persist, with some individuals (including some who run our country) failing to recognise the invaluable contributions, impacts, and voices of this important demographic. Platforms like these awards play a vital role in challenging such perspectives.
Ken Bruce DJ, Presenter and Leaders’ Awards Ambassador.