Made visible through portraits

3 July 20253 July 2025 — Summer 2025

People with profound and multiple learning disabilities (PMLD) are rarely represented in the media and the arts, and their personalities and individuality are not often highlighted. A photography project has challenged this lack of visibility, writes Saba Salman

Front and Centre, by rights-based organisation Changing Our Lives, highlights the lives of 14 people with PMLD.

The project uses family portraiture to share the character and stories of individuals whose voices are often unheard.

Front and Centre features a series of portraits by Katie Seymour, a Changing Our Lives associate. Seymour’s work emphasises a person’s individuality and personality over their disability.

The work was launched at the Ikon Gallery in Birmingham in April, with the exhibition funded by the Inclusive Communities Fund.

The portraits – some of which you can see here – are free to view on the Changing Our Lives website.