NHS England Learning Disability Network Manager Aaron Wood blogs on his values and what his role means to him:

I was born Sunday 3rd December 1989 and I am part Caribbean, part English and part Canadian.

I have a rare genetic mild disability called Kabuki Syndrome that affects one in 32,000 births worldwide.

I support Arsenal FC and Bradford Bulls, and I love my family, friends and good food.

I am happiest when at work, playing football for Bradford City Disability FC and being with people who mean a lot to me.

When I came across the opportunity of being a Learning Disability Advisor for NHS England I thought it was a perfect chance for me to show my ability to speak up for people with a disability and, or, autism.

I love to travel and always wanted a meaningful job. I have a lot of passion and I am very considerate when speaking out for the rights of people with a disability. I felt that working for NHS England would be an exciting new career and one I would relish.

I like meeting new colleagues and co-working with Beth, Thomas and Katie. I like that I have such a supportive team in Ogechi, Jo, Beth, Thomas and Katie.

I get to network all over England and meet others with a learning disability who attend various events.

I am also happy and proud to work with some senior people at NHS England – and I can finally say I met Simon Stevens!

What do I care about the most? I care about the responsibility of my role within NHS England. I care about my friends and family. I care about people with a disability getting a chance to have their say. I care about football and writing poetry, also networking with other adults with Kabuki Syndrome and their families.

And most importantly, I care about me!