Breaking Down Barriers (BDB) is a collaborative network bringing together organisations that support people living with rare, genetic and undiagnosed conditions. Whether you are a condition-specific support group, a regional or national charity, or an organisation with links to the rare, genetic and undiagnosed community, we would love to hear from you.

Our vision is to create a connected community where organisations can:

• Share knowledge, resources and good practice
• Learn from people with lived experience and experts by experience
• Access training, workshops, practical tools and top tips
• Collaborate on projects that improve inclusion, equity, accessibility and support for individuals, families and communities
• Develop stronger, more inclusive and sustainable organisations

As part of BDB, we are creating the RareSource IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility) Hub which is about much more than a set of resources and activities. It is about building trusted relationships, reducing stigma, strengthening community knowledge, and meeting the needs of our diverse communities.

Through the Hub, we will work alongside families, community leaders, Experts by Experience, young people, healthcare and research professionals, policymakers and BDB Network organisations to create practical resources, deliver community-based workshops, grow lived experience leadership, support and empower youth voices, and share learning that can influence services, research and policy.