This month sees the return of Learning Disability Week, a welcome opportunity to come together to celebrate the achievements of people with learning disabilities. NHS figures estimate that around 1.5m people in the UK have a learning disability, but what does it mean? A lack of understanding of the range of conditions that exist means that many people face social prejudice every day. Mencap, the leading voice on learning disability, describes the term as “a reduced intellectual ability and difficulty with everyday activities – for example household tasks, socialising or managing money”. As a result many people with a learning disability are treated differently to others and often struggle to make friends. This year’s theme of ‘friendships and relationships’ aims to combat this problem by raising awareness of the crucial role that friendships play in helping people with a learning disability avoid social exclusion and feel valued within society.
Below are some more facts about the issues surrounding learning disability:
- Children with a learning disability are often socially excluded and 8 out of 10 children with a learning disability are bullied.
- Just 1 in 3 people with a learning disability take part in some form of education or training.
- Less than a third of people with a learning disability have some choice of who they live with, and less than half have some choice over where they live.
- People with a learning disability are 58 times more likely to die aged under 50 than other people. And four times as many people with a learning disability die of preventable causes as people in the general population.
- 1 in 2 families with a disabled child live in poverty.
- At least half of all adults with a learning disability live in the family home – meaning that many don’t get the same chances as other people to gain independence, learn key skills and make choices about their own lives.
To find out more about Mencap and what you can do to help, you can visit their website.