Activism means taking action to make change. This could be working with others to spread your message or sharing your story with the people who can make the change happen.

Going to an event with others, writing letters and speaking up are all ways to be an activist.

You don’t have to be an expert and you don't need to go to protests.

You just have to be a person who wants to make a change with other people.

We have a team of dedicated activism coaches who cover four regions across England.

The team can support local activists with one-to-one coaching, tools, resources and training.

Policy Shapers are people with a learning disability, their family members, carers and/or other professionals who work with Mencap to influence laws and policies.  

Policy Shapers help us tell the government and decision makers what life is like for people with a learning disability, and what support people with a learning disability need to live their lives the way they want.

Mencap has a long history of campaigning and has been involved in creating important change for people with a learning disability. We believe that people with a learning disability, their families and their carers have the most powerful voice and want to make sure that these voices are heard. 

Some big moments for us include:

• Successfully campaigning for people with a learning disability to be prioritised for the COVID-19 vaccine in 2021.
• Securing an amendment to a law that meant all health and social care staff receive mandatory training in learning disability and autism , called Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training. We’ve started co-delivering this training alongside people with a learning disability up and down England.
• Helping secure legislation that means people who receive cost of living payments will not have them taken away through social care charging.
• Convincing government to increase the amount of money that people who receive social care get to keep from their benefits – worth up to £820 a year for single people aged between 18 and 65.
• Working in a coalition led by Money Saving Expert to extend the Energy Price Guarantee until June 2023, saving people hundreds of pounds on their energy bills.

There’s still more to do to make the UK the best place in the world for people with a learning disability to live happy and healthy lives – sign up to be an every activist today.

It isn’t always easy, standing up to unfairness. But taking campaign actions with Mencap can and does help make change happen. We saw it with our campaign which helped get people with a learning disability prioritised for COVID-19 vaccines, as well as our work on healthcare which changed the law to make sure all health and social care staff receive mandatory training about learning disability and autism.

Every story shared, petition signed or MP lobbied, helps get the message heard by MPs and their political parties and other people who make decisions that impact the lives of people with a learning disability. The more people take part, the more those in power understand that our supporters won’t stand by and let unfairness and discrimination continue.

Your actions make a difference. Join our community of everyday activists today. 

We currently have around 20,000 people signed up to campaign online with us, and support dozens of local groups around the country.

We’re always looking for new members of our online community of everyday activists. Join today or become an everyday activist to campaign for change in  your local community. 

We have a team of dedicated activism coaches who cover four regions across England. The team can support local activist with one-to-one coaching, tools, resources and training – and can put you in touch with other groups in your area.