18 April 2008

Manifesto fights for change

 Mencap’s powerful new manifesto demands equality.

Every day Mencap hears from people with a learning disability who have to put up with discrimination.

The new Mencap manifesto explains why Mencap is angry that society still does not treat people with a learning disability as equal citizens. It says that more value must be placed on the role of their families and carers.

The manifesto sets out demands to make rights a reality and is targeted at key decision makers, including MPs and directors of social services.

Mencap’s head of campaigns and policy, David Congdon, says: “We wanted to say ‘this is what we are fighting for’. The manifesto is the background to all other parts of our work.”

The manifesto includes real life examples of rights and choices being denied. They highlight some of the issues that the UK’s 1.5 million people with a learning disability face.

Mencap will campaign for people with a learning disability:

• to be equal citizens, with control over their lives
• to have a childhood like any other child
• to get the support they need to live independently
• to be supported to get a job
• to lead a fulfilling life
• to have good healthcare
• to have the money to do what they want to do
• to have the opportunity to make friends, form relationships, and enjoy family life.

To download the Mencap manifesto, Making rights a reality, click here