Man talking with support worker

Talk To Me

Through our ‘Talk To Me’ campaign we want to highlight the need for greater progression, understanding and inclusion of people with a learning disability .

As part of our 75th anniversary, we commissioned some research about perceptions of the1.5 million people in the UK who have a learning disability.

Two thirds of people in the UK do not know what a learning disability is. 

40% of people surveyed thought dyslexia was a learning disability.

28% thought a learning disability related to a mental health issue.

Read the full press release with survey results

View our Easy Read version

Talk To Me

For our Talk To Me campaign we have pulled together some amazing tools and online resources to help people better understand learning disability.

Ways to get involved

We've got loads of great ways for you to get involved with our 75th!

Quiz

So, you want to find out more about what a learning disability is and educate yourself. GO YOU, and thank you.

First off, why don’t you take a quick quiz to test your knowledge of what a learning disability is? Go on, it’ll only take a couple of minutes. Head here to give it a go, and good luck!

Sign our pledge

A pledge is like a promise. Add your name here to Mencap’s pledge to educate yourself about what a learning disability is, learn more about how you can talk to people with a learning disability and make the UK to be the best place in the world for people with a learning disability to live happy and healthy lives.

Request a craftivism pack

Activism + craft = Craftivism! We've got templates and instructions to get you started with hosting your own craftivism session, bringing your voice to our fun and colourful bunting flags. Find out more here

Mencap’s definition of a learning disability

With our survey revealing that two thirds of people in the UK don’t know what a learning disability is, we wanted to make it really easy to find out and understand:

A learning disability is

A learning disability is a reduced intellectual ability which means that people might need support with everyday tasks – for example shopping and cooking, or travelling to new places.  It is usually diagnosed around birth or in early years and affects someone for their whole life.

Learning disability is NOT

Learning disability is NOT a mental illness or a learning difficulty, such as dyslexia . Very often the term ‘learning difficulty’ is wrongly used interchangeably with ‘learning disability’. 

About learning disability

People with a learning disability can take longer to learn new things and may need support to develop new skills, understand difficult information and engage with other people. The level of support someone needs is different with every individual. For example, someone with a severe learning disability might need much more support with daily tasks than someone with a mild learning disability.   

Having a learning disability

We spoke to some of the community about what having a learning disability means to them. Watch this video made in 2019, of Vijay, James, Leroy, Amy and Emily explaining.

Our 75th birthday

Over the last seven and a half decades we have worked hard to ensure people with a learning disability become more visible and active in society, but even today there is still a need for further progress.

 

Judy Fryd

Judy Fryd

Judy Fryd kick-started the movement to create change for people with a learning disability, and eventually the creation of Mencap.

This wonderful image was created by Caroline who is supported in her home by Mencap.

Lord Rix

Our history

Take a look back with us to uncover the key milestones in Mencap's rich history, and get a glimpse of the fight for equal rights and opportunities for people with a learning disability that we have been part of over the last 75 years –