Lloyd Page
I’ve been a
volunteer
A volunteer is someone who helps out by doing work for free.
for Mencap for 24 years and I’m also the Mencap
spokesperson
A spokesperson is someone who speaks up about something. They usually speak up on behalf of a group or
organisation
An organisation are a group of people who work together.
.
on health.
I’m very passionate about better healthcare for people with a
learning disability
A learning disability is to do with the way someone's brain works. It makes it harder for someone to learn, understand or do things.
. I think people with a learning disability have a right to equal treatment to healthcare. I think that hospitals should make documents in
Easy Read
Easy Read is a way of making written information easier to understand. Pictures are usually added next to the writing.
and have Easy Read signs in their buildings.
I sit on a Learning Disability Working Group at a London hospital. The group is run by a learning disability nurse. I help the group understand the needs of patients with a learning disability. I also recently gave a presentation to some student learning disability nurses who are at university. Learning disability nurses are great and I think all hospitals should have one!
Good healthcare is so important to people like me. When I think about how many people with a learning disability die young because of poor treatment, it makes me want to break down in tears.
Treat me well
Treat me well is Mencap’s new
campaign
A campaign is when people work together to try to change something.
. We want the NHS to know how to treat people with a learning disability better. I think everyone should learn about the campaign.
We want everyone who treats a patient to learn about reasonable adjustments. A reasonable adjustment is when a person goes into hospital and asks for extra support like a double appointment or information in Easy Read, so they can have an equal
service
A service gives people what they need, like healthcare services that help people when they are ill, and support services that give people support.
to everyone else. Reasonable adjustments are powerful and really help us when they are put in place. All healthcare professionals should offer reasonable adjustments as well.
My message for people with a learning disability reading my blog is this: keep as healthy as you can and do exercises. Learn about your
rights
Rights are the things everyone should be allowed to do like have a say, or go to school.
and get involved with our Treat me well campaign.
And my message for healthcare professionals is to please treat patients with a learning disability well, give us respect, and think about what reasonable adjustments you can give to help us.
Find out more
Visit the Treat Me Well homepage to find out more about the campaign and how you can get involved.