1.5 million people in the UK have a learning disability
We want a world where all people are listened to, valued and included, and not discriminated against because of their learning disability.
Our challenge, alongside people with a learning disability and their families, is to make this world a reality.
But right now, people with a learning disability face inequalities in every area of life.
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Education - the proportion of permanent exclusions in England accounted for by pupils with SEN was 45% in 2017-18
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Loneliness - Research suggests that 1 in 3 young people with a learning disability spend less than 1 hour outside their home on a typical Saturday
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Employment - only 5.9% of adults with a learning disability known to their local authority in England were in paid employment in 2018/19
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Healthcare - 1,200 people with a learning disability die needlessly every year in NHS care
How do we tackle these inequalities?
We work with governments and
organisations
Organisations are groups like companies and businesses.
to change policies and we
campaign
A campaign is when people work together to try to change something.
alongside thousands of people with a learning disability and their friends and families for the changes we want to see in society. We fund vital
research
Research is a way of finding out information which could come from books, or asking people what they think.
and we lead the way with our innovative services, empowering people to make life choices and have their say on the things that matter in their lives.
We put people first - always
Support workers have a massive impact on the lives of the people they support.
Through our services we want to make a difference to the lives of people with a learning disability here and now.
That means listening to them, understanding what they like, and supporting them to make decisions and achieve the things they want to achieve.
See what this looks like in practice
Watch Robyn's story and see how we're putting the people we support - and their life choices - front and centre.
When Martin discovered that Robyn liked going on bike rides, he fundraised to get a special bike that they could ride together.
Martin literally went the extra mile for Robyn, and they've travelled many miles on that bike since!
Our support workers up and down the country do amazing things like this every day. And it's people like this who, alongside people with a learning disability, are changing the world we know.
The right support can literally change someone's life
Watch Sufi's story - the right support from employers transformed Sufi's life and enabled him to shine in his job, and provide for his children's future.
"I would like to get more days in work, more hours in work. And the reason is to support my family financially, and for my children's
education
Education is when you learn things. When you fill in a form to get a job, education means you write where you went to school, college or university.
."
It's amazing what we can achieve with the right support.
Be part of the change
Whether you write to your MP, join #TeamMencap for one of our events, become one of our
volunteer
A volunteer is someone who helps out by doing work for free.
Sidekicks, or donate, you too are part of the movement.
With your support, we're moving towards the world we want - where all people are listened to, valued and included.
Donate to Mencap
There are currently 351,000 children (aged 0-17) with a learning disability in the UK. Without the right support from the start, many of these children will face an extremely challenging future.
By donating to Mencap you will directly be helping people with a learning disability develop skills and gain confidence to live a fulfilling and active life.