The 21-year-old, who has
autism
Autism is a disability. Autistic people find it difficult to understand what other people think and feel. They also find it difficult to tell people what they think and feel. Everyone with autism is different.
, Prader-Willi syndrome, septo-optic dysplasia and 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.
, drew the 21.3 metre-long picture of his favourite train – a Thameslink engine and carriages.
To set a Guinness World Record, Mr Price had to draw a picture longer than 20 metres. He began the challenge last month during Mencap’s Learning Disability Week.
Mr Price, who lives at the National Star College, near Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, spent four weeks making the artwork as he is keen artist and train enthusiast – with his favourite train being the Gatwick Express.
Adjudicators from Guinness World Records travelled to the college and, with the help of staff, unrolled the drawing in a courtyard to measure it.
After confirming Mr Price had set a new world record, they presented him with a certificate in front of his mother, teachers and friends.
He is one of several ‘Mencap
myth
A myth is an idea about something that is not true.
busters’ who want to challenge misconceptions about learning disability and
campaign
A campaign is when people work together to try to change something.
for change.
His mother said: “I’m absolutely thrilled for Harvey. I can’t believe he’s got his own Guinness World Record. It’s fantastic.
“He’s worked so hard on completing his drawing and I think he’s done amazingly well.
“We officially have a Guinness World Record holder in the family and everyone is so happy for him.”
Louise Adams, Mr Price’s art tutor, said: “Harvey worked incredibly hard on this 21-metre train.
“It was a very physical challenge but Harvey demonstrated what a focused young man he is with an impeccable
knowledge
Knowledge is knowing a lot about something.
of trains.
“We are very proud of Harvey for what he has achieved throughout this challenge.”
The record was achieved under the Guinness World Records impairments initiative, which has been developed alongside Mencap.
The initiative allows reasonable adjustments to be made for record bids to better include people with learning disabilities.
Alison Pike from Mencap said: “Harvey is continuing to bust myths and preconceptions about what it means to live life with a learning disability, and we are delighted that his passion for trains has led to him being a world record breaker.
“We’re looking forward to continuing our work with Guinness World Records to encourage more people with a learning disability to take on a world class challenge.
“Who knows what weird and wonderful record could be set next.”
Will Munford, a Guinness World Records adjudicator, said: “This record in particular that Harvey has achieved showcases artistic talent, the patience and focus required to set a Guinness World Records title and it is an honour to adjudicate it.”
*For further information contact Mencap’s media team on: media@mencap.org.uk or 02076965414 (including out of hours).
About Mencap:
There are approximately 1.5 million people with a learning disability in the UK. Mencap works to support people with a learning disability, their families and carers by fighting to change laws, improve services and access to
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.
,
employment
Employment means having a job.
and
leisure
Leisure is when you have time to do things you enjoy like playing sports or going to the pub.
facilities. Mencap supports thousands of people with a learning disability to live their lives the way they want: www.mencap.org.uk
For advice and information about learning disability and Mencap services in your area, contact Mencap’s Freephone Learning Disability Helpline on 0808 808 1111 (10am-3pm, Monday-Friday) or email helpline@mencap.org.uk.
What is a learning disability?
-
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 – which affects someone for their whole life;
-
Learning disability is NOT a mental illness or a learning difficulty, such as dyslexia
Dyslexia is a learning difficulty. People who have dyslexia can find it hard to read, write and spell.
. Very often the term ‘learning difficulty’ is wrongly used interchangeably with ‘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.