Dan Scorer, Head of Policy at the
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.
charity Mencap, said:
“Time and time again, evidence has shown people with a learning disability are facing devastating barriers to accessing healthcare – they are dying 25 years younger than the general population [i] and are three times more likely to die avoidably. This report clearly shows the vital role that learning disability nurses play in so many health and care settings, and the important work they do to address some of the most shocking challenges faced by people with a learning disability.
“Learning disability nurses can make all the difference to a group of people so often forgotten. And whilst there has been some progress to boost training and recruitment, we need to see the Government
The Government are the people who run the country. The Government decide how much tax people should pay and how things like the National Health Service (NHS) should work. urgently address the sustained fall in learning disability nurse numbers - particularly across England.
“These specialist nurses sit at the heart of changes we need to see - improving health outcomes and access to treatment for people with a learning disability, and investing in community
A community is the people and places in an area. services to reduce in-patient unit admissions. Governments, health and care agencies across the UK need to step up to meet the challenges the Royal College of Nursing has clearly set out.”
-ENDS-
For further information or to arrange an
interview
An interview is a meeting where you talk to someone or a group of people about something. When you have an interview for a job, you have to answer questions and say why you would be good at the job. The person who gives the best answers is offered the job.
with a 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.
.
or
case study
A case study is a piece of writing that tells people more information about someone's experience.
, please contact Mencap’s media team on: media@mencap.org.uk or 020 7696 5414 (including out of hours).
Notes to editors:
[i] University of Bristol (2021) University of Bristol LeDeR annual report 2020
Data from LeDeR’s report suggests that in 2018-2019, the disparity between the median age at death for people with a learning disability (age 4 years and over) and the general population (all ages) was 23 years for males and 27 years for females.
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 can cause problems 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.