Jackie O’Sullivan, Executive Director of Communication,
Advocacy
Advocacy is when you get support to have your say.
and
Activism
Activism is taking action to make change. Going to a
campaign
A campaign is when people work together to try to change something.
event with others, writing letters and speaking up are all ways to take action.
at
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:
"The ‘r’ word has been used as an offensive slur directly towards people with a learning disability, or referring to them, for years. People have told us that they are shocked and upset by the title of this documentary."
"As a campaigning
organisation
An organisation are a group of people who work together.
we understand the desperate need to get people talking about the incessant bullying and outdated attitudes towards disabled people. But using triggering, upsetting and harmful language to spark debate comes at a cost.
If offensive words are to be eliminated in the narrative around disability, they must be taken out of circulation entirely. They should be regarded as truly unspeakable.
We’re concerned about how the views of people with a learning disability were considered in this situation. We have contacted Channel 4 to ask them about their editorial decisions and will invite them to discuss the genuine inclusion of people with a learning disability, whose views so often go unheard."
Download our media guide on working with people with a learning disability
What we think about Rosie Jones' upcoming Channel 4 documentary (Easy Read)
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.
or
case study
A case study is a piece of writing that tells people more information about someone's
experience
Experience is when you have learned or tried something before.
.
, please contact Mencap’s media team on: media@mencap.org.uk or 02076965414 (including out of hours).
Notes to editors:
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.