Edel Harris OBE, Chief Executive of 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:
“We welcome today’s announcement which is a huge step in the right direction and will make a significant improvement to the lives of many people living with a learning disability and
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.
.
“For the last decade, Mencap has campaigned tirelessly alongside families, carers and other disability groups to ensure that people with a learning disability who have no mental health issue cannot be sectioned under the Mental Health Act and detained.
“Laws are supposed to
protect
Protect means keeping someone or something safe.
people, yet this outdated legislation has continued to fail people with a learning disability and/or autism. There are currently over 2,000 people locked away in institutions, the vast majority detained under the Mental Health Act. Many are subject to physical restraint, solitary confinement and overmedication. They face increased
abuse
Abuse is when someone bullies you and does or says something to you that makes you feel hurt, upset or scared.
and
neglect
Neglect is when you are not being cared for or supported.
, and are often forced to live many miles away from their families inside institutions.
“We welcome the Government’s Mental Health Act reforms which recognise that a learning disability is a lifelong disability and not a mental health problem. People deserve to live in homes, not hospitals, and this legislation will support efforts to put a stop to this
human rights
Human
rights
Rights are the things everyone should be allowed to do like have a say, or go to school.
are the rights that everyone has. These include the right to go to school and the right to start a family.
scandal once and for all. The challenge for the Government now is to develop suitable
community
A community is the people and places in an area.
-based support and housing to prevent people with a learning disability and autism from being admitted to institutions in the first place.
“We look forward to the Government action plan on ‘Building the Right Support’, which should prioritise delivery of the right support at the right time. Families have waited too long to see their loved ones living fulfilling lives in the community, and these reforms are a vital step in protecting human rights.”
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
Experience is when you have learned or tried something before.
.
, please contact Mencap’s media team on: media@mencap.org.uk or 020 7696 5414 (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.