Responding to The Tony Blair Institute for Global Change’s new report, An Emergency Handbrake for UK Welfare: Stabilising Spending, Supporting People
Jon Sparkes OBE, chief executive of
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:
‘This is a deeply unhelpful and ill-informed contribution that ignores the lived reality of people with a learning disability and plays to a populist trope about welfare. We should be backing our young people not penalising them.
‘Our evidence is clear: people with a learning disability want to work. What they lack is consistent, specialist support and employers willing and equipped to give them a fair chance.
‘Slapping labels on people and denying them benefits will not tackle the root cause. It will push people into deeper anxiety, misery and poverty. That’s not reform, it’s a recipe for making things worse.”
For further information, please contact Mencap’s media team on: [email protected] or 02076 965414 (including out of hours).
Note to editors
About Mencap
Mencap exists to ensure the UK is the best place in the world for people with a learning disability to live happy and healthy lives. We support people directly and
campaign
A campaign is when people work together to try to change something.
with people with a learning disability, their families and carers. We work to change laws, increase representation and campaign for better health,
social care
Social care means the services that give care and support to people who need it.
and
employment
Employment means having a job.
opportunities for the 1.5 million people with a learning disability in the UK.
What is a learning disability?
- A learning disability is a reduced intellectual ability which affects someone for their whole life. Typically, people with a learning disability need more time to learn and process information. They may need extra support to develop skills, complete tasks and interact with others, or they may have more complex needs requiring round-the clock care. The level of support needed is different for everyone and may change during a person’s lifetime.
- Learning disability is NOT a mental illness or a learning difficulty. Often, the term ‘learning difficulty’ is wrongly used in place of ‘learning disability’. Having a learning difficulty (such as ADHD or
dyslexia
Dyslexia is a learning difficulty. People who have dyslexia can find it hard to read, write and spell.
) may mean a person learns at a different pace or in a different way BUT – unlike a learning disability - it does not affect a person’s intellect. With the right support, most people with a learning disability can lead happy, healthy, independent lives. At Mencap, it’s our mission to remove societal barriers and shatter misconceptions to make this more possible for more people.
Mencap’s guide to reporting on Learning Disability
When it comes to creating content with people with a learning disability, we know many people feel nervous about saying and doing the wrong thing. Our guide for journalists, covers everything from up-to-date facts and figures to the right language to use. It also includes tips on how to work with people with a learning disability to gather the best content.
