Dan Scorer, Head of Policy 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:
“Data released today by the Learning Disabilities Mortality Review (LeDeR) highlights the tragic loss of life of people with a learning disability during this crisis. Of the deaths reported to LeDeR, 60% of deaths of people with a learning disability in a week (8th – 15th January) were COVID related.
“Shockingly, not everyone with a learning disability is being prioritised for the vaccine
A vaccine is medicine that helps your body to fight an infection in the future. , despite them being over 6 times more likely to die from coronavirus - and at a younger age. While people with a severe or profound learning disability are prioritised in group 6 – and adults with Down’s syndrome in group 4 – others with a mild to moderate learning disability aren’t being prioritised at all.
“This is despite LeDeR data stating that the majority (65%) of people with a learning disability who died from COVID in the first wave had a mild or moderate learning disability. Mencap is urgently calling for all people with a learning disability to be prioritised for the vaccine to help protect
Protect means keeping someone or something safe. against needless loss of life.”
LeDeR's data is available here.
-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
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.
, please contact Mencap’s media team on:
- media@mencap.org.uk
- 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.
Visit 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.