Mencap urges end to discrimination against people with learning disabilities

Nine out of 10 people think the next Government must take action to try and end discrimination against people with learning disabilities, a poll commissioned by leading learning disabilities’ charity Mencap suggests.

Ninety per cent of people think that efforts must be redoubled to tackle issues facing those with learning disabilities, the survey of 2,000 Britons found.

The charity said that it is contacted on a daily basis by people who have been the victims of discrimination such as hate crimes or being illegally excluded from a school.

Mencap has launched its new campaign, Hear My Voice, ahead of the 2015 general election calling on political parties to do more to help improve the lives of people with learning disabilities and their families. Currently 1.4m people are estimated to have a learning disability in the UK.

Mencap chief executive Jan Tregelles said: "Our poll shows that people with a learning disability and their families have the overwhelming support of the British public, who believe they should have the same chances in life as anybody else.

"And far from being a niche issue, 40 per cent of the general public are in contact with someone with a learning disability on a regular basis.

"Politicians of all ilks should be ashamed that in 21st century Britain, some of the most vulnerable children and adults in our society get poor healthcare, are victims of horrendous hate crimes, and don't get access to good state education. The British public finds this unacceptable.

"We hope that Hear My Voice - our campaign to empower people with a learning disability to talk to candidates who are standing for election about the issues that are most important to them - will help increase awareness of what needs to change. There is public demand to bring about this change - candidates must listen."