Mencap Northern Ireland - Opening up new worlds of opportunity

Monday 20 June 2005

Sunday 26 June 2005

Event

Did you know?

An estimated 2% of the Northern Ireland population has some form of learning disability, amounting to over 33,000 people.

Of these, 16,336 are known to Health and Social Services and over 4,000 have a severe or profound learning disability.

Every day a family in Northern Ireland finds out their child has this most common form of life-long disability.

Research carried out last year shows that many of the general public do not understand what it means to have a learning disability.

For example, when asked to name a learning disability more than 50% of the public named dyslexia and a quarter of the respondents were so unsure what a learning disability was that they provided no answer at all.

There was also a strong belief that a learning disability is curable and/or a form of mental illness.

What is a learning disability?

A learning disability affects someone's intellectual and social development throughout his or her life.

This used to be known as having a 'mental handicap', but this term isn't used any more because most people find it offensive.

What causes a learning disability?

Learning disability can be caused by genetic factors - for example, Down's syndrome - or it can come from how the brain develops before or during birth.

What form does a learning disability take?

There are many different types of learning disability - they can be mild, moderate or severe.

Some people with a mild learning disability do not need a lot of support in their lives. But other people may need support with all sorts of things, like getting dressed, going shopping, or filling out forms.

Some people with a learning disability also have a physical disability. This can mean they need a lot of support 24 hours a day.

What does Mencap Northern Ireland do?

Mencap in Northern Ireland works in local communities with people with a learning disability and their families and carers, fighting to end discrimination and prejudice, and providing a range of advice, information and support services.

What can you do?

Every person with a learning disability can make choices about how they want to live - they just need the right support for these choices to be fulfilled.

Help us to open up new worlds of opportunities for people with a learning disability

For more information about Learning Disability Week in your area telephone 028 9069 1351