Public still discriminate against individuals with a learning disability
Research released today by health and social care provider, Turning Point, supports the view amongst many social care professionals that people with a learning disability are the most discriminated against group in society.
The poll found that nine out of ten people believe individuals with a learning disability still experience discrimination, with more than half (51 per cent) thinking they are the most discriminated against group in society. This comes above other groups often perceived to experience discrimination including homosexuals (44 per cent) and ethnic minorities (40 per cent).
The research shows that expectations about what individuals with a learning disability can achieve are low with a third of respondents thinking they cannot live independently or undertake employment.
Nearly a quarter of people surveyed (23 per cent) expect those with learning disabilities to be living in care homes, while nearly one in ten (8 per cent) say they would expect them to be cared for in a secure hospital out of town.
The survey also reveals a lack of knowledge about what constitutes a learning disability. For example, just under a third (32 per cent) wrongly identified mental illness as a learning disability, while almost a quarter (24 per cent) classified dementia as one.
Adam Penwarden, Turning Point’s Director of Learning Disability Services believes this lack of understanding is contributing to widespread discrimination. He says;
“People often think individuals with a learning disability are ‘different’ and discriminate against them because of this. As a sector, we need to work together to challenge preconceptions and show what a positive contribution to society people with a learning disability can make. This includes working, living independently and playing an active role within the local community.”
Leading learning disabilities champion and mother of a child with Down’s Syndrome, Rosa Monckton, said it was interesting that people with a learning disability are frequently stereotyped.
“When people were asked in the survey to describe a typical person with a learning disability they most frequently suggested negative characteristics such as having poor social skills, lack of confidence, shouting, being aggressive or slurred speech,” she said.
“Positive characteristics, for example being warm, extrovert or funny, scored far lower, showing people have pre-conceived ideas about how a person with a learning disability will think and behave.”
Ms Monckton said it was a great pity that despite advances in so many other areas of society, extreme prejudice still existed towards people with learning disabilities and that people don’t understand what a learning disability is or how to relate to people who have one.
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For more information please contact:
Sarah Creighton
Turning Point Press Office
020 7481 7632
Notes to Editors
About the survey
• The research for Turning Point was carried out online by Opinion Matters from 25- 29 June 2010 amongst a panel resulting in 1105 UK adult respondents
About learning disability
• Turning Point has produced a special factsheet with information and advice about living with a learning disability. The factsheet can be downloaded from the website http://www.turning-point.co.uk/News/Documents/LearningDisabilityFacts.pdf (opens link in new window).