Rethink Partners’ Post

This week is Learning Disabilities Week (Monday 17 - Sunday 23). The event, organised by the charity Mencap, and is an opportunity to raise awareness about different learning disabilities, what life is like for those who have one and to also celebrate what people with learning disabilities bring to society. Big Issue have dedicated this weeks magazine to the occasion. https://lnkd.in/eVWvQVfB Did you know that approximately 2.16% of adults have a learning disability? In an article, Learning Disability - Separating Fact from Fiction, the University of Nottingham notes - Although we are seeing many more people on our television screens and in the media who have disabilities, people with learning disabilities are experiencing more hate crime. One survey reported that 73% of people surveyed had experienced hate crime. (Health Education England 2018) Full article available at - https://lnkd.in/ePmtiJYf Whilst we are making progress, it is clear there is still a lot to be done to improve inclusion and accessibility for all disabled persons. Raising awareness and empowering individuals and organisations through knowledge is key.

Today, as part of Learning Disability Week, we reflect on the theme of inclusion with the poignant question, 'Do You Include Me?' We spotlight the critical importance of ensuring that people with learning disabilities are fully integrated and included in all aspects of society. Inclusion means more than just physical presence. It means actively inviting and valuing individuals with learning disabilities in our schools, workplaces, and social activities. It means creating environments where everyone can participate fully and be embraced for their unique contributions. 📊 Startling Statistics: 📊 Only 26.7% of adults with a learning disability are employed - yet 86% of unemployed people with a learning disability want a paid job. 📊 1 in 3 people with a learning disability spend less than one hour outside their home on a typical Saturday. 📊 Over 2,000 people with a learning disability and/or autistic individuals are currently in mental health hospitals, often due to a lack of community support and appropriate care alternatives. These figures remind us of the barriers that still exist and underscore the urgency of our mission to foster true inclusion. At James' Place, we are committed to challenging these statistics by ensuring our members feel included, valued, and supported in everything they do. But change doesn’t stop with us—it needs a community effort. 📢 This Learning Disability Week, let's all ask ourselves: 'Do I include?' Let's be the change that embraces diversity, enhances accessibility, and promotes equality. Join us in making inclusion a reality for everyone, every day. #LearningDisabilityWeek2024 #DoYouIncludeMe #InclusionMatters #JamesPlaceSupports

New resources are being introduced to help keep students with disabilities safer online. These tools aim to address their unique challenges and provide guidance for navigating the internet more securely. https://hubs.la/Q02V5nRy0 #OnlineSafety #InclusiveEducation #DisabilitySupport #StudentSafety

Supporting adults with learning disabilities to age meaningfully As people with learning disabilities age, their needs evolve, requiring more tailored support. A recent study funded by the NIHR (National Institute for Health and Care Research) highlights the growing demand for specialised care to address challenges like health, mobility, and social inclusion in later life. Families and caregivers are also seeking more guidance to navigate these changes effectively. It's crucial to develop long-term strategies that support ageing individuals with learning disabilities, ensuring their quality of life remains high. Discover more insights from this research below. https://ow.ly/MOM650TiIQV #ScienceforaSaferWorld

How Does SIL Enhance Independence for Individuals with Disabilities? Learn how SIL accommodation enhances independence for individuals with disabilities through personalised support, life skills, and community involvement. #DisabilitysupportMelbourne #SILAccommodationMelbourne To know more: https://lnkd.in/daQBGk9E

💜It's day 2 of Learning Disability Week 💜 "Do you understand me?" People with learning disabilities often face misconceptions and stereotypes that can be harmful and misleading. Our Specialist Support Team has created a Myth V Fact quiz to help bring a wider understanding of learning disabilities, so have a go! To see the answers, head over to the June edition of Eden Together, our monthly health and wellbeing magazine on our wellbeing page. In this, you’ll also find lots of helpful information about Learning Disability Week. Just click on the magazine image to read it: https://lnkd.in/eF2VusMy ✨Get involved with Learning Disability Week✨ 💜 Campaign with Mencap to challenge the barriers that people with a learning disability face. 💜Celebrate the amazing things that people with a learning disability are doing in your community. 💜Spread awareness of Learning Disability Week on social media by downloading and sharing the resources available. 💜Donate to Mencap to help them continue to campaign for people with a learning disability to live happy and healthy lives. #LearningDisabilityWeek #DoYouUnderstandMe #EdenTogether #Wellbeing #MythVsFact #Mencap #SpreadAwareness #SupportAndCelebrate

I want to use today's International Day of Persons with Disabilities to highlight the intrinsic need to involve neurodivergent young people and children in informing the development and delivery of our education sector. The theme this year is Amplifying the leadership of persons with disabilities for an inclusive and sustainable future. Much as that resonates within my day jobs, where I feel the need for change is most keenly felt is within the education system. Currently it does not, and cannot, meet the need of the majority of neurodivergent children and young people. And the biggest reason for that is it does not place neurodivergent voices and experiences at its heart. What I mean by this is: we hear of the pressure on Send budgets, of the need to create more spaces in Sen schools, of the exclusion of neurodivergent CYP from their education. But every time, we're hearing this from neurotypical educationalists and policy makers. Who, with the greatest respect, do not have the lived experience to understand either what is going wrong, or how to solve it. Yes funding is important, but the system is fundamentally flawed and no amount of funding will change that without listening. It doesn't matter how many Send school places we create, if those spaces don't understand and meet need. It doesn't matter how "inclusive" we think we're making schools, if we're not aiming for equity and what that means to neurodivergent people. We don't need creches for neurodivergent young people - we need education which meets need! - I want to see formal ed providers and policy makers understand how to meaningfully involve neurodivergent voices. - I want to see neurodivergent school leavers, or those unable to attend school, give their input into what went wrong for them, what worked well, and what they think needs to change. - I want to see those in positions to influence change stop being led on this subject by those who have no lived experience of it. - I want to see an understanding that if a child is neurodivergent, at least one of their parents will be. That reasonable adjustments must be understood and provided to enable parent / carer advocacy on behalf of their child. - And I want the underpinning stereotyping of what it is to be neurodivergent to be removed and replaced with an evidence based, neurodivergent led reality. Children and young people (and by extension their families) are being traumatised in our schools. We need to start clearly articulating this. It's rarely trauma on a scale of the article I shared last week. It's often low level, persistent misunderstanding of need and harmful stereotyping. And ultimately results in whole swathes of neurodivergent children and young people being prevented from accessing their education equitably. Currently, to the vast majority of society, that is totally acceptable. It is not. https://lnkd.in/ez9zmr8S