There are about 1.5        million people in the UK        who have a learning       disability 9 out of 10 people with        a learning disability have        experienced bullying this        year A major problem for        people with a learning       disability is that other       people do not understand       what it means for       someone  to have a       learning disability [Statistics from Mencap]

A learning disability is not a mental illness; unlike mental ill health, a learning disability is life-long. However, those with a learning disability are more susceptible to mental health problems such as stress and depression. There are many different types of learning disabilities from mild and moderate to severe. All learning disabilities influence a person’s ability to learn or do everyday things. Most causes of learning disabilities are unknown; some are inherited ~ for example Down Syndrome. Those who have a learning disability have an awareness of what is going on around them but may be limited in their ability to express and communicate themselves. For more information on learning disability visit: The British Institute of Learning Disabilities www.bild.co.uk Mencap www.mencap.org.uk The Foundation for people with Learning Disability www.learningdisabilities.org.uk Disability Action www.disabilityaction.org Disability Rights Commission www.drc-gb.org

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