Funding shortages are leading to people in need being denied services. Service provision is a growing postcode lottery.

Key Facts

• Most Social Services departments are restricting access to services by tightening the eligibility criteria.

• People with a learning disability often have little choice in where they live or whom they live with.

• 60% of people with a severe learning disability live with their parents.

• 25,000 people do not have appropriate housing, and many have to live at home with elderly parents.

• Over 100,000 people with severe learning disability and their carers can’t get short-term breaks.

• Increased funding and provision of learning services.

• Better quality care and person-centred services.

• An Extra 6,000 housing places per year to give over 25s the choice of leaving if they want to.

• More housing options, with more supported living, as opposed to residential care.

• A legal right to short-term breaks.

• Abolition of charges for community care services such as day centres.

• Nine out of ten people with a learning disability have experienced bullying and harassment in the last year.

• Disabled people are four times more likely to suffer sexual abuse.

• There is no legal framework for disabled adults who are unable to communicate their wishes.

• Many people with a severe disability have had unnecessary medical treatment imposed on them, or have been denied the treatment they needed.

• Greater enforcement of people’s rights under the Disability Discrimination Act and the Human rights Act.

• A change of public attitudes towards people with learning disability.

• A strengthening of the law relating to sex offences.

• A new "abuse of trust" law to outlaw sexual relationships between care staff and those they have are caring for.

• Legislation to provide an effective framework for decision-making on behalf of adults who are able to communicate their wishes.

• The benefits system fails to adequately support people who are unable to work.

• Benefits are insufficient to cover the extra costs of disability.

• People living in residential care homes have only £15 a week spending money.

• The present system is difficult to understand and many fail to claim their entitlement.

• The benefits system creates a barrier to work.

• A significant increase in benefits for people unable to work because for their disability.

• A benefits system recognising that people in work needs a combination of wages and benefits.

• Income support earnings disregard increased to at least £30 per week.

• Extension of the Disabled Persons’ Tax Credit to people working less than 16 hours per week.

• Increased Disability Living Allowance to meet additional coasts that people with learning disabilities incur.

• Restoration of the Disability Living Allowance mobility component for people in NHS accommodation.

• Most people wit a severe learning disability need daytime activities as few have a job.

• More than 20,000 people do not have a day centre place.

• Many people only get a service for part of the week.

• Day centres are closing without adequate services to take their place.

• Services for people with profound and multiple disabilities are shrinking.

• At least 20,000 more quality day service places.

• Day services available five days a week from nine to five.

• Extra funding to modernise day services and to support people with profound and multiple disabilities.

• Local resource centres that offer a range of activities.

• Day centres to remain open unless they are replaces with good quality alternatives.

• Independent regulation and inspection of day services.

• There are 1.5 million children with special needs, of whom nearly 250,000 have statements.

• Statements specify extra support, but often result in children getting less classroom support than they need.

• Teaching Assistants providing classroom support often have no training in education or special needs.

• Children are often excluded from school because of their health needs.

• The curriculum for young people and adults is often narrow and restrictive.

• Parents to have a real choice of a mainstream or special school for their child.

• Good quality inclusive education in mainstream schools.

• Appropriate training for Teaching Assistants, and their full involvement in lesson planning.

• No child to be excluded from school because of a failure to meet their health needs.

• A transition plan for every child as they move to adult services.

Key Facts

• People with a learning disability get inadequate primary health care.

• They are often denied treatment for problems such as heart disease.

• Adults have very limited access to speech and language therapy and physiotherapy.

• Only 3% of women with a learning disability get cervical cancer screening, and only 17% of over 50s get breast screening.

• No one takes responsibility for specialist learning disability services.

• 3,000 people with a learning disability are still living in long-stay hospitals.

• Annual health checks and equal access to healthcare for every person with a learning disability.

• Primary Care Groups and Trusts to take responsibility for the health of people with a learning disability.

• Better learning disability training for NHS staff.

• More speech and language therapists, physiotherapists and community learning disability teams, giving better community support.

• Learning disability registers for children and adults so that services can be properly planned.

 Key Facts

• Disabled people are twice as likely to be out of work.

• Fewer than one in ten people with a severe learning disability are in work.

• Over one million people with disabilities want to work.

• There is a shortage of at least 40,000 supported employment places.

• The benefits system is a barrier for many people wanting to work.

• Most employers have no experience of employing people with a learning disability.

• Double the number of people with a severe learning disability in work

• 40,000 more supported employment places.

• Expansion and better promotion of the Assess to Work scheme, offering on-the-job support.

• New rules for Disabled Persons’ Tax Credit, making work pay for part-time workers.