Down's syndrome features

Karen Watchman works with people with learning disabilities in both practice and in an academic setting. She spoke to LDT 2018 delegates about how to support people with a learning disability and dementia.  

Victoria Baynton-Williams visits the renowned Brighton Table Tennis Club and Purple Playhouse in the first of our country-wide series exploring inclusive activities on offer in different regions.

'Because of the status society puts on being in a relationship, people with learning disabilities are not unique in sometimes tolerating being treated badly to maintain a relationship.'

Bursting with sound and eye-catching animation, educational apps are designed to engage even those with the shortest attention spans. Darren Devine speaks to Beverley Dean, who with husband Colin was inspired by learning disabled son William to create social enterprise firm Special iApps.

'When we first came to Lesotho we went past a building with a chalk drawing and the words "I aspire to be". Only two children had filled it in.'

Health may be unpredictable but opportunities should be universal – that’s a value we hold dear at Learning Disability Today. It will underpin everything you experience at our upcoming learning and exhibition day in London on November 22. We will be joined by some of the most respected voices in social care and empowerment including Choice Support, Mencap and former health minister (currently shadow health minister) Norman Lamb MP.  

Interview: Rosa Monckton suffered a backlash when she made the case for people with learning disabilities to be exempted from minimum wage protection, in order to create more job openings. Learning Disability Today visited the learning disability training centre she’s set up, to explore the debate around employment challenges.

Since joining a new service four years ago, Clare Stubley’s life has taken off – including securing a job, taking up hobbies and achieving lifelong ambitions. Guy Page reports.

Treat Me Right! started out providing learning disability training for healthcare staff in an NHS Trust, but has since snowballed, driven forward in part by a man with Down’s syndrome. Editor Dan Parton reports:  
When John Keavney, who has Down’s syndrome, collapsed at his home with breathing difficulties in 2009, he was rushed to hospital. He remained there for four weeks and found his experience difficult, confusing and sometimes upsetting. But once he recovered, Keavney resolved to put his experiences to good use and improve the situation for other people with learning disabilities who have to go into hospital.
He became an active member of the Treat Me Right! campaign, and now delivers training to health professionals – from doctors and nurses to midwives, students and junior doctors – and much more at his local NHS Trust in Ealing. As part of the Treat Me Right! team, Keavney works alongside Elsa Morris and delivers up to four learning disability awareness courses each month at Ealing Hospital and Ealing Community Health Services, to groups of between six and 15 people. He talks about his experiences and how healthcare professionals can improve their treatment of people with learning disabilities.

Sensory stories can be an important way to provide vital sensory stimulation for children with profound and multiple learning disabilities, as Joanna Grace explains