Building good lives for people with learning disabilities was the theme of this year’s Learning Disability England (LDE) annual conference in Manchester.
Hundreds of members met to discuss and work on some of the most pressing issues facing people with learning disabilities currently, including the NHS 10-Year plan and adult social care review.
The delegates debated what needs to change in wider society to make a good life a reality for people with learning disabilities. They also discussed why, with human rights “on the chopping block,” it is so important for members to have their voices heard.
One important topic discussed was a fair chance at living an ordinary life that includes a safe home, a chance to work and have friends or a partner. Another was health equity and equal access to health services. This is so people with learning disabilities stop dying prematurely with often preventable deaths.
LDE also relaunched the updated The Good Lives Framework to reflect what’s happening now for people with learning disabilities. The framework includes information on home, advocacy, love, and health.
The conference included 40 speakers from small local community organisations to national voluntary sector and private organisations. It also featured a cinema room showing films made by people with learning disabilities, podcast coverage from self-advocates People First Keighley and Craven, and a live band.
Speakers included Jabeer Butt and Dr Jahan Foster Zabit from the Race Equality Foundation, who spoke about tackling equality for good lives for everyone. They both lead on work to improve the experiences of people of Black, Asian and minoritised ethnic backgrounds and attempt to understand why people from these backgrounds can have poorer health.
Simon Duffy and Wendy Perez Simon Duffy, who have worked with people with learning disabilities and their families for over 30 years, spoke about keys to citizenship, looking at different ways to give people more power and control over their lives.
Scott Watkin, BEM, co-chair of Learning Disability England Members’ representatives body, said: “The conference is a great chance for people to connect and share how they are working together to make a difference in our communities and plan taking action together. It gives the opportunity for our local action to have a national impact.”
Learning Disability England brings people and organisations together to create a movement for change where people with learning disabilities, families, friends and paid supporters come together on an equal basis.
It is a member of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Adult Social Care, a forum for raising concerns and sharing best practice with ministers and MPs and regularly contributes to and supports members with cross-sector research and campaigns.
